About
Contact
Advertise

Facebook
Twitter

July 31, 2025 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 31 July 2025

Like this:

Like Loading…

Email
Facebook
Twitter
Comment262

Uncategorized
General Debate

Comments (262)

Login to comment or vote

Cassandra

A solution to our doctor shortage (and a lot cheaper than a new med school): according to the Times 52% of UK junior doctors do not have jobs come August. These are med school grads who have completed their two years post-grad hospital training. We should dispatch a team from Health HQ to the UK today to select a hundred. Paying their airfares would be about 1% of the cost of their training. Another 2% would subsidise their student loans. Bargain. Throw in a flat – still a bargain.
59 3
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 8:01am
- Anthony Melchett
  
  Just what we need, more negative poms!
  
  2 23
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 8:08am
  - Fender
    
    To be fair that was a certain age group and a certain time ago
    This young lot are generally pretty happy people that love a drink , bit like Harry in his party days
    
    5 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 11:54am
  - imalwaysright
    
    When doctors say the results are negative that’s a good thing Anthony…
    
    3 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 12:37pm
  - Wandering Star
    
    If they are “UK junior doctors”, a high proportion of them are probably actually Pakistanis and Indians anyway.
    
    3 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 1:46pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Hey the “negative poms” are well trained, speak our lingo perfectly and generally enjoy the perceived novelty of escaping the insane mess that is the current UK.
    
    1 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 8:04pm
- David Garrett
  
  Cass: An excellent idea…but that would require thinking out of the box…and bureaucrats can’t do that. And their political Masters- regardless of the government in power – would never be so bold
  
  39 4
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 8:13am
  - Cassandra
    
    I sent this post to the Min of Health last night. I imagine there’s a team booking flights right now. But possible to Auckland for the weekend rather than London.
    
    39 3
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 8:22am
    - imalwaysright
      
      You will get the same response as Rob Fyfe when he managed to source covid masks etc and asked the Ministry for $80 million to pay for them:
      
      “We don’t operate that way here.”
      
      17 2
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 8:25am
      - imalwaysright
        
        Here’s the interview of Fyfe by Paul Henry.
        I think we have the wrong ex CEO of Airnz as PM
        
        Fyfe mentions the ministry knocking him back a couple of minutes in.
        
        https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350535992/rob-fyfe-calls-for-long-term-post-covid-19-economic-plan-from-government
        
        3 1
        Report
        July 31, 2025 12:58pm
    - David Garrett
      
      Cass: If you are lucky, You will get a form reply thanking you for “reaching out” – which appears to the current version of “contacting us” – followed by several sentences of bland bullshit which effectively say nothing.
      
      Mind you – minus the “reaching out” – it was ever so; I remember many years ago, when I was still a leftie, writing to Muldoon about the police shooting a guy they thought had a shotgun, but it was in fact a weightlifting bar.
      
      The reply was one short sentence: “Your concern is noted”
      
      29 5
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 8:35am
      - peterwn
        
        It will get worse when departments start using AI to draft replies to Ministerial correspondence.
        
        26 3
        Report
        July 31, 2025 8:57am
      - RoboRob
        
        @perterwn
        
        Nah, It will get better. The replies will at least refer to the thing you wrote about, rather then being obvious form letters.
        
        10 1
        Report
        July 31, 2025 9:39am
    - pdm
      
      Cass I think you will find the Greens opposing your idea
      
      They would prefer to bring in 200 Palestinian refugees riddled with Hamas terrorists.
      
      48 7
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 8:51am
      - mandk
        
        It’s plain that the only reason why the Greens want us to import Palestinians is because they hate NZ and want to destroy it.
        
        There is a very good reason why none of the Arab countries have taken in Palestinians: they know that Palestinians would heap troubles on the host countries.
        
        27 6
        Report
        July 31, 2025 9:39am
      - Mike
        
        Alternative view: Neighboring Arab countries see no reason to help Israel remove the Palestinians from Palestine.
        
        6 21
        Report
        July 31, 2025 10:08am
      - Graeme Hall
        
        It is long past the point when the Greens, along with Hamas, should be designated by our Govt as a Terrorist Organisation. I cannot recall at any point in their candidate selection or in their Parliamentary activities where they have ever acted for the good of the country rather than making a fool of it. Just look at the stream of foreigners, fraudsters, fools, dingbats, crooks & race grifters they have brought over the years into Parliament under the guise of Environmentalism.
        
        5 3
        Report
        July 31, 2025 11:20am
      - Paulus
        
        Where, please tell is Palestine ?
        
        5 2
        Report
        July 31, 2025 2:13pm
  - Dave
    
    And, of course, the ones who can’t get jobs in the UK will not only be inferior quality – NZ deserves only the best, which is why we don’t let people into medical training here with lower grades – but also require six months retraining for cultural safety.
    
    4 10
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 9:46am
    - rouppe
      
      don’t let people into medical training here with lower grades? Are you kidding me?
      
      Have you not heard of MOPAS?
      
      MOPAS means that by virtue of the fact that places are reserved for ethnic categories it is entirely possible that someone using the ethnic pathway enters medical school with a lower qualifying pass mark than someone who has to enter using the competitive pathway.
      
      20 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 10:28am
      - Dave
        
        Yes rouppe, I’m kidding you. Obviously, I need to improve my written irony skills.
        
        As someone whose continued health depends on the competence of Auckland Hospital’s oncologists, I’m grateful to all those specialists who’ve made NZ their home.
        
        8 0
        Report
        July 31, 2025 11:01am
    - pdm
      
      Quotas Dave, quotas.
      
      Think about it
      
      8 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 10:30am
    - [email protected]
      
      “we don’t let people into medical training here with lower grades”
      
      I believe that we do let some people with lower grades into medical training.
      
      16 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 10:38am
      - Keith White
        
        There is literally no grade / mark from school too low that disqualifies people being admitted to NZ Medical Schools if they meet the so-called “Polynesian Preference” metrics.
        
        1 0
        Report
        July 31, 2025 4:30pm
- Quail
  
  Cassandra,
  Good concept.The only major hurdle would be having to learn a (world irrelevant) new language!
  
  15 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 8:20am
- Phronesis
  
  It wouldn’t help Waikato University though would it.
  
  9 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 8:28am
- lastmanstanding
  
  Lets look at windfarms solar power and nuke plants.
  
  1. Windfarms. Huge turbines a blot on the land or sea scape. Limited life. China major supplier. Cant dispose of parts above or below ground Kills the birds. And the kicker only works some of the time.
  2. Solar. Covers a lot of productive land. Animals cant graze near them. China supplies most of them. Limited life and cant dispose of parts. And again only works some of the time.
  3. Nuke plants. Compact. Can be installed near an existing grid. 24/7 supply. Long lasting. Can buy from other than China. Forget Chenobyl. That was 40 years ago and low quality Russian.
  
  Anyone still convinced wind/solar the way to go over nuke.
  
  45 3
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:09am
  - kowtow
    
    Coal . Proven , reliable , cheap and plentiful.
    
    It’s literally that simple.
    
    And a by product benefit is plant food .
    
    A greener planet.
    
    Win, win.
    
    26 3
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 9:19am
  - Colville
    
    Why cant sheep graze under solar?
    
    9 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 9:31am
    - NeverMindTheBollocks
      
      There’s a solar farm near Waiuku (I think) that has elevated and moveable (follow the Sun) panels. The panels are of a height that young cattle can graze under them, but bigger cattle will gnaw on the rubber coated cables. Apparently, in summer the grass is greener under the panels as more moisture is retained.
      
      9 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 10:22am
      - PurplePen
        
        The grass under my outdoor table is greener and more lush than the rest of the lawn.
        
        4 0
        Report
        July 31, 2025 12:06pm
    - cmm
      
      There are concerns with stock damaging the solar panels.
      
      All the sunshine blocked by the panels is no longer available to perform photosynthesis and grow grass. Therefore the feed produced by the area under solar panels is massively reduced.
      
      13 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 10:30am
      - Colville
        
        Somewhere like Onga Onga in Central Hawkes Bay where solar is going to go sheep can’t graze for many months over summer because it’s too hot.
        A bit of shade could be a good thing?
        
        1 0
        Report
        July 31, 2025 3:05pm
  - RoboRob
    
    Add in that a massively expensive lines upgrade will soon be required to transfer the additional power we need from remote locations (where wind and solar are located) to where it is required. If we put a couple of SMRs (Small Modular Reactors) beside Auckland and another by Christchurch, we could save hundreds of billions on line upgrades.
    
    14 3
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 9:41am
    - artemisia
      
      There is a general election next year. A chance for the current government to take a staunch stance on alternatives / additions to wind and solar. And why. Like geothermal! And coal and SNRs. And start educating voters.
      
      A ‘Show me the money, Opposition’ opportunity.
      
      12 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 10:47am
      - Colville
        
        Education for nuclear is critical but a 15yr horizon to a referendum?
        Do away with the nuclear free policy for a start.
        
        1 0
        Report
        July 31, 2025 3:07pm
    - Ian Boag
      
      If we put a couple of SMRs (Small Modular Reactors) beside Auckland and another by Christchurch
      
      Great idea. It would be even better if any SMRs actually existed and had been running for a while to knock out bugs. Think 20 years ….
      
      3 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 6:39pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        What do you think has been powering nuclear subs and ships for the last 60 or so years?
        
        SMRs that people sleep and work right next to.
        
        0 0
        Report
        August 1, 2025 4:07pm
  - R
    
    Never was convinced LMS!
    
    3 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 9:44am
  - cmm
    
    lastman:
    
    Here in NZ we also have the luxury of geothermal which also has the advantages of a nuke/coal plant with far less political hurdles.
    
    Taniwha will want his koha though…
    
    15 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 10:27am
    - PurplePen
      
      Cheap too. Cheaper than hydro and can provide base load.
      
      3 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 12:07pm
    - R
      
      Taniwha has missed this opportunity for ‘troughing’.! Maybe more succesful for the next generation geothermal development
      
      0 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 1:12pm
    - Paulus
      
      All the hot air that comes up from the ground called steam is owned by the Maori Iwi, who invented it !
      
      3 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 2:16pm
  - AitchW
    
    Geothermal surely is the future of our power generation. We have a vast volcanic plateau mostly covered in pine trees where we must be able to put geothermal power stations well out of sight? Or is there a snail there?
    
    1 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 8:24pm
    - Quail
      
      Ocean Energy is gaining more recognition off shore.
      NZ’s long Coastline makes for huge opportunities on that front.
      Clean and green!
      
      1 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 10:17pm
  - Jake Dee
    
    Why should being made in China count against any of these technologies?
    If you’re worried about nations shooting themselves in the foot over reliable energy supplies for political reasons then refusing cheaper and better technology just because it comes from China is doing exactly that, shooting yourself in the foot, crippling your own nation, and for many decades by bowing to political pressure and not scientific or economic facts.
    China is a world leader in nuclear power technology with new systems such as thorium liquid salt reactors (cut out the uranium cycle) and small modular reactors (move them around as needed) already underway. They’ve also exported reactor technology to Kazakhstan.
    But the No. 1 exporter of nuclear reactors is of course Russia. How do you feel about doing business with them?
    This is a very serious question New Zealand has to ask about its power generation technology. If we don’t have the political backbone to standup for what’s best for New Zealand and just do what Washington and the West tell us to do, then we will be stuck at the end of a very long queue, waiting a very long time for the possibility of gaining permission to buy worse technology at a much higher price.
    
    0 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 10:13pm
- kowtow
  
  Yer but don’t select the rainbow tick,pro Hamas ones who’re on strike .
  
  7 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:20am
- MCōs
  
  NZ already actively recruits doctors from the UK
  https://medrecruit.medworld.com/articles/can-uk-doctors-work-in-new-zealand
  
  7 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 10:13am
- PurplePen
  
  Another idea. Bring in surgeons from a lower wage country or where theatre teams are paid significantly less than here. Local surgeons here say you can’t because they can’t speak English well enough when in theatre. You can get round this by bringing in an entire theatre team from the country. On contract for X months or years to do Y hips and Z knees a week only. Or some other operation that’s low risk that we’re behind on. That’s all they do.
  
  4 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 12:02pm
Scott

The narrative in Gaza is that children are dying of starvation, there is mass starvation in Gaza. The BBC and many media outlets around the world have run with this narrative. Example number one of starving children is young Mohammed and his mother. The child is emaciated and according to the BBC this is clear evidence of mass starvation in Gaza.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyxy5k70rzo

But the story is false. The child suffers from a genetic condition. Deliberately cropped out and left out of any reporting is Mohammad’s 3 year old brother Joud, who is healthy and not starving. The pictures of the healthy brother do exist but for some reason, hint – media bias and it doesn’t fit the narrative, they are not shown.

Powerline shows us the truth –
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2025/07/same-as-it-ever-was.php

They rely on the reporting of David Collier who appears to be an actual journalist –

https://david-collier.com/the-truth-behind-the-viral-gaza-famine-photo/

“Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq /Mutawwaq (was born with serious genetic disorders. He has needed specialist medical supplements since birth. Like previous examples of the media using ‘starving children’ going back to summer 2024 – the image is of a child suffering underlying (and hidden) health issues.

A medical report issued in May 2025 by the Basma Association for Relief in Gaza states that Mohammed, has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy – a group of neurological disorders affecting movement, muscle tone, and posture. The report notes that Mohammed suffers from hypoxemia (low oxygen in the blood), possibly linked to a suspected genetic disorder inherited in an ‘autosomal recessive pattern.’

There is no argument here. I have seen a copy of this report (but obviously won’t produce in full here a child’s medical diagnosis). It was signed by Dr Saeed Mohammed Al Nassan on 20th May 2025”.

The BBC must know the story is fake? But still the story remains on the BBC website, I found it this morning.

Is anyone going to tell them the truth? Would they even care?
31 6
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 8:02am
- cmm
  
  MSM lying? Can’t be!
  
  18 4
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 10:31am
- Phronesis
  
  The New York Times has, rather quietly, admitted the truth. In retaliation for telling the truth their offices have been targeted by vandals. https://x.com/wawog_now/status/1950625340960727418
  
  9 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 12:49pm
  - kowtow
    
    Admitted the truth .
    
    How convenient , after the damage is done.
    
    Mind you slowly slowly they consign themselves in the long run to the dump, where they belong.
    
    Can’t happen soon enough.
    
    3 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 1:18pm
    - NZer In Exile
      
      Yep each egregious lie bringing them closer to total collapse. How sad.
      
      4 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 8:28pm
- Jack5
  
  TVNZ, TV3 and Stuff hammer, hammer, and hammer Israel for the mess in Gaza.
  
  This, from a report in the Wall Street Journal about the Hamas-Israel stand-off, gives a more balanced view:
  
  “The two sides couldn’t come to terms on such seemingly small issues as who would distribute humanitarian aid, where Israeli troops would be stationed, the number of Palestinian prisoners to be exchanged for Israeli hostages and the opening of a border between Gaza and Egypt, Arab officials said.”
  
  And:
  
  “Hamas has agreed to cede governing power and allow a technocratic committee to manage Gaza after the war, but it hasn’t agreed to disband its armed wing, and Israeli leaders fear it will control Gaza from behind the scenes.”
  
  4 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 1:10pm
- Agricola
  
  How the hell does this get downticks? By those who enjoy being lied to?
  
  4 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 1:34pm
- Ian Boag
  
  Great post. That’s one explained … can you fill us in on how the other umpty gazillion are fakes too … ?
  
  4 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 6:42pm
balanced

Lleyton Smith opened my eyes to the climate fraud. Lleyton researched climate change and interviewed a slew of experts. His accurate conclusion was born of fact and intellect.

Fast forward to the band wagon, shallow, gossip which has overtaken the post 0900 newstalk zb team today.

No research, little understanding, low intellectual rigour, but hey why not throw an “opinion” out there anyway?

Perhaps if the newstalk post 0900 dream team did a bit more research they might discover:

1. The Commerce Commission just reduced interchange fees paid by Kiwi businesses to accept Visa and Mastercard payments.

2. Outlawing transaction fees ensures the reduced interchange fees are passed to consumers instead of swelling bank coffers.

3. Retailers were adding a nice stipend for themselves into the transaction fee and any reporter with a fundamental understanding of perfect knowledge knows why that is unacceptable.

4. Transaction fees discourage credit card use, elevating the banks dominant position in NZ.

Replacing failed DEI public sector managers with meritorious straight white males should be a new welcome trend adopted by newstalk zb..
13 3
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 8:02am
- Paulus
  
  Are the top DEI people in the Public Service being replaced by (similar) or just moved around and are being just shunted to anoter job similaer.
  We are told in fact that many Public Servants have lost their jobs.
  Tell me where as many of those were just arranged vacancies anyhow.
  They must be laughing now as they got through any perceived changes.
  
  4 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 2:22pm
  - balanced
    
    I always encourage kiwibloggers to research to avoid posting valueless rubbish.
    
    Try googling Paulus.
    
    Audrey Young runs through a number of positive managerial changes as do many other sources.
    
    0 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 6:35pm
David Garrett

Well the tsunami came to nothing up here in the Kingdom… a “wave” about a foot high so I am told…I was asleep at the time.
42 3
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 8:08am
- Paul
  
  I was deeply annoyed to be woken at 6:30am by a message from the NZ Government telling me to stay in bed for my safety.
  
  19 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 8:24am
- Mike
  
  Some people would prefer not to be warned of possible tsunamis, I guess.
  
  4 29
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 8:41am
  - Don Beckett
    
    The bloody thing has to travel about 9,000 miles to get here – a small swell & slight tidal surge.
    Wouldn’t even disturb the seagulls.
    
    10 4
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 10:45am
    - PurplePen
      
      Yes. Hawaii adjusted their advice last night to no risk, the event was over. Whereas here they’re advising its still unsafe through until this afternoon or something.
      
      4 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 12:10pm
    - OlderChas
      
      W got one yesterday afternoon Don – said the wave would arrive in NZ at around midnight. Then another at 6.30am saying a tsunami might be coming. People will treat these warnings like the boy who cried wolf if they don’t sort themselves out.
      
      6 3
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 12:46pm
      - Ghost
        
        No, at no point did the warnings mention a risk of a tsunami, in fact a tsunami was ruled out pretty quickly for nz, all warnings were about the currents and inpredictable surges.
        
        TSUNAMI ADVISORY: Strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore are expected following a magnitude
        8.8 earthquake near Kamchatka, Russia.
        
        Strong currents and surges can injure and drown people. There is a danger to swimmers, surfers, people fishing, and anyone in or near the water close to the
        shore. People on boats, live-aboards and at marinas should leave their boats/vessels and move onto shore. Do not return to boats
        unless instructed by officials. IF YOU ARE ONSHORE, YOU DO NOT NEED TO EVACUATE. But STAY AWAY FROM THE WATER, including beaches, shore areas, harbours, marinas, rivers and estuaries. DO
        NOT GO SIGHTSEEING. This advisory is for all coastal areas of the North Island, Great Barrier Island, the South Island, Stewart Island and the Chatham
        Islands. For more information go to
        http://www.civildefence.govt.nz Issued by the National Emergency
        Management Agency at 4:12pm 30/07/2025.
        
        That is the warning that went out.
        
        4 1
        Report
        July 31, 2025 1:01pm
      - AitchW
        
        I’m not convinced that a few tsunami alerts over 24 hours makes the boy who cried wolf.
        When was the last time we had a slight rash of alerts like this?
        They were justified. They were appropriate.
        
        0 1
        Report
        July 31, 2025 8:30pm
  - keepcalmcarryon
    
    Shut the borders eh Mike. “ the sky is falling”
    Stay home save lives, be kind.
    
    6 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 10:54am
  - Anthony Melchett
    
    If there was actually going to be one, sure.
    
    It was obvious that there wasn’t one coming yesterday. Why the unnecessary panic?
    
    7 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 11:15am
  - pdm
    
    If I lived at Twizel or Ohakune I would be passed off if I received a tsunami warning in the middle of the night.
    
    10 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 11:23am
    - Ghost
      
      Why would people not near the coast get a warning? Did any get a warning that don’t live near the coast? The warnings go out through the cell towers in the locations at risk, not to every phone
      
      11 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 11:38am
      - cmm
        
        Correct.
        
        A few days ago we had an alert that an elderly person was missing in the area. It only went out through local towers and only people within 2km or so would have received it.
        
        Those alerts are broadcasts that are received by all the phones in range and are tuned in to the tower. They do not rely on cellphone numbers or the text message system or such.
        
        4 0
        Report
        July 31, 2025 12:59pm
    - Don Beckett
      
      @pdm.
      Interesting – how do you get ‘passed off’? 🙂
      
      0 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 12:54pm
    - Paulus
      
      I beieve the so called Management Commitee did a good job as it WORKED (more than once but not relevent)
      Damn this Coalition anyway, as it their fault for having knowledge of a Tsunami.
      
      4 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 2:25pm
- Ipanema69
  
  Ah yes my cellphone emergency alert went off twice to warn me of the incoming wave of devastation. The most recent alert being 6.30am.
  
  Strangely enough the trains in Auckland which effectively run close to sea level are still running.
  
  11 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 8:42am
- keepcalmcarryon
  
  I got my fourth screaming civil defense alert about the non event this morning.
  As per usual the main take home from media and civil defense crying wolf is that when we do get an important one most people won’t believe them.
  A 1 meter mild wave at Japan within a few hours already told us it was over hyped.
  
  13 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 8:44am
- Gussy Fink-Nottle
  
  Here in Godzone, I received a phone alert at 6.30am this morning, imploring me not to go to the beach. Just as well really, I could have frozen to death.
  
  22 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:05am
- Master Mariner
  
  Yep was following Hawaii NOAA station as a lead indicator for here.
  NZ GeoScience and Geonet just a mess trying to get intelligent information unfortunately , Especially “Live ” Tidal Data.
  Out of interest , Would be to see if any damage to Sakhalin ( Russia’s Biggest Gas Field).
  
  10 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:11am
- Clyde
  
  No warnings in Australia as they deemed there was no threat. But the panic industry in NZ is in full “control” mode.
  
  15 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 10:07am
vand

O the devious and dishonest BBC”
“Israel came into being in 1948, but efforts to create a parallel state of Palestine have foundered, for a multitude of reasons.”
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgp5z1vvj5o

I think we know the main reason
11 3
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 8:27am
- Paulus
  
  Where is Palestine ?
  
  2 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 2:26pm
Chuck Bird

I heard John Minto on the radio say that instead of a two-state solution that everyone should all live together in Israel. It appears he is not so much a bad person as stupid.
41 6
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 8:41am
- cmm
  
  Well at least that is consistent. He was opposed to the two-state (or multi-state) solution for South Africa too.
  
  23 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 8:44am
- gravedodger
  
  They already do Israel has 1.6 000 ooo Palestinians resident inside the state with 10 sitting in the Knesset, over a hundred having been MPs since 1948
  
  27 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:23am
  - kowtow
    
    All the while they all literally ignore what was the ethnic cleansing of Jews from across North Africa and the Middle East since 1948.
    
    17 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 9:48am
  - Libertarians are right
    
    When the Palestinian Mandate was split in 1948 it became Israel and The Palestinian Kingdom of Jordan. Jews moved to Israel from across the former Ottoman Empire (where their life expectancy had reduced to almost nothing). Palestinian Muslims had two options: move to Jordan or live in peace with the Jews. Unfortunately, a group of them decided on a third option: push for genocide of the Jews and take the land back. Many of the “Palestinians” in Gaza and the West Bank (plus the “Palestinian Refugees”) are the descendants of those people and have never been taught differently. Many of them don’t want to live together and don’t want a two state solution.
    
    15 3
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 10:09am
- NZer In Exile
  
  I wonder if Minto is aware of the history of the ROP and what is in their “holy books”.
  
  0 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 8:31pm
kowtow

Why do weak western leaders threaten Israel with recognising a terror state ,instead of warning the terror state of dire consequences for not releasing the hostages and for using terror as policy.

It tells you all you need to know about the dire state of western politics.
15 5
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 8:44am
- Philview
  
  TVNZ News last night reported on the UK recognising the Palestinian State. They went through statistics of Palestinian deaths, they did mention the 1,200 Israelis killed on October 7th but did not mention the 3,000 Israeli soldiers killed and wounded in Gaza. In context 450 British soldiers died in Afghanistan in 20 years. Gaza has been a very violent war fought between 2 sides and not Israel just attacking a defenceless population as the media tries to portray.
  
  6 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 11:18am
  - Chuck Bird
    
    Hamas is an evil terrorist organisation. I believe Israel has acted badly recently as far as food goes, and for many years in the West Bank. Many on both sides hate each other.
    
    I would like to see Luxon’s plan for a two-state solution. It will not be easy.
    
    6 4
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 1:57pm
    - NZer In Exile
      
      Highly questionable whether Israel has behaved badly. The western lunatic media lap up everything Hamas and Hamas aligned operatives tell them.
      
      4 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 8:08pm
  - Paulus
    
    You mean the Hamas figures arranged by Al Jezeera !
    
    3 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 2:28pm
- Phronesis
  
  Trump should announce that unless Starmer does what Trump demands he will recognise Scotland as a sovereign nation.
  
  9 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 12:54pm
  - Phronesis
    
    I see Carney is talking about Canada recognising Palestine now. Im sure the Quebecois separatists would be overjoyed if Trump recognised them as a Sovereign state too.
    
    1 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 1:30pm
- Beach Haven expat
  
  Starmer’s position is nonsensical and he’s now being told that, lovers of international law as he and his rather devious AG are, they may be breaking international law.
  Additionally, he’s saying Hamas cannot be part of a Government of Palestine. Sorry chum but I’m not entirely sure those of us who believe in democracy think some midget who is suspiciously the arson target of Ukrainian “male models” should be able to order a (new) country’s population who they can vote for. If you want Palestine to be a real thing, then it’s up to them how they set it up.
  
  0 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  August 1, 2025 12:50am
Anthony Melchett

News flash:

Wellington ferries cancelled.

Wellington’s East by West ferries are cancelled until at least 10am today.

A post on the company’s website says the ferries have been cancelled due to the tsunami risk.

The waves have already passed. The highest recorded is stated by some numpty getting his 5 minutes of fame as up to 40 centimeters. In the Chatham Islands. It’s such a non event here they can’t even say what the surge is in nz. “Up to about the same” apparently. Well thanks for that. Sounds terrifying. Not.

But we better cancel the wellington ferries that operate in an enclosed harbour that faces away from the direction of the alleged 40cm wave.

At this point, the tsunami will need to ask the real waves to stop for a minute so people can see it.

Idiots. Panicking idiots. What’s next, an advisory for boating on lake taupo in case the tsunami comes up the river?
23 2
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 8:45am
- MCōs
  
  Better to have an unnecessary warning than vice versa as happened on Boxing Day 2004.
  A Kiwi guy I worked with in Bangkok took his family for a holiday to Khao Lak. While he was out at sea with his wife fishing they left the kids with the nanny on the beach. She noticed the water draining out of the beach, grabbed the kids and headed to higher ground and were safe. The wave went several kms inland. The parents hardly noticed anything out at sea.
  The receding water was the only warning and most people didn’t know what it meant.
  At least 4000 people died at Khao Lak
  
  7 5
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 10:28am
  - cmm
    
    That’s completely different and it is disingenuous to conflate those.
    
    Khao Lak was hit with little warning by a massive devastating tsunami.
    It would be better to compare the same tsunami reaching the East coast of Africa a few hours later.
    
    19 4
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 10:41am
- Michael Sommerville
  
  Well that is Wellington for you. Our local ferries here in Auckland, sent out a text to say that everything would operate as per usual.
  
  It tells you a lot.
  
  1 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 3:50pm
BananaLlama

I’m going to figure out how to turn the emergency warnings off.
6 2
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 8:48am
- BananaLlama
  
  Mr Downticker i have received eight warnings now because their system is outsourced to American companies that outsource their code base to India.
  Believe me, i will find out why it does not work on older IOS versions and then replicate that issue and there will be nothing you can do about it.
  
  5 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 11:06am
- PurplePen
  
  Turn the phone off?
  
  6 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 12:13pm
- OlderChas
  
  Please let us all know how to when you figure it out Banana!
  
  4 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 12:50pm
  - BananaLlama
    
    try settings, notifications, scroll down to the very bottom and disable emergency alerts …. but i don’t know if it will actually work.
    
    1 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 2:04pm
tknorriss

This constant bombardment of tsunami alert messages through the night was totally disproportionate to the risk.

Anyone who could look at a map would see that NZ is not in the firing line, and the risk is insignificant. Probably people were more at risk from the shock of sudden blaring warning alarms from their phone than the tsunami.

The warning should have just specified not to go into the water rather than the general warning to stay away from rivers, waterways etc as well.

My DW organises a walking group. They were going to go for a walk that passes near a stream about 7 km inland. She decided to cancel due to the warning.

I said to her to put her brain on. We live about three kilometres closer to the sea now, and have a river not too far from us. I said that if the tsunami was strong enough to drown people 7 kilometres from the sea, then we would be in huge trouble where we live, and the whole subdivision should probably be evacuating.

All we are going to end up with, if this is the protocol going forward is a “cry wolf” scenario where people end up ignoring the alarms when the big one does happen.
39 2
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 8:55am
- David Garrett
  
  tk: Quite so. The “cry wolf” scenario is already happening up here in Tonga. Although it was announced both on the radio and through a loudspeaker system that the tsunami would not hit until after 10,30 pm, I am told that the roads were instantly clogged – forcing me to remain at the Nuku’alofa Club until about 6pm, when were told the roads had cleared. By 6pm I couldn’t have cared less about the tsunami!
  
  The word around town this am is that most people think the alarm was unnecessary – or at least much too early….sirens going off at 3.30 when the authorities had already figured out that the wave would not arrive here until seven hours later.
  
  20 3
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:09am
  - Jethrod
    
    What would have happened if it was a Sunday in the Kingdom? Serious question.
    
    9 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 9:46am
    - imalwaysright
      
      Jethrod
      
      “What would have happened if it was a Sunday in the Kingdom?”
      
      Moral highground.
      
      12 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 10:10am
    - David Garrett
      
      Jethrod: I honestly don’t know the answer. I would like to think the result would be the same: there are the occasional medivac flights permitted on Sunday, but permission has to be sought at Ministerial level, and it is not always granted. Obviously the hospital doesn’t close on Sundays, but no operations would be performed…emergencies maybe.
      
      On the other hand, it is established fact that yachties have sent out mayday calls on Sunday, and Nuku’alofa radio has said ” Message received…We will send a Navy patrol boat at 12.01am on Monday”.
      
      I don’t know this for a fact, but rumour has it that sometimes the navy patrol boats have reached some yachts too late, and it becomes a matter of body recovery not rescue by the time they get to the stricken yacht.
      
      8 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 10:58am
      - Jethrod
        
        Thank you. A fulsome answer.
        
        3 0
        Report
        July 31, 2025 12:47pm
  - rouppe
    
    Hmmm.
    
    More warning is usually better than less, so I wouldn’t complain about that.
    
    An 8.8 magnitude earthquake can easily produce a destructive tsunami so the management people have a choice: warn early with no other information than 8.8 magnitude, and then withdraw it once the facts of the event become clear; or wait until they can confirm the wave is huge and then issue a warning.
    
    In the latter event, you’d have all manner of people saying that the response was too late or incompetent or something.
    
    There is definitely a culture of over the top health and safety here. “Atmospheric river” and road cones spring to mind. But I’m not sure this event is one of those.
    
    If they’d done this on a mag5 earthquake I’d also be critical.
    
    But with such a massive earthquake, is it not reasonable to warn early until the nature of the event is better known? My only criticism is the duplicate alarm, and still having the warning in place here after several other places (Hawaii and North America) had withdrawn theirs.
    
    3 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 11:26am
    - tknorriss
      
      We have had similar earthquakes in South America pointing straight at NZ that haven’t produced huge tsunamis. The distance is a big thing as the energy disperses the further it goes.
      
      This earthquake was never going to produce a large tsunami in NZ.
      
      If they had stuck to the actual warning on the geotech website it would have been fine. But they hyped it up above that.
      
      2 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 3:30pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  My phone pinged this morning at 6.30am. As a result I got up earlier and more bleary eyed than usual. I was earlier out the door too, and looking around at the longer than usual string of cars on the road, I idly wondered how many extra accidents will occur this morning due to that wretched early wake up call.
  
  My point is that sending out an unnecessary message “just to be on the safe side” may not be without adverse consequences.
  
  13 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:21am
- keepcalmcarryon
  
  Absolutely true. Yet immediately after the Kaikoura earthquake they advertised the fact there was no tsunami risk when there was in fact a localized small tsunami.
  Utter incompetence.
  Oh look :
  
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360775987/glitch-sent-out-multiple-emergency-mobile-alerts-overnight-nema-apologises
  
  Expect no consequences of course, it’s the public service, taking your money and increasingly producing dog shit.
  
  13 3
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:21am
  - rouppe
    
    I got up at 8am to find the 630am warning on my phone that I’d not even heard.
    
    Mind you I keep it on charge in the living room, the other end of the house to my bedroom. To avoid being woken up by pings
    
    5 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 11:16am
- gravedodger
  
  A little similar to the Third flood warnings for Nelson Tasman when “Te Atmospheric River” descended this week I think it missed by some distance and hit around Hokitika.
  Inexact science I well know but wondering just how much anxiety was triggered?
  
  10 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:27am
- Master Mariner
  
  “Anyone who could look at a map would see that NZ is not in the firing line”,
  I beg to differ, NZ is indeed in the firing line if it amounted to much. Luckily not so,
  The real issue in NZ is the warning system was hours to late for the Kermadec Earthquake and one in the Hikurangi zone. Sometimes with less than minutes to react.
  NZ warning system is a shambles.
  
  8 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:31am
  - tknorriss
    
    I agree with the Kermadic. But that is much closer, and directly lined up with New Zealand than the earthquake yesterday.
    
    Also, local faults are of much more danger due to the greater size of the event relative to New Zealand, and the much shorter time to react. For instance the Hikurangi fault.
    
    Notice that the advice from Geonet on yesterday’s earthquake was:
    
    “National Advisory: Tsunami activity – expect strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore following the M8.8 earthquake, Kamchatka Russia. For all information please visit NEMA (The National Emergency Management Agency) Only messages issued by NEMA represent the official warning status for New Zealand.”
    
    That warning is fine and accurate. But the one given was far too general, and could have caused unnecessary panic.
    
    8 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 10:26am
- Observer of Life
  
  TK: The cry wolf IS already happening here.
  
  5 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:57am
- I remember when
  
  tknorris.
  A ‘cry wolf’ scenario for tsunamis.
  Lord only what we will development because of the constant weather warnings that come with the TV forecasts now.
  Just tell us what the possibilites are and let us decide what action to take.
  
  The weather forecast on TV1 has become symbolic.
  
  6 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 10:18am
- Ghost
  
  There were no tsunami warning issued in New Zealand, they ruled it out pretty early on. the warning was for strong currents and for people living on the boats, or near the water to stay away from the beach.
  
  3 5
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 10:45am
  - tknorriss
    
    No, the warning was to stay away from rivers as well, without giving any indication of how far that extended.
    
    7 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 10:58am
- cmm
  
  No doubt there are a bunch of civil defence “experts” who live for the opportunity to put on their day-glo vests, wave clipboards and loud hailers around and turn of the flashy lights on their utes.
  
  They’ll be getting boners bigger than from Viagra.
  
  Yes, we need civil defence, but they really need to be careful to not cry wolf.
  
  Crying wolf not only causes people to lose faith in the system but also causes unnecessary chaos which can, in itself, be dangerous.
  
  10 5
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 10:46am
  - keepcalmcarryon
    
    They constantly do it with every “strong” tiny earthquake that’s f-all.
    Causes real anxiety for those with PTSD from Chch, and in rellies overseas with no knowledge of earthquakes or aotearoas fear industry.
    
    2 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 11:03am
  - Anthony Melchett
    
    But but an atmospheric river and a 40cm tsunami in the same week. I don’t feel safe to work today and need to do my adult coloring in book
    
    5 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 11:20am
- Gussy Fink-Nottle
  
  Give a child a whistle, and they’ll blow it.
  
  4 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 12:38pm
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.
    
    1 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 6:53pm
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360774579/activists-vow-resistance-government-set-repeal-offshore-oil-and-gas-ban

Where have these activists been for the last 7 years ? Have they been in India and China, pestering those Governments to stop coal mining and oil exploration and extraction of various metals ?

It is so easy for them to sit at home in NZ and select the low-hanging fruit, knowing that whatever they do and say will be reported breathlessly by the MSM and any civil disobedience actions will be treated with kid gloves.

Go for it, Shane: coal, gas, hydro, let’s have the lot.
38 2
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 8:56am
- I remember when
  
  Yes greybeard it’s not as if the activists would have to travel to that many countries.
  India, China and Indonesia produce 75% of the world’s current coal production.
  Three trips and world coal production would plummet.
  
  8 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:07am
- kowtow
  
  ‘Go for it, Shane’
  
  Yer , Shane reversing his own ban .
  
  Think about it.
  
  10 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:32am
- David Garrett
  
  Grey: This is an utter and complete waste of valuable parliamentary time. The oil and gas explorers will never come back – for one very simple reason: Labour has announced they will ban them once again when they get back in – which could be as soon as next year. Next year, six years, whatever; like rust, Labour and the Greens will inevitably be back.
  
  Why would a company spend even few million USD shooting some new seismic when they know very well their investment will all be negated by the next left government?
  
  18 4
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:44am
  - R
    
    Like rust, also COMMUNISIM never tires of trying to takeover !
    
    9 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 9:50am
  - PurplePen
    
    Joint venture with govt is one way to reduce or eliminate that risk.
    
    3 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 12:17pm
    - David Garrett
      
      Purple: All off shore permits already had a government “free carry” of a small percentage in addition to any royalties.
      
      At one time I thought “Petrocorp 2.0” was the answer – Petrocorp was extremely successful finding oil and gas in the 1980’s. But that wouldn’t work either: an incoming Labour/Green government would simply put it into liquidation.
      
      3 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 2:01pm
    - Paulus
      
      Will never happen as there is a Risk !
      
      2 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 2:32pm
- RoboRob
  
  The thing that really surprised me was that the repeal hadnt happened over a year ago! I know the ‘story’ is that the wanted to get the new law right but FFS, they said it was urgent and put out multiple stories that implied it had already been repealed.
  
  Pathetic that we had to wait until the second half of their term just to repeal it. At least it doesn’t really matter as nobody would come near us again anyway. Especially with the batshit left saying the will immediatelt bring the ban back in, and you know it wont take them 18mths to do it!
  
  16 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:46am
  - Ghost
    
    The bill was introduced last year. It went through the processes, first reading, select committee and second reading last year. It passed the third reading this week
    
    6 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 10:04am
    - RoboRob
      
      Have they never heard of passing bills under urgency? Did the JA ban take 18 mths to pass?
      
      8 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 10:37am
      - Ghost
        
        What about this requires urgency? The oil and gas industry isn’t going to be coming back to New Zealand. Ardern has killed the industry and all uncertainty about a future left government will mean it will remain dead
        
        5 3
        Report
        July 31, 2025 10:53am
      - RoboRob
        
        @Ghost
        
        THEY said it was urgent. It was a top priority for them. I’m comparing their words and actions. There have been a lot of words over various topics but the actions haven’t always matched the rhetoric.
        
        I even mention in my post that I dont think it really makes any difference becuase of Hipkins and the Greens position.
        
        2 0
        Report
        July 31, 2025 11:55am
      - Swifty
        
        Ghost, I suspect you’re right but I think there’s a glimmer of hope – that at some future point our power supply is hit by significant outages and shortages and prices go through the roof to the extent that sufficient numbers of New Zealanders turn against the left and call for drastic change.
        
        In those circumstances Labour’s continuation of the ban could become politically untenable.
        
        I could see that happening.
        
        3 0
        Report
        July 31, 2025 12:45pm
  - David Garrett
    
    Robo: Quite so…Hipkins – or whoever is leading the idiot left then – will simply do another “Captain’s call”.
    
    These people really are very very stupid
    
    13 3
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 10:06am
    - Paulus
      
      But people are going to vote left wing led by Labour – probably Hipkins, next year.
      
      2 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 2:47pm
  - imalwaysright
    
    The Opposition should have engaged with the industry as soon as Ardern made her announcement and made clear that they are sympathetic and would prepare legislation while in Opposition and introduce it on Day One.
    
    Instead, they got elected and took five weeks Christmas holidays.
    
    Six years in Opposition wasted.
    
    11 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 10:20am
    - Ghost
      
      Can’t blame the governments for this. There is nothing they could do in opposition, or now, the oil and gas industry is gone, doesn’t matter what may be done by this government. No company is going to come back to New Zealand knowing full well the next labour green government will ban it again, nothing this government can do will change that.
      
      6 2
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 10:40am
      - cmm
        
        “Can’t blame the governments for this. There is nothing they could do in opposition”
        
        Absolute nonsense. Being in opposition gives you a lot of spare time to set up policy, engage with industry, etc etc.
        
        It is the ideal time to develop policy so that you have a bunch of changes to make on day one.
        
        But yes, you are correct that nobody will come back. The shot has been fired across their bow.
        Exploration is amazingly expensive and takes a long time. Longer yet to develop an productive field and decades to get positive returns.
        
        At best they could do a small amount of exploration before the next Labour/Green government. They certainly could not develop a field and get any ROI. If there is no ROI then there is absolutely no point in investing.
        
        9 0
        Report
        July 31, 2025 10:52am
      - Ghost
        
        No, you’re dreaming if you think doing anything done in opposition would change the position we are in. Ardern killed the industry off. No one is going to come back to New Zealand when they know that the next left government will kill it again.
        
        7 2
        Report
        July 31, 2025 10:56am
      - David Garrett
        
        Ghost: 100% correct…sadly.
        
        4 1
        Report
        July 31, 2025 11:07am
peterwn

“Labour MP Willie Jackson accuses government of rigging next election”
Is not giving votes to convicted prisoners (eg the old Mt Eden electorate) and 16 year olds also election rigging? Or is it OK when the Left do it.
44 1
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 9:03am
- Eastlander
  
  This is the sort of accusation that reads as a confession. Who are these voters registering on polling day?
  
  12 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:09am
  - peterwn
    
    They could be:
    1. People motivated to vote by news items etc on polling day.
    2. Party volunteers or trade union employees (who are expected to help the Labour Party) contacting voters (telephoning or door knocking) reminding them to vote or even offering rides to the polling booth. If they are cold called, they may or may not be on the roll.
    
    5 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 11:13am
    - Eastlander
      
      Voter registration drives can be done in advance of voting if that’s the worry. No, what I suspect is that it is that same day voting is being used to commit voting fraud.
      
      7 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 11:31am
    - rouppe
      
      Neither of which is a good enough reason to allow polling day registration.
      
      It is, after all, called polling day, not registration day.
      
      7 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 11:37am
      - Ian Boag
        
        One wonders what the effect would be of allowing registration up to the day before …. or two days … or three days … or anything less than 13 …
        
        1 1
        Report
        July 31, 2025 6:53pm
- keepcalmcarryon
  
  He’s slimily de legitimizing a future right wing government, a dangerous and wrong thing for any politician to do adding to division and discontent.
  Classic Willie Jackson, the man largely responsible for he pua pua and the destruction of race relations in NZ.
  
  15 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:15am
- kowtow
  
  He talks of “voter suppression” , and the Left go on about imported culture wars.
  
  9 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:35am
- Agricola
  
  Merely slippery Willie reminding everyone of Labour’s heartland. NB Labour’s obscene response to the crackdown on court fine defaulters.
  
  8 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:45am
- R
  
  Guess that Jackson knows a thing or two about rigging!
  
  10 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:52am
- RoboRob
  
  Not to forget giving people ‘rewards’ at the local marae, happily run by one of the candidates.
  
  12 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 10:21am
- Philview
  
  Remember when Willie said something along the lines that “democracy has changed from the tyranny of the majority to Co-Governance with Maori”as his government pushed through much unmandated policy to try and smash the country’s constitutional arrangements.
  
  16 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 10:35am
Tomtoddy

The USA’s Dept of Energy has published a report on climate by five highly qualified scientists that effectively says the whole catastrophic, “we are doomed” scenario is bunkum and cannot be proven or justified.

The usual hucksters are out in force attacking the authors and making non-specific claims about how inaccurate the report is but it seems to be another major victory for Trump and for commonsense.
30 3
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 9:05am
- I remember when
  
  Tomtoddy.
  Still waiting to hear when the benefits of ‘climate change mitigation’ will occur.
  Information appears to be in short supply.
  
  6 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:12am
- Michael Sommerville
  
  Can you give a link or reference please?
  
  1 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 3:59pm
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360765742/luxon-pooh-poohed-them-fancy-toilets-game-changing-disabled-new-zealanders
Typical Stuff headline: twist everything to portray Mr. Luxon in the worst possible light. It wasn’t only Luxon who “pooh-poohed” this waste of money, it was most of the Wellington ratepayers ! Accessible toilets are great, and sensible, but not at a cost of over $1m per cubicle.
33 3
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 9:10am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  I read that. The writer lives in Kerikeri with a severely disabled son, but once a year travels to Ratana.
  
  Quite what that has to do with Wellington’s new disabled toilets is beyond me.
  
  17 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:22am
  - PurplePen
    
    And why did they include a shower for the disabled in the structure?
    
    3 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 12:20pm
  - Paulus
    
    Wellington must be in the way to Ratana !
    
    3 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 2:56pm
- Agricola
  
  I’m coming round to the view that the best remedy for Stuff is Toilet Duck.
  
  19 3
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:48am
- mogg
  
  Stuff podcast yesterday was Hipkins saying MMP negotiations should be changed, so that minor parties don’t have all the leverage. He mentioned ACT and the coalition, but not a word about TPM and the fact that he will have to negotiate with loonies to have any chance of forming a government.
  It seems that Media don’t want to talk about the possibility of TPM in government, but Hipkins is already worried about what he might have to concede in negotiations, and as good as admitting that TPM hold the whip hand.
  
  16 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 10:21am
  - cmm
    
    No mention about how Winston First gave Cindy and himself a foot in the door.
    
    20 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 10:54am
    - mogg
      
      I am not saying that he is wrong, just pointing out the obvious, which again he is not prepared to mention. Remember Jacinda’s negotiations with “nothing written down just a verbal agreement”
      She said that in order to keep it all secret, there was a document but they kept it hidden or destroyed it.
      The “negotiations”are turning democracy on it’s head.
      
      5 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 11:12am
  - peterwn
    
    This is already the case. In 2017 the Greens had nil leverage in MMP negotiations. Winston held the Ace of Spades and all the trumps. The Greens just had to accept the crumbs off the table. But then the Greens could have vastly improved their leverage if James Shaw could have had a chat with Bill English.
    
    5 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 12:41pm
    - Colville
      
      Yip. Greens could have asked for and got $10bil budget for DOC.
      No one would have screamed if National had given DOC a bunch of money as NZers love the bush etc.
      But Greens couldn’t get over their egos.
      
      2 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 3:12pm
      - Dougal10
        
        The greens aren’t actually green they are communists which is why they can only go with labour.
        
        1 2
        Report
        July 31, 2025 7:00pm
  - Ian Boag
    
    have to negotiate with loonies to have any chance of forming a government.
    
    Luxon has already shown it can be done 🙂
    
    3 4
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 6:55pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Continuing good news for Maori

https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK2507/S00817/maori-have-highest-increases-in-life-expectancy.htm

The improvement in life expectancy rates for Maori have been spectacular since 1890

https://teara.govt.nz/en/graph/47196/maori-female-death-and-life-expectancy-rates-1886-2013
26 0
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 9:22am
- imalwaysright
  
  What’s the opposite of genocide?
  
  9 4
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:30am
  - mogg
    
    Social Welfare.
    
    14 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 10:23am
    - imalwaysright
      
      Social welfare is genocide by stealth.
      
      4 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 1:15pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Until your life unravels (cancer, injury, asshole-actions and other unforeseen blows that life often delivers) and you need to call on it.
        
        0 0
        Report
        July 31, 2025 8:10pm
    - Colville
      
      Welfare is genocide by stealth.
      
      2 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 3:13pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Is that like “marriage is rape”?
        
        1 0
        Report
        July 31, 2025 8:11pm
- kowtow
  
  I wonder what the pre 1840 records show .
  
  8 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:37am
  - rouppe
    
    https://teara.govt.nz/en/te-hauora-maori-i-mua-history-of-maori-health/page-1
    
    Life expectancy of 28-30
    
    6 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 11:42am
- Mr Nobody NZ
  
  Interesting to compare against the Non Maori figures:
  https://teara.govt.nz/en/graph/47195/non-maori-female-death-rates-and-life-expectancy-1876-2013
  
  5 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:40am
- Cassandra
  
  And if more Maoris would adopt a better diet their life expectancy would be even longer. I live in the Bay of Plenty so lots of Maoris in our community. Obesity is an epidemic. Almost no old-style vege gardens. The roast shop does a roaring trade. Probably a direct relationship.
  
  27 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:41am
  - David Garrett
    
    Cass: When I was growing up in a state house in Gisborne, our next door neighbour was Mr Tuhaka, an overseer for the old MOW.
    
    He had a huge vegetable garden out the back, and I remember one year he planted his front lawn in kumera. He also trapped eels – there were often split open salted eels – big buggers – hanging from the Tuhaka clothesline.
    
    None of the Tuhaka family were obese or even overweight. One of the two daughters went on to play re hockey for Poverty Bay.
    
    16 3
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 9:49am
  - R
    
    Better diet leads to better cognitive ability, which leads to higher education attainment, and subsequently to better employment opportunities.
    
    10 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 9:54am
  - mogg
    
    Walk through any food court, whether sitting or standing you will see many people defying the laws of physics. It really is a sight to behold.
    
    10 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 10:28am
    - greybeard
      
      You see them at Warriors’ games as well !
      
      7 2
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 11:14am
  - Ghost
    
    Obesity down here seems to be bad with white folk. So many men whose stomachs are hanging well below their belt. Some really over weight woman who are having obvious hip and knee issues because of their weight. The worst part is how these people are pushing their eating habits onto their very obese young children
    
    13 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 11:18am
  - Paulus
    
    Obesity, not necessarily just Maori, is New Zealand’s future largest health problem and killer.
    Much obesity is hereditory and genetic, and wrongful eating, lack of exercise, only exacerbate it.
    Just look around you.
    
    4 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 3:01pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Almost all “Maori” negative stats can be sheeted home to an instilled (poor) attitude that is passed down through the generations. Some families don’t have this poor attitude and they thrive.
    
    0 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 8:36pm
- rjay
  
  Maggy, I wonder if the increase in life expectancy of maori corresponds with the increased percentage of non maori genes in said maori?
  
  20 4
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 9:44am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    I rather doubt that is the controlling factor.
    
    I think adopting 20thC medicine and the free health services introduced in the 1940s were significant factors.
    
    In 1886 over 50% of Māori who died were children. When Whina Te Wake (later Whina Cooper) was born in the 1890s, 25% of Māori girls died before reaching nine months of age, and 50% before they turned seven. In comparison, fewer than 10% of Pākehā girls died before nine months, and only about 15% before the age of seven.
    
    From 1945 to 1966, the epidemiological transition of the Māori population accelerated. There was a major decline in infant mortality and in deaths at all ages from infectious diseases. Life expectancy increased. During the period there was a major shift of Māori from rural communities to urban centres, which gave them better access to health facilities.
    
    https://teara.govt.nz/en/death-rates-and-life-expectancy/print
    
    9 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 10:32am
    - I remember when
      
      When colonisation is mentioned as a fault they never mention that Maori were allowed to continue to live in their own communities.
      Was the fact they did this a large part of the reason for the relative lack of increase in life expectancy?
      Once they increased their access to urban livestyles was this a large part of their later increase in life expectancy.
      Better housing, sewage, healthier water and access to medical health.
      
      6 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 11:02am
    - Swifty
      
      It would be fascinating to know accurately the same data, infant mortality rates and life expectancy etc, in pre-contact Maori.
      
      3 2
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 12:39pm
      - Ian Boag
        
        Absolutely – After all it was only a bit over 200 years ago 🙂
        
        2 1
        Report
        July 31, 2025 6:57pm
- Local Miller
  
  Yes, but just imagine how much more their life expectancy would have improved if not for colonization!
  Do I really need to add //s
  
  8 3
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 11:41am
- Jake Dee
  
  You could add a lot of other things to that and make a list of massive improvements for Maori, wealth, literacy and education being the most obvious.
  How many wealthy university educated multilingual Maori were traveling the world in the 19th century?
  Plenty of ways to manipulate statistics if you can choose which facts to ignore.
  
  0 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 10:29pm
sungsamning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54CJlP03w9g
Alberta Independence Halted by the Courts.
I’m sure British courts were against American independence. How did that work out. [Its more a pothole than a roadblock.]
8 3
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 9:31am
sungsamning

https://thehill.com/policy/international/5423711-trump-eu-trade-deal-tariffs-france/
France denounces US-EU trade deal: ‘Submission’.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou is criticizing the trade deal struck by President Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as an act of “submission” by the European Union (EU).
“It is a dark day when an alliance of free peoples, united to affirm their values and defend their interests, resolves to submission,” Bayrou said in a post on social platform X early Monday.
The agreement sets tariffs at 15 percent for European imports, including automobiles. That’s lower than the 30 percent tariff Trump had threatened to impose on the EU but higher than some European officials would have liked to see — especially after decades of enjoying low single-digit tariffs for most exports to the U.S. [ I guess France knows a thing ot two about submission.]
8 4
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 9:31am
- RoboRob
  
  The also, like the rest of Euorpe, know a thing or to about blocking imports from other countries. Trumps tarrifs suck but it is nice to see the EU get some of its own back.
  
  10 4
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 10:25am
  - sungsamning
    
    Agreed, Trump had a winning hand.
    
    4 3
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 11:53am
    - imalwaysright
      
      All of these world leaders know that Trump knows the scams they are up to.
      
      They know that he can expose them any time that suits him.
      
      He will get the agreements signed and then pick them off one by one later.
      Starmer first, then Vonderlyen perhaps.
      
      The smart ones will use the grace period to resign.
      
      2 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 1:24pm
Colville

A neighbor asked me if she could put up a “vote for Māori wards” sign in front of my house.
I said no, I wont support racism.
A discussion ensued.
Simply put she could not (or would not) accept that Maori wards were racist and really didnt like it when I said just because its racism you support and possibly is well intentioned, dosent make it less racist.

Its obvious that local iwi are pushing hard and early as they see a derailment of the gravy train in the future!
35 1
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 9:41am
- artemisia
  
  RNZ reporting TPM saying the Electoral Commission system is ‘obviously flawed’ as hundreds have contacted them concerned their enrolment details have changed.
  
  The EC suggests user error, and also points out that returned mail and no further response means the record is dormant until a new address is received.
  
  An opportunity for TPM to ask those hundreds of folk to update address with the EC if they have moved. Easy votes for TPM and a spot of civic education at the same time.
  
  Less effort to blame ‘the system’?
  
  https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/568483/system-s-obviously-flawed-te-pati-maori-calls-on-electoral-commission-to-check-its-processes-are-robust
  
  10 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 10:09am
  - kowtow
    
    It’s great though that they want to engage so enthusiastically in settler colonial systems ……
    
    13 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 10:16am
  - RoboRob
    
    Actually they might have a point. The electoral commision led by the Goldsmith supported failure LeQuence is broken. My, white as the driven snow, friends recently moved house. Two of the three voting aged family members were automatically moved to the Maori roll.
    
    No they didn’t check Maori on the form. They know exactly what they are going as they have moved probably 6 times in the last 10 years. The electoral comision is, like the census, a total fuck up.
    
    Luckily the minister is all over fixing it. If only there was some sign of disfunction when National came to power to alert them to underlying issues.
    
    16 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 10:30am
- Swifty
  
  All my life, especially through my formative years of the 70s and 80s, the left lectured us that racial discrimination was wrong.
  
  And they were right.
  
  Now those very same people lecture us that racial discrimination can be right, depending on who’s doing it or if it’s for the right reasons.
  
  It’s one of the greatest examples of the rank duplicity and complete lack of principles within the left I’ve ever encountered.
  
  It’s one of the many reasons why I’ve come to loathe their politics.
  
  21 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 10:31am
- cmm
  
  From some recent polling I saw, over 70% of Maori women under 50 support TPM.
  
  That’s an astounding number of race hustlers.
  
  10 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 10:58am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    It’s sad really, that their lives are so blighted.
    
    1 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 6:59pm
- Paulus
  
  The media including TV are pushing all things Maori currently along with the paper media.
  Never see a campaign like it before.
  Who is paying for all this publicity ?
  You are !
  
  4 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 3:04pm
I remember when

Is the cost of policing potentially violent groups, like the gangs, often underestimated.
Just been for a short drive which included seeing three police cars parked outside a house, plus another two parked around the corner, apparently backup.
A recent Black Power funeral in the area meant a significant increase in police vehicles was observed.
9 1
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 9:44am
- kowtow
  
  The cost to society is phenomenal , and legacy msm consider them “misunderstood lads in need of father figures”, not organised crime which is a cancer to our nation.
  
  10 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 10:15am
trout

Can you believe anything you read (or see)?
‘The New York Times was accused of “journalistic malpractice” on Tuesday after admitting an emaciated child displayed on the front page as evidence of famine in Gaza was actually suffering from a grim preexisting condition unrelated to the conflict with Israel.’
17 3
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 9:58am
- mandk
  
  The NYT didn’t question why the child was emaciated, but the mother wasn’t.
  
  Nor did the NYT show the uncropped original of the photo, which also showed the child’s brother who was obviously not emaciated.
  
  Any news stories, photos or supposed numbers of dead/injured emerging from Gaza need to be treated with the utmost caution because they are virtually all sourced from Hamas.
  
  It also needs to be borne in mind that none of the events happening in Gaza would not have happened, had Hamas not engaged in gleeful slaughter of Israelis on 7/10/23.
  
  4 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 1:56pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Does it matter if our online Encyclopedia disappears into the ether?

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/thedetail/568502/axe-falls-on-history-ministry-for-culture-and-heritage-restructure-sparks-outrage
5 0
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 10:35am
- Swifty
  
  If it really is so vital to our nation – then what a pity Labour pissed away tens and tens of billions of dollars in low or no quality spending creating an economic disaster area that the Coalition is now having to make hard decisions to overcome.
  
  If Labour hadn’t plundered the national kitty to such an extent then perhaps we would have the money to continue to fund public historians.
  
  8 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 12:30pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  What got me about that story was that, faced with having to tighten the agency belt, leadership at MCH decided to axe NZ historians. There are plenty of other areas where spending could have been reduced. Engagement with Maori and climate change mitigation are two obvious options.
  
  But the RNZ journalist didn’t think to ask that.
  
  2 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 7:05pm
- RdM
  
  It seems very petty to me.
  $8 million saved over 4 years?
  
  The tobacco tax take on the remaining 7% of the population who love and appreciate tobacco, and I’m thinking organic no-additives RYO, cigars, pipe tobacco beyond the awful ersatz FM (factory made) sold these days, is around $4 million per day, from 2024 figures (not sure if that includes GST).
  
  https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/556755/has-tobacco-tax-hit-its-limit
  
  Plenty of evidence to show that tobacco has many benefits, even with other alkaloids beyond just nicotine – itself both calming and enhancing cognition – despite propaganda to the contrary.
  
  No wonder schoolkids like it, and the early Maori vastly benefited from it, even in late 1800’s clamouring for reduced tax on it, and growing their own…
  
  The tax is obscene, if the Govt takes the (debunked) view that “it’s addictive like heroin or cocaine”. It isn’t. There is no euphoria. Smokers limit their intake, just as coffee drinkers do.
  
  You don’t see medical pornography addiction warnings over Pharma produced Nicorette, do you? Pharma fund and sponsor anti-smoking.
  
  In a sense it’s a corporate war for the nicotine market. Funded by Big Pharma.
  
  I don’t think coffee is “addictive”, but I don’t like to be deprived of its pleasures for more than a few days… same with tobacco. Harms are overstated.
  
  I have friends in Boston, Massachusetts having a relatively high State tobacco tax along with Federal, able to buy RYO or pipe tobacco at their local tobacconist (oldest in the US I think) for 3-6 USD per ounce, tax paid.
  https://www.leavittandpeirce.com/shop?Category=Tobacco
  
  Here, 30g RYO costs ~ $<80-90+ depending on brand and quality.
  
  I'd like to see this Govt and Casey Costello go further and reduce the tobacco excise tax. At the least, consider a Gold Card reduction for pensioners who are reluctant to give up a life-long pleasure and habit, having lived this long.
  
  To return to the point: $8 million is just two days of tobacco excise tax from beleaguered smokers.
  
  Ridiculous to target Te Ara & etc. for such a petty amount, wipe the history …
  
  0 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 11:38pm
I remember when

There seems to be a number of points that are overlooked when debating abolishing pay wave and credit card fees.
* Cards have a considerable effect on the costs incurred by businesses.
* For instance the amount of cash they have to have on hand to conduct their business.
* The benefit of being able to operate with a greatly reduced risk of theft of money.
* The speed with which card transactions take place – no counting money, giving change.
* Greatly reduced balancing of tills at end of day because there of the reduce cash takings.
8 1
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 10:38am
- cmm
  
  From my limited understanding, one big difference between Paywave vs swipe cards is that Paywave provides some extra protections for the consumer wrt fraudulent usage of the card.
  
  That is an advantage for the Paywave customer, directly related to using Paywave and should thus be borne by the customer.
  
  There is a real cost associated with that fraud protection. Someone has to pay it. Why not the people getting the advantage?
  
  Under the status quo people can choose to pay or not pay for Paywave by using it or not. I don’t use Paywave. I don’t pay.
  
  If people want to use Paywave, then they should pay those expenses. Why should they be subsidised by everyone else?
  
  10 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 11:04am
  - rouppe
    
    Because the expenses are obscure. Why do some businesses charge 1% and others 3%?
    
    3 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 12:00pm
  - mogg
    
    Their 20% interest charge on those accounts is already more than enough to cover costs involved.
    
    4 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 12:42pm
    - cmm
      
      Paywave is also available on debit cards with no interest.
      
      2 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 1:26pm
  - peterwn
    
    Pretty well all the major retailers accept credit/debit cards with or without paywave. Pak’n’Sav introduced a surcharge some years ago, but dropped it because of customer resistance. It is mostly smaller businesses who impose a surcharge. The extra transaction time or dealing with cash probably imposes less burden on smaller businesses than on the majors. What would be interesting in these cases is how many people use paywave etc when they could use EFTPOS or cash.
    
    1 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 1:03pm
    - cmm
      
      Everyone chooses to use Paywave.
      
      1 2
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 1:27pm
  - Paulus
    
    Paywave I understand goes to the persons Credit Card Account directly on flashing.
    
    0 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 3:07pm
    - cmm
      
      Paywave can also be used with debit cards.
      
      Bottom line is that everyone using Paywave chooses to do so.
      Why should others subsidise their choice?
      
      0 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 5:36pm
  - I remember when
    
    Only subsidised by everyone else if the retailer decided to pass it on.
    
    0 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 3:28pm
David Garrett

The Stuff headline is “New Zealand still on alert for tsunami”

Are the authorities down there all stupid? The “tsunami” – wave about 30 cm high – passed through Tonga about 10.30 pm last night. We are about 1500 miles north of NZ – 1500 miles closer to Russia than you are. The “danger” is long past here, let alone down there.
14 3
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 11:29am
- H. Upmann
  
  Covid hysteria has now become Tsunami hysteria….or weather bomb.
  
  6 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 12:15pm
  - Colville
    
    Yeah. WTF exactly is a atmospheric river?
    
    2 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 3:16pm
- cmm
  
  DG: Being as charitable to them as I can:
  * There are more than one wave.
  * The height of the wave depends on many factors – not just how far you are away.
  
  If you are in the deep ocean when a tsunami goes past you wouldn’t even know it. It is maybe only 5cm high until it hits land.
  
  You see the same effect with swell at sea turning into tall waves when it hits land.
  
  3 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 1:31pm
Pope Punctilious II

Janet Wilson complains that the change in voter enrollment rules will favour the political right. I’m really looking forward to reading her next column about how “make it 16” would favour LINO, Rainbow Party and TMP.
https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360774445/rolling-out-politics-belligerence-all-else-fails?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
8 1
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 11:50am
RichardF

Yet again the nz justice system let’s down victims.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360776069/his-life-was-stolen-man-sentenced-life-prolonged-and-gratuitous-attack-security-guard

13 years (“life”, yeah right) for an unproved attack and brutal murder. I knew the scum would have received a discount for his ‘traumatic upbringing’.

Yesterday I read about some youths in the UK who used machetes in an attack. The victim had to have a leg amputated. The 4 scum got between 20-30 years. The UK is doing lots wrong but their judges seem more reasonable than ours with violent scum.

Our sentences are a joke.
12 1
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 12:18pm
- David Garrett
  
  Richard: Even across the Tasman Aussie judges are far far stricter on violent crims than here – although that does vary state to state.
  
  Murder of a child or young person, or a double murder will get you life with a minimum non parole period (NPP) of 25 -30 years. A repeat killer – i,e. someone who kills once, serves a sentence and does it again – will almost certainly receive LWOP. Before I lost my list in a hard drive crash, there were 13 second time killers still living here in NZ.
  
  As you say, our sentences for violent crime – in fact for virtually all crime – are far more lenient in NZ than across the ditch.
  
  9 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 1:35pm
  - cmm
    
    One of the arguments used against longer prison sentences is the expectation that it would push up the prison population.
    
    On a per-population basis, Australia has around 80% of the NZ prison population despite having longer stretches in prison.
    
    That would suggest that Australian prison terms are serving as more of a deterrent than NZ terms.
    
    That would be backed up by their recidivism rates being far lower than ours (25% vs 36% for re-incarceration within 2 years) ie, almost a third better.
    
    So, quite likely, longer and harsher, prison terms likely serve as more a deterrent and thus actually reduce prison population.
    
    10 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 2:07pm
    - NeverMindTheBollocks
      
      Bearing in mind that Aus exports a not insubstantial portion of its criminals via s501.
      
      That will reduce the recidivist prison population.
      
      3 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 7:08pm
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  And the 17 year old who was also involved with bashing and stomping the victim gets name suppression and that’s it!
  
  Tangira had spent the night drinking at his home before wandering over to the park about 200m away with the teenager, who was found unfit to stand trial
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/crime/massey-reserve-murder-lorenzo-tangira-pleads-guilty-to-murdering-auckland-security-guard-ramandeep-singh/LQNQ2RNPQBBDVNJLM2OFJJP34A/
  
  4 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 4:00pm
Swifty

We really need to get on top of poverty in NZ, otherwise we will see much more of this:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/crime/lorenzo-tangira-sentenced-to-life-for-brutal-west-auckland-murder-of-ramandeep-singh/YRWEU3VTHRDXVDW3V77U5CEBHQ/

//
5 1
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 12:24pm
cmm

“Bank moves to sell pensioner’s home”

Sorry dude, but it is the bank’s house. Not yours. The bank seems to have been bending over backwards to accommodate him.

I feel for the guy, but he’s dropped himself in the shit here. He should be thankful for what he’s getting rather than feeling entitled.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360773745/theyll-have-drag-me-out-bank-moves-sell-pensioners-home
8 1
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 12:47pm
- artemisia
  
  Hopefully he has saved up the monthly payments he apparently stopped making, and can rent another place in the location. If a bit lucky the buyer might let him stay on. But given costs of mandatory upgrading, more likely the bailiffs will be calling.
  
  6 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 12:59pm
  - cmm
    
    It would seem that relatives were making the payments and there is no saved up money.
    
    4 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 1:16pm
    - artemisia
      
      From the linked article – Unwin said his lawyers had advised him to re-commence regular payments into his relatives’ mortgage account but he was unwilling to do so, given what happened the last time he did that.
      
      I took that to mean deposits to the bank account from which the mortgage was paid.
      
      Also seems to have been a falling out with the rellies.
      
      6 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      July 31, 2025 2:03pm
- Jack5
  
  A bank could come after your other assets, too.
  
  Twelve US states have “non-recourse” provisions that allow people to walk away from their homes with the mortgage lender unable to come after other assets.
  
  In one of these, Texas, the “non-recourse” provision applies only to one type of mortgage — home equity loans.
  
  Mortgagee sales by NZ banks have occurred in several economic downturns.
  
  In the 1987 financial downturn for example, banks foreclosed on some homes mortgaged to the hilt when one of the both-working wife and husband, lost their job and the pair could no longer meet mortgage payments.
  
  0 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 1:32pm
cmm

Napier got a a “safety patrol team” to make things safe, yet crime still went up 12%.

Of course we don’t really have an A/B case here. Perhaps crime would have gone up 25% without the patrol team.

The patrol team picture shows two women – one rather chunky looking. I presume they have no police training, arrest powers or anything else. It is hard to really believe they are putting fear into the criminal class or giving the populace any confidence in their safety,

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360775995/city-got-patrols-improve-safety-3-years-ago-crime-goes-12
10 1
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 1:15pm
- Don Beckett
  
  “The patrol team picture shows two women – one rather chunky looking.”
  
  My cmm – you are so gracious & kindly in your description.
  Close to morbidly obese, I would think.
  
  9 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 3:06pm
  - cmm
    
    I was giving her the benefit of the doubt. It could be extra clothing for a chilly day.
    
    No stab vest, no hand cuffs, no taser. The crims will laugh at them.
    
    5 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    July 31, 2025 5:19pm
- [email protected]
  
  The report says a staff of 9. $1.4 million so each earn $155,000?
  
  0 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  August 1, 2025 6:42am
Swifty

Frankly, I find the idea of cricket in the Olympics quite ridiculous.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360776402/black-caps-danger-not-making-2028-la-olympics

But that’s just me.
1 0
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 2:08pm
kowtow

Good thing this guy didn’t work for Gloriavale , else would be a top story .
He used to be a fave go to ‘imam’ for the media , perhaps not so much any more.Maybe he’s not one anymore , as they don’t mention that.How very odd.

‘A Southland dairy farmer who ripped off his workers has been penalised a further $15,000 for obstructing the employment authority’s investigation.
Reza Abdul-Jabbar and his company Rural Practice Ltd was last year fined $215,000 after the Employment Relations Authority found he had breached multiple employment standards.

He was under-paying his three immigrant farm workers and ‘‘invented’’ pay records in an attempt to hide it from authorities.

‘Each employee had two versions of their contract and differing payslips so Immigration New Zealand (INZ) would not detect the underpayments.’

https://www.odt.co.nz/rural-life/dairy/southland-dairy-farmer-who-exploited-workers-cops-further-fine
3 0
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 2:16pm
Ghost

So there is no issue, just people putting in the wrong details when looking…

Te Pāti Māori says it has filed urgent proceedings in the High Court over reports people have been removed from the electoral roll or shifted off the Māori electoral roll.

Article
5 0
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 3:06pm
- artemisia
  
  TPM must have evidence to place before the High Court. Doubt they would take that route if they don’t. The EC says there is no issue. Interesting times.
  
  1 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  July 31, 2025 3:48pm
I remember when

Instead of Oranga Tamariki spending $108,000 of the taxpayers money, the perpetrators should have been charged with racist behaviour.
6 0
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 3:16pm
mandk

Gaza’s neighbours have had enough of Hamas:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14956815/Arab-nations-Hamas-terror-group-disband-surrender.html
1 0
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 3:20pm
Chuck Bird

Who says the Holocaust Survivor is wrong?

Holocaust Survivor Absolutely DEMOLISHES Israel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxLtxX7kPcU
2 6
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 3:37pm
Swifty

Well, some holy man he turned out to be:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/133111803/finding-harmony-in-faith-and-farming-in-the-south

https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/360755129/proudly-filmed-footage-lands-father-court

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/migrant-exploiter-probe-obstruction-dairy-farmer-reza-abdul-jabbar-and-business-face-15k-fine/32KC32DRSFGGHJE4VCCG6HVC2U/

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/migrant-exploitation-imam-and-southland-dairy-farm-owner-reza-abdul-jabbar-fined/YAJ5MBNYWNAS7PGWTAWB62QNJ4/

All those years of praying five times a day didn’t seem to have made an honest man of him.

He’s clearly a deeply dishonest individual, and one happy to exploit his fellow man.
3 0
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 3:44pm
Swifty

Labor voter bribery in Aussie:

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/568592/australia-wipes-au-16-billion-off-student-loans-targeting-cost-of-living-relief

I wonder whether Labour here will promise this as part of their no doubt long list of voter bribes next year?

I reckon they will and promoted as some kind of necessary ‘economic justice’.
2 2
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 3:53pm
NZer In Exile

Listening to The Platform today (appeared to be a repeat show) it appears K Allen the exemplar Justice Minister under the incredible Dame J has been employed by GNS NZ as an Iwi relations person (or words to that effect). Apparently all trace of this fact has been scrubbed from the internet. 🤔
2 0
Log in to Reply
Report
July 31, 2025 7:59pm

Add a Comment Cancel reply

Login to comment or vote

« A loss for science education

Year 9 students who can’t read »

Donations

You can now donate to Kiwiblog

Exclusive content from DPF on Patreon

Become a Patron!

Never miss a post

Email Address

Join 13K other subscribers

Highlights

Target achieved II
Good progress on attendance
Health Target 5 – elective treatments
Health Target 4 – Specialist appointments

Links

"The principal view of human laws is, or ought always to be, to explain, protect, and enforce such rights as are absolute, which in themselves are few and simple."
Not PC
The response to Budget 2026 has been unusually muted
Point of Order
You know what “does not pass the sniff test”? Labour’s incremental response to blatant corruption – this is why they plunged 7.5%
The Daily Blog
When is a Free Speech Union not a Free Speech Union?
The Standard
We Are a Country That Decided Housing Was The Economy
No Minister
My Opening Statement for the UATX Caplan-Jones Immigration Rematch
Utopia
Woman of the day
Hompaddock
Playing with numbers.
Kiwipolitico
A crime
No Right Turn
Another non-tariff barrier
Offsetting Behaviour
Rugby Premiership Predictions for Round 18
Stats Chat
Budget 2026
NZCPR
UK Conversion Therapy Ban, Digital ID, Rallies, Elections
Bob McCoskrie's McBlog
A central banker’s fiction
Croaking Cassandra
THE WORKING FROM HOME RACKET BY PUBLIC SERVANTS
No Punches Pulled (Bob Jones)
Tory Whanau may have to sell Wellington mayoralty to make ends meet
The Civilian
The Accidental Engagement
Imperator Fish
Legal Beagle: Election '23: The Special Votes
Public Address
Get Vaccinated Tomorrow Or Shut Your Pie Hole
Cactus Kate
Making this movie might have been a mistake
Liam Hehir
Why I am retiring from political blogging
Kiwi FireWalker

[email protected]

PO Box 12270, Thorndon, Wellington 6144

Facebook
Twitter
FourSquare
Instagram
LinkedIn
Google+

Archives
Disclosure Statement
Editorial Policy
Privacy Policy
Complaints Policy
Comments Policy

Design by cre8d

%d

Share this:

Like this: