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August 9, 2025 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 09 August 2025

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CJames

Almost everyone will have heard the propaganda bombarded on us by the anti-fossil fuels brigade (those who believe we can be prosperous running on rainbow dust and unicorn farts) about how batteries backing solar and wind will be our economic salvation? Give us really cheap reliable power? How we don’t need that dirty black stuff that caused the Nelson floods (their latest lie). It will come as no surprise that Australia playing the role of crash test dummy has proved that ain’t so. Their dreamworld has been mugged by reality.

https://reneweconomy.com.au/bad-bidding-behaviour-big-batteries-the-dominant-force-as-daily-electricity-prices-pushed-to-record-highs/

To quote the article “Australia’s growing fleet of big batteries are now entrenching themselves as the major force behind the huge price spikes that have become a regular feature of Australia’s National Electricity Market, and which were the dominant factor in soaring wholesale prices in the June quarter. ….According to the Australian Energy Market Operator, battery discharge set prices at an average of $478/MWh [about 50cNZ a unit] this quarter, almost double the $245/MWh average in same period last year. … The latest edition of AEMO’s Quarterly Energy Dynamics report, which covers the June quarter, focuses on three very high priced days in the month of June itself, one of them where big batteries were the price setter in 80 per cent of the high priced events above $10,000 MWh. “
When reading the prices, remember this is only the generation cost. The grid and distribution charges have to be added to it to get the power bill price for the suffering consumer.

Remember this next time you hear an Opposition politician parrots their talking point Tee-shirt slogan about needing more batteries. Challenge them to explain why that isn’t so for Oz where they have massive surpluses during the day. So much that they force the generators to pay massive amounts of money to stay on the grid. Even National needs the same wakeup call. The link is something to bookmark and continually hit them with its facts.

Though it pains me to say it, I think Shane Jones is the one who talks the most sense on the issue. Though to be fair, that isn’t a high hurdle. How many MPs would pass School Cert Physics?
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August 9, 2025 8:01am
- Chuck Bird
  
  “How many MPs would pass School Cert Physics?”
  
  David Seymour for sure.
  
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  August 9, 2025 8:06am
  - mandk
    
    Physics?
    
    That’s bodybuilding and stuff like that, right?
    
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    August 9, 2025 8:09am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Shane Reti, Carlos Cheung, Vanessa Weenink, Andrew Hoggard, Simon Court, Parmjeet Parmar, at least….
    
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    August 9, 2025 9:13am
    - pdm
      
      James Meager is another.
      
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      August 9, 2025 9:35am
    - NeverMindTheBollocks
      
      Simon Penk
      
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      August 9, 2025 9:51am
    - Chuck Bird
      
      None from Labour?
      
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      August 9, 2025 10:01am
      - pdm
        
        Well Chuck there might be one or two but they would have no idea how to put the qualification into practice if they did pass.
        
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        August 9, 2025 10:06am
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        Ayesha Verrall
        
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        August 9, 2025 11:46am
      - JackRabbit
        
        They don’t know the difference between a man and a women, a plug (male) and a socket (female), they think a square root is binary sex, and they think that wealth is created by printing money, and never passed Primer 1 introduction to counting.
        
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        August 9, 2025 12:35pm
  - NothingLeft
    
    How many MPs in Greens, Labour and Te Racists would be capable of successfully running a business with employees and customers that had to compete with other similar businesses? Any?
    
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    August 9, 2025 9:57am
    - R
      
      None that I have heard of.
      
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      August 9, 2025 10:46am
    - Ghost
      
      Speaking of greens, Elizabeth Kerekere is back, running for a maori seat in gisborne district council.
      
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      August 9, 2025 10:56am
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        Link here:
        
        https://www.nzherald.co.nz/gisborne-herald/news/former-green-mp-elizabeth-kerekere-running-for-maori-ward-councillor/6PE5QQEDEBDLZPX3OIUUFLX3K4/
        
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        August 9, 2025 11:01am
  - peterwn
    
    Indeed David went on to complete an electrical engineering degree at Auckland University. This is a four year course and is no pushover.
    
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    August 9, 2025 10:19am
    - JerJer
      
      Definately the wrong type of Maori that guy.
      
      /sarc
      
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      August 9, 2025 12:06pm
    - Colville
      
      Seymour joked that he was in a class of people who all were earning $100k prior to losing virginity 🤣
      
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      August 9, 2025 3:18pm
- artemisia
  
  Then we have actual and potential humongous batteries called hydro lakes. Though potential does depend on activists, lizards and a lot of koha.
  
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  August 9, 2025 8:18am
  - CJames
    
    They are not batteries comparable to others. They aren’t pumped so power can’t be put there when there is a surplus. All they can do is back off and not generate as much. And there are MW limits. The Waikato scheme is often going flat out over the peaks (with very little at night) yet they still need thermal to ramp up to cover the gaps.
    
    NZ uses about 100GWh a day in summer and 130 in winter. Our hydro lakes store a lot of energy, orders of magnitude more than batteries (about 3000GWH when everything is full), but they rely on rain in the headwaters and them not being drained too fast. That is why coal is needed when it doesn’t rain or gets really cold.
    
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    August 9, 2025 8:34am
    - slightlyrighty
      
      Norway generates 156 terrawatt Hours annually for a country of 5 million inhabitants in a country of 385000 Square km.
      
      NZ generates 43.5 Terrawatt Hours for the same size population in a 285000 Square km country.
      
      Now Norway does export about 15% of it’s electricity, but you have to wonder why we, as a country, have not invested as much in Renewables as Norway has. They only have 2% of their power done using fossil fuels.
      
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      August 9, 2025 9:40am
      - cmm
        
        We have zero export opportunities for our power.
        
        Norway has much higher energy demands for heating etc.
        
        It is an oversimplification to compare countries with vastly different needs.
        
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        August 9, 2025 10:48am
      - NothingLeft
        
        So Norway generates about 3.5kW continuous for each of it’s population from the good rainfall they get at good elevation along its steep spine.
        
        NZ averages about 1kW continuous and has vanishingly few opportunities for substantial new economic hydropower considering greatest untapped waterflow is on west coast near alpine fault that is expected to see an 8+ earthquake at sometime in the life of any dams built there.
        
        It might be more viable to build some races to divert some fraction of west coast flow to east coast river systems where existing dams could be upgraded for more waterflow.
        
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        August 9, 2025 12:30pm
      - Tom Hunter
        
        Norway – already angered in January 2025 by massive increases in domestic power prices (despite having cheap hydro-power as extensive as ours and deeper in reserves) due to German purchases because their wind energy system died away – then saw their gas prices rising because of demand from Britain:
        
        The only viable solution to renewable intermittency today is putting gas turbines on standby, then firing them up at vast cost when needed using imported gas, over half of which is typically from Norway via a pipe.
        
        The Norwegian coalition government collapsed a few months ago because of the rising anger of voters as they get screwed on energy prices – despite having plenty of hydro-electricity and gas – because of the insanity of German and British renewable energy policies. There has been much talk of cutting the power connectors to Germany (“It’s an absolutely shit situation,” said Norway’s energy minister Terje Aasland cited by FT), so the gas pipelines to Britain might not be far behind.
        
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        August 9, 2025 12:35pm
      - NeverMindTheBollocks
        
        Good to see the holier-than-thou Norwegians getting the hump. For years they’ve been smugly extolling the virtues of E cars, purchased through selling vast quantities of hydrocarbons.
        
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        August 9, 2025 1:02pm
      - kowtow
        
        Pining for the fjords ?
        
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        August 9, 2025 1:12pm
      - Colville
        
        Snowmelt to fill hydro dams. Easy peasy.
        The country was designed by God for hydro, it’s all rock valleys.
        
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        August 9, 2025 3:20pm
      - Colville
        
        cmm
        Aluminum production is basically exporting electricity isn’t it?
        
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        August 9, 2025 5:09pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Norway is insanely wealthy thanks to it’s oil extraction industry. It can afford to build what it likes. NZ can’t.
        
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        August 9, 2025 6:18pm
    - Jigsaw
      
      And the Waikato hydro system would be severly compromised by the application of Te Mana o te Wai which says that the waters from one catchment cannot be mixed with the waters of another catchment- and so all that work to divert the headwtaers of the Wanganui system into Lake Taupo would be wasted unless of course there was some $$$$$ solution available to Maori.
      
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      August 9, 2025 9:42am
      - R
        
        Te Mana …….another example of no actual knowledge of physics and economics, so common in the Labour Party lead opposition
        
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        August 9, 2025 10:49am
      - AitchW
        
        Koha fixes everything.
        
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        August 9, 2025 2:19pm
      - Handyman
        
        So that explains is why Maoris did not build the tunnels and canals of the Tongariro hydro system.
        
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        August 9, 2025 4:20pm
    - gravedodger
      
      New Zealand will not have a surplus to pump hydro until it adopts Nuclear and that will be some time after hell freezes over.
      
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      August 9, 2025 9:57am
    - Jack5
      
      You might add to well-informed C.James’s comment on hydro lakes storage (… rely on rain in the headwaters) reliance on snow melt in spring and summer.
      
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      August 9, 2025 10:38am
    - cmm
      
      While batteries and pumped storage might make sense in many places (eg. pumped storage has been a vital part of South Africa’s supply for over 50 year) it does not make sense everywhere and not in NZ.
      
      While our hydro are not pump storage, they can still be used as a buffer.
      
      Instead of discharging the hydro, you stop discharging the hydro and use the other sources. When those sources are no longer available, then you start discharging the hydro again. Effectively you get the same outcomes but:
      * No extra costs.
      * Storing (eg. pumping into a pump storage or charging a bettery) is lossy, therefore you lose some of the energy doing this.
      
      IMHO, the best place to invest in generation is in geothermal. But our politicians want batteries and solar because they are fashionable.
      
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      August 9, 2025 10:46am
      - JackRabbit
        
        Geothermal is too simple a solution. Like hydro, it is a self replenishing energy source. So long as the earth is spinning and the centre of the earth molten, and under pressure, Geothermal will continue.
        
        But it is not attractive to the elite, as it cannot be switched off by the global control freaks, like imported fuel and coal.
        
        Control the source of power so there is always a scarcity, and you control the prices.
        
        Big Pharma, Big Tech, Big Energy.
        
        If you could invent a device to capture gravity waves, it would be banned, you would be labelled a crank, or the Taniwha would claim ownership.
        
        Lack of energy is not a physics problem, it is a political problem.
        
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        August 9, 2025 12:30pm
      - Aquarius
        
        Geothermal is 24-7
        Which doesn’t assist much in peaking and frequency keeping
        Which is where thermal is most useful
        
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        August 9, 2025 2:32pm
      - NothingLeft
        
        More geothermal around Taupo is a great idea – if it reduces the heat buildup that will otherwise cause a Country ending volcanic eruption.
        
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        August 9, 2025 7:56pm
    - JackRabbit
      
      “They are not batteries comparable to others…”
      
      Agreed. They are self charging power generators.
      
      As are Archimedes and Vortex run-of-river hydro-power. We have an enormous amount of available power in but are not capturing most of it because the rivers are sacred.
      
      Only the elite of the Maori settlers who arrived here a few hundred years ago are greedy and want to screw everyone for everything.
      
      Most of those who came here before them over the last 30,000 years were far more peaceful.
      
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      August 9, 2025 12:17pm
      - Quail
        
        I have mentioned a time or two in the past on this blog that NZ has a huge renewable energy source open to it from tidal and Ocean sources.
        NZ has one of the longest coastlines in the world This means location of energy would be handy to where the population is.
        Finding and using energy from this source is growing world wide. Korea, Europe, the US and the Netherlands for example.
        NZ has many possible sites.
        Why serious consideration has apparently never been given to this concept in NZ is a mystery.
        Perhaps this is related to the NZ Foreshore and Seabed legislation.
        
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        August 9, 2025 2:33pm
- Master Mariner
  
  And finally common sense,
  
  EPA to reverse landmark scientific finding on climate change
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JT6EP-o-tw
  
  And this,
  The International Court of Justice says healthy environment is a human right | DW News
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zff_N4Fq8Sw
  
  This was enabled by student protesting on behalf of Pacific Island Nations who will disappear due to Climate Change.
  
  And the clanger, Why is Tuvulu growing ?
  
  Sinking’ Pacific nation Tuvalu is actually growing
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atvaauGGjko
  
  Time to dump the UN surely.
  
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  August 9, 2025 8:32am
  - Notsofast
    
    EPA instructed by Trump.
    This is like firing the statistician.
    I thought there might be science to study, but as admirable as many common sense Trump policies are, they are never driven by science.
    
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    August 9, 2025 10:26am
    - Master Mariner
      
      EPA instructed by Trump.
      Nope, Instructed by Supreme Court Ruling.
      
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      August 9, 2025 11:18am
- peterwn
  
  It is not the hard science that counts, it is the ‘feelz’.
  Given that it is the job of a company to make money for its shareholders, a company in the battery business needs to run profitably, it is not the company’s job to be Mother Teresa. For example, Meridian is commissioning a large battery in Northland. The major reason it is there is to help ensure a supply of electricity at a stable price for Meridian’s fleet of customers. It is not there so Electric Kiwi etc are insulated from high spot prices.
  The nearest equivalent situation in NZ at present is Huntly. It continues to operate because the other retailers pay Genesis to keep it operational, both by negotiating with the other retailers to meet the costs of keeping coal stockpiled and to meet continuing maintenance costs. The likes of Electric Kiwi would be welcome (at least in theory) to have a slice of Huntly’s output if it contributes to coal stockpiling and maintenance costs, but such retailers are unlikely to have the capital strength for this.
  Then there is the Lake Onslow proposal, the biggest battery proposal by far. Labour envisaged it as a means of controlling and stabilising prices as it would be under Government control. Presumably a left wing government would underwrite its construction and lay off some or all the risks on electricity customers at large. Part of the commissioning cost would be the cost of electricity to do the initial pump (for example Lake Pukaki had to be raised to become useful, and this was in effect done by burning oil at Marsden). There is also the issue that despite its large capacity, it is still finite and would not always stabilise prices to the extent its proponents envisage.
  I am not sure the current government quite knows what to do about electricity so is acquiescing to the line that if the four gentailers are clobbered and sorted out then all the industry’s problems will be solved. And yet it is the gentailers who have the expertise, skills and capital resources to provide additional generation, and will continue to do so an a ‘just in time’ (like Japanese car manufacturers supply chains) basis. If chooks are mistreated they stop laying, similar with power generating companies who produce the goods.
  
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  August 9, 2025 8:38am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    Electric Kiwi want to have their cake and eat it too. They want to buy when the spot market is low but scream blue murder at the price of forward contracts when demand is expected to be high.
    
    Their business strategy is to make wild accusations of “unfairness” in the hope of influencing ignorant journalists to write headlines to stir up the public and lean on the Minister.
    
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    August 9, 2025 8:57am
    - peterwn
      
      Exactly.
      
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      August 9, 2025 10:20am
- Tom Hunter
  
  I’m still surprised, though I shouldn’t be, that nobody has put in front of the people of NZ the charts of the history of electricity prices in nations that push solar and wind and shut down coal and gas-fired power stations.
  
  In every case the result has been the same, a massive and relentless rise in power prices, irrespective of inflation, recessions, etc.
  
  Australia 1955-2017 (must update that but the increases have not stopped since 2017, if anything they’re growing faster)
  
  Britain (1980-2022)
  
  And finally, Bjorn Lomborg’s chart of multiple nations around the world showing that the higher the proportion of grid-scale wind and solar power, the higher the power price. He ruefully pointed out that his own nation, Denmark, is the “leader” in this.
  
  Twenty five years ago this was debatable as solar/wind fanatics stuck to the talking points of the wind and the sun being free while the equipment got cheaper. They believed their own bullshit, which is why the Oz Labour government foolishly promised that power prices would fall.
  
  Now it’s no longer debatable and the response has been, on places like The Standard, a retreat back to their comfort zone of screeching about “greedy”, profit-making private sector power companies and yammering about re-nationalising them.
  
  However I’ve detected a growing shoulder-shrug reaction as well, in that they’ll start trying to argue that we just have to suck up these extra costs as the price of slowing down climate change – although this will only become really prominent when a TINA moment is reached where Huntly is shut down.
  
  I also see a slight increase in the numbers of “de-growth” proponents, chiming in with old style environmentalists who believe we need to “live within our means”.
  
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  August 9, 2025 9:46am
  - R
    
    “Live within our means”. Now there is a thought!. Seem to remember hearing that from the ‘ADULTS’ when I was a child in the 1959’s. Pity that we donalways have adults running the country.
    
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    August 9, 2025 10:54am
Yvette

Yesterday morning on General Debate it was mentioned –

Winston Peters says there is no compelling reason for CGT https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/winston-peters-says-there-is-no-compelling-reason-for-a-capital-gains-tax/DEE537UTU376JHMK4SR6ZXHSLQ/

CGT, RIP: What role did NZ First play in dumped tax? https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/government-kills-off-capital-gains-tax-wont-happen-on-jacinda-arderns-watch/PRAJYZ2BSONYAFTJI4HJ6JUS5A/.

– so is [1] New Zealand First still last to support a CGT
And in raising it has Hipkins provided Winston with grounds to divorce Labour even before getting into bed with them again?
(And does Winston [2] still smart that they didn’t tell him about He Puapua when he and Shane Jones actually signed off the Cabinet Paper which spawned it?)
And [3] is Winston still to spurn UNDRIP?
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August 9, 2025 8:02am
- Jack5
  
  On capital gains tax, it’s worth remembering that NZ has mild capital gains tax on some property and company shares sales.
  
  We also had a serious capital gains tax — death duties, which ended in December 1992.
  
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  August 9, 2025 8:21pm
Swifty

I sleep well at night knowing this is the calibre of politicians we have looking after us and our loved ones:

https://x.com/mrsward007v2/status/1953724847231840558?s=42
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August 9, 2025 8:09am
- R
  
  The present coalition are a lot more reassuring than the previous 6 years worth
  
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  August 9, 2025 1:20pm
- Philview
  
  Even worse that the media don’t report stuff like this. What sort of country do we live in now? The Coalition Government knew from day one that the media has been corrupted and have done nothing about it. I would like to have seen an Inquiry with Editors being called to explain why say negative global news stories about Jacinda Ardern.were omitted from the NZ Media reports in 2022 etc
  
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  August 9, 2025 2:00pm
  - Ghost
    
    What’s to report? MP lip syncs to Lily Allen song…. Not exactly newsworthy and all you end up doing is giving her publicity for a nothing burger
    
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    August 9, 2025 2:08pm
    - graham
      
      A bit more than that Ghost.
      
      MP takes direct aim at the current deputy Prime Minister, lip syncs to an expletive, and pulls the finger. You know very well that if this was, say, Shane Jones, the media would be all over it like a rash.
      
      I agree with Swifty and the … tweeter? X-er? What an appalling woman Debbie Ngarewa-Packer is. Absolutely no class or dignity.
      
      In reply – when I want YOUR opinion, Ms Ngarewa-Packer, I’ll ask for it. Don’t hold your breath.
      
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      August 9, 2025 6:28pm
      - Ghost
        
        No, it’s really a nothing burger from an attention seeker. She’s best ignored. This is just an mp lip syncing to a political song. Seriously people need to stop giving her so much attention, you just play into her game of giving her and her party publicity by tweeting and posting about her.
        
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        August 9, 2025 7:22pm
artemisia

The school lunch media beat up has mostly died down now. Time to reignite it. How about this to give the whiners something to whine about.

One day a week the lunch is a marmite sandwich and an apple. OK, add a slice of cheese and a muesli bar. Could even replace bread with crackers and any leftovers will easily keep till the next day. And of course alternatives for vegans, gluten free etc etc.

Easy. Cheap. Two days a week?
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August 9, 2025 8:13am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  My daily weekday lunch is a filled roll, with ham or cheese depending on what’s in the fridge, plus an apple. I’ve eaten variations on that for more than 40 years. Seems ok to me.
  
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  August 9, 2025 8:17am
- wairarapapaul
  
  You’re lucky I didn’t report this comment as you forgot the potato chips in the marmite sandwich.
  
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  August 9, 2025 9:26am
  - artemisia
    
    Oops, my bad. But it does give patents the opportunity to contribute to their kid’s lunch by popping 3 crisps into the schoolbag on the marmite sammie day.
    
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    August 9, 2025 11:39am
- Pineapple Lumps
  
  As soon as the state or a company have to get involved to provide the school lunch the cost will jump up. While your lunch is lower cost on the food components, your labour and transport through the whole supply chain is at zero cost. As soon as the lunch is provided by the state or a company the supply chain costs and complexity ie food safety risk, increase.
  
  The school lunch provision by the state is not an optimal solution. If it was purely a poverty problem then the best thing we could do is find a solution that gives the poor the ability to still provide a lunch directly. Unfortunately it is a dysfunction problem. Many of the poor will be bleeding money because of poor budgeting, poor choices, and poor skill sets to do better. Then there are the extremely dysfunctional where demons of drugs, alcohol, gambling etc are robbing their households of more than just food.
  
  Like you I make my lunch myself and it cost $2-$4 a day. If I buy it at the tuck shop it is $9-$11 and more likely I will chose a poorer dietary option. If the state made that for me it would immediately cost more. It would not be as fresh. There would be an increased risk of dissatisfaction or food poisoning.
  
  So I would advocate for a targeted ‘MyFood Bag’ / Hello Fresh type kit that gives poor people the ingredients and recipes to provide the school lunch directly to their children. This would not need to be provided en masse to everyone in the school – to destigmatise the poor children only receiving a school lunch in a public setting. Then if kids still don’t come to school with a lunch the state should be jumping in to investigate the family situation and what other support is needed to address the dysfunction.
  
  Get rid of the current school lunch model and come up with something that is putting the power back into the hands of individuals and families. We will be much better off for that as a society in the long run.
  
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  August 9, 2025 10:42am
  - R
    
    We once had school lunch programs in primary schools, it was provided by volunteer mums going to the schools and making filled roles. Children loved them. But that was in an era -1960ish’ – when motherhood was more important than ‘ my career’
    
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    August 9, 2025 11:01am
    - Flossie
      
      Maybe there are lots of working mothers these days who would love to stay at home, but financially cannot afford to.
      Perhaps there are some father’s who could become stay at home Dad’s and forego their careers?
      
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      August 9, 2025 2:00pm
- imalwaysright
  
  The school lunch programme gas been a stunning success.
  
  We no longer have to witness the suffering of tens of thousands starving, emaciated teenagers collapsing in the gutters on their way home from school….
  
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  August 9, 2025 1:48pm
- Philview
  
  The media are now focused on Boot Camps. Labour’s policy of ignoring night time ram raids apparently was a better option. The kids enjoyed that and it cost the Government less money.
  
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  August 9, 2025 3:34pm
Gravelroad

Havn’t seen anything in the msm about Steve Howley, lawn mowing guy, who was accused of tampering with a billboard advocating for Maori body election wards.
Tried to listen to podcast about it but sound such that couldn’t get the gist of it.
He was allegedly falsely accused by Maori royalty.
Is this for real?
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August 9, 2025 8:17am
- ISeeRed
  
  Looks like The Herald has covered this:
  
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/glen-eden-lawnmower-says-livelihood-at-stake-after-graffiti-claims-from-te-pati-maori-president/BWNFZKNXMFDJNCSRKUHL4VHP2Y/
  
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  August 9, 2025 8:32am
- kowtow
  
  To be fair ,it was in yesterday’s print version of the Herald , p8.
  Sounds like a very nasty affair .
  
  But that’s our divided future.
  
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  August 9, 2025 8:59am
- Mod88
  
  Yes Te Pati Maori doxxed both him and the employees of LUNA (advertising company) on Social Media inciting their followers to take action before taking it down after 2 hours. The Gangster Gene is strong in that Party.
  
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  August 9, 2025 9:00am
  - Yvette
    
    Brian Tamaki may have to disassociate threatening violence from that of the Maori Party.
    
    That way too, we may finally see if Brian in his life rejects te Ao Maori (the Maori religious worldview) from the his Old Testament beliefs – like the First Commandment, Exodus 20:3 and Deuteronomy 5:7, that “You shall have no other gods before me.” emphasizing the “exclusive worship of the one true God, prohibiting the worship of any other deities or idols”.
    
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    August 9, 2025 10:42am
    - Scott
      
      Yvette – I’m not aware of any pagan, animist Maori spiritual beliefs that Brian Tamaki holds? He is very firm and steadfast in upholding the Christian faith. Indeed he gets lambasted almost every other day by the liberal elites for daring to promote Christianity.
      
      The funny thing is that he is an authentic local Maori leader who has done much for Maori people over the years including the most poor and marginalised. The liberals should love him for that. But he’s not on the left, so they hate him with a passion.
      
      It doesn’t matter if you tick the diversity boxes. If you’re not on the left that all gets wiped away and they hate you with a passion. Sad 😔
      
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      August 9, 2025 11:00am
      - Jake Dee
        
        It’s a good point, like him or not Brian Tamaki is the most influential Maori religious leader alive today.
        But thinking that Liberals should love him for what he’s done is a serious mistake.
        Authentic Christianity is a real threat to liberalism. Under a liberal regime you can follow any religion you like as long as it’s fake and gay.
        Which is why Te Ao Maori is supported.
        
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        August 9, 2025 9:52pm
    - Pineapple Lumps
      
      Yvette – your concern at Te Ao spiritualism being embedded into the State of NZ is valid and I appreciate you calling that out. However, I feel you are not fair or are being slanderous in your targeting of Brian Tamaki as being a supporter of Maori spiritualism. Have you ever heard him promoting thus position?
      
      He is unequivocal about being a follower of Christ.
      He talks openly of his Maori and Pakeha ethnicity.
      His church has a lot of Maori members. They engage in Maori cultural traditions like haka.
      
      Engaging in cultural traditions, like dance, dress or music does not automatically mean you support a traditional spriritiality. For example not all Jewish people are of the Jewish faith.
      
      These cultural elements are not promoting Maori pantheism or animism.
      
      Have you evidence that Brian Tamaki holds a view of maori spiritualism mixed with Christianity?
      
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      August 9, 2025 11:36am
      - Yvette
        
        Pineapple Lumps, “your concern at Te Ao spiritualism being embedded into the State of NZ is valid”
        
        Yes, I frequently have suggested that as well as Government supposedly being secular, it should be seen and act as such, and eliminate endorsement of te Ao o Maori from all circumstance where a Christian or Islamic view are not equally applied, so te Mana o te Wai, for example is considered along with any other religious submissions on Water Services.
        
        I however reject I am “not fair or are being slanderous in [my] targeting of Brian Tamaki as being a supporter of Maori spiritualism”. I didn’t.
        I carefully said “we may finally see if Brian rejects te Ao Maori (the Maori religious worldview) from the his Old Testament beliefs” as I have never seen such a debate or it even alluded to, although Brian’s views on the Islamic Call To Prayer being used in 2019 were quite clear.
        
        “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”
        And that includes the Trojan Hōiho creep of te Ao Maori through early education up to universities to start with.
        Also ‘Sad 😔’
        
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        August 9, 2025 12:09pm
      - AitchW
        
        They also engage in some pretty serious intimidation at times too. Clearly not an adherent to the exhortation to “turn the other cheek”. Or to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.
        
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        August 9, 2025 2:24pm
  - kowtow
    
    I read people were posting photos of his children!
    
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    August 9, 2025 12:18pm
- rouppe
  
  Yes it is, along with the Hobson’s Pledge fiasco.
  
  If you haven’t caught up with that one, Hobson’s Pledge contracted an ad firm to do posters opposing Maori wards. They bought a photo from a stock photo place of a Maori woman with a moko.
  
  When she saw the posters she complained that her image had been used without her permission, even though she gave her permission for her image to be available on the stock photo site.
  
  Hobson’s Pledge withdrew the posters immediately but Maori Party supporters have been phoning the ad agency and Hobson’s Pledge with death threats.
  
  Both events happened around the same time, amplified and incited by the Maori Party
  
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  August 9, 2025 9:21am
  - Ghost
    
    Has there been an update to the story? Last I read it wasn’t known if she knew it was there, and the photographer only licensed the photo for editorial use
    
    https://thespinoff.co.nz/atea/06-08-2025/how-did-ellen-tamatis-face-end-up-on-hobsons-pledge-billboards
    
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    August 9, 2025 10:14am
    - rouppe
      
      “An image with an editorial license, as the name indicates, can only be used for editorial purposes, which is, to illustrate an event, concept, or idea, without a direct profitable gain.”
      
      Certainly arguable that this is how it was used. An idea, with no profitable gain.
      
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      August 9, 2025 9:26pm
      - Ghost
        
        No. Not allowed
        
        Images labeled “Editorial Use Only” cannot be used for commercial purposes. An editorial image can only be used to illustrate a news-related story – not to sell or promote a product, service or idea. This rules out most websites (with the exception of news sites).
        
        Shutterstock
        
        No Commercial Use of “Editorial Use Only” Content. You may not use content marked “editorial use only” for any commercial, promotional, advertorial, endorsement, advertising, gambling/betting/gaming uses or merchandising purpose
        
        Istock
        
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        August 9, 2025 11:03pm
  - G152
    
    Phoning in with death threats eh.
    They -do- know that callers phone numbers are recorded
    
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    August 9, 2025 10:35am
- Ghost
  
  Gardener gets death threats after vandalism claims from Te Pāti Māori
  
  Glen Eden lawn mower says livelihood at stake after graffiti claims from Te Pāti Māori president
  
  Police complaints laid in political graffiti billboard row
  
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  August 9, 2025 9:55am
  - Pineapple Lumps
    
    Thanks Ghost for the links.
    
    What strikes me as bad behaviour from a politician is to basically dismiss the guys issues of being targeted with threats and play the “the matter is with the police”
    
    Most political leaders would at least be signalling a message of “we don’t want anyone taking the law into their own hands and death threats or taking action against Emerald Lawn Mowing services is not acceptable.”
    
    TPM and Tamihere are happy to push division as it makes them rich and powerful at the expense of our entire community.
    
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    August 9, 2025 10:58am
    - Ghost
      
      It will be interesting to see what comes of both cases. The Hobson one resulted in death threats. Both cases were pushed to get their supporters to attack. Threats involving people’s children, and silence from the maori party
      
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      August 9, 2025 11:06am
      - artemisia
        
        I predict Emerald Lawn Mowing is about to get a bunch of new clients.
        
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        August 9, 2025 1:09pm
      - Eastlander
        
        Bashing children is something Maori party supporters have a lot of expertise in.
        
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        August 9, 2025 3:36pm
    - imalwaysright
      
      TPM, Tamihere, and their supporters go nuclear when their feelings are a bit hurt about a photograph of some old lady.
      
      They are strangely silent when one of their own tortures and murders a baby.
      
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      August 9, 2025 1:04pm
      - Gravelroad
        
        They don’t care about the feelings of the old lady.
        And of course, babies don’t have feelings eh.
        The point here is that certain sections of society are very keen to maintain and protect their special status of having an election right open to only a few people – based solely on their race.
        End of story.
        
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        August 9, 2025 3:30pm
kowtow

The other evening Phil Goff was a guest on HDPA , topic was the Balance Agri plant shutdown cos no gas ( thanks Shane , you were in that cabinet too) .
Anyway he started to sound literally unhinged in his defence of carbon crazy , because he said he’s been told in England our exports would suffer!

Couple of points . If we can’t produce and efficiently , we can’t export .

Who are our exporters . Farmers . Why are we so down on them re carbon.

The US is out of this nonsense , the UK will be too ( if Farage gets in) and by golly the likes of China , India and Russia don’t give a monkey’s.

So why the hell are we crippling our economy ( and the poorest with high power prices) over a far left scam.

On a positive note , the answer is coal. We have it . Cheap , reliable , plentiful .
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August 9, 2025 8:19am
- R
  
  “why are we so down on farmers”….because they are motivated and generally successful at what they do for a living. Two qualities that SOCIALISTS hate!
  
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  August 9, 2025 11:09am
  - pdm
    
    r – 99% of them are bloody hard workers.
    
    There are always a few `Queen Street Farmers’ but, probably not so many these days.
    
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    August 9, 2025 1:06pm
    - Quail
      
      As long ago as when David Carter was Minister of Agriculture some farmers , went to Nationals Primary producers committee concerned by letter from the premium stock firm Wrightson saying simply “ sheep farming was no longer profitable in NZ,”
      From about 74 million sheep then ,to about 20 million today, the decline has been huge.
      Successive Governments of all colours regulated taxed and inflated those farmers out of business.
      The valid concept of primary production driving an economy has been ignored by all parties.
      Just imagine if NZ had the produce from 70,million sheep , and the associated economic infrastructure activity plus manufacturing to drive the economy today?
      Yes farmers have good reason for their cynicism!
      
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      August 9, 2025 4:47pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

RUCs are a good idea in theory, but admin charges and failure to pay by the usual suspects will likely kill it. The beauty of fuel taxes is that they are paid up front, are administered by large companies with the systems to do it and are unavoidable.

Why not introduce similar levels of road tax on diesel, with weight-related RUCs maintained for heavy vehicles (lower RUCs for hybrids, higher for full EVs and higher again for trucks)?

That approach would be simpler than what we have now, since it removes diesel cars from the RUC mechanism, while maintaining the principle that all vehicles pay for the roads with the heavier vehicles paying more. There’s a level of imperfection, since for example fuel efficient big ICE cars could pay less than older medium size cars, and petrol powered lawn mowers are penalised but these are edge cases.

Remember – great is the enemy of good.
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August 9, 2025 8:29am
- rouppe
  
  RUC’s were introduced on diesel because large amounts of diesel are used in engines not on the road, principally agriculture and marine.
  
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  August 9, 2025 12:15pm
  - Quail
    
    Yes Rouppe,
    Needs to be clear answers around all diesel use ,off road , heating , and industrial , electricity generation diggers ,tractors boats . shipping and many others.
    Having a different price for each is divisive and inefficient!
    Putting up the cost of business is not what is needed in NZ today!
    
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    August 9, 2025 6:02pm
- imalwaysright
  
  Fuel prices will creep back up to pre RUC levels to the fuel companies advantage.
  
  Its Christmas every day for them from then on.
  
  That’s a $35 gift on every 50 litre tank of fuel.
  
  We will be back to full price fuel plus we will be paying for every km we drive.
  
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  August 9, 2025 1:57pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

For those who missed it, Steve Otto popped up late yesterday on one of the threads. Welcome back, Steve, it’s good to hear from you.
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August 9, 2025 8:35am
- Pineapple Lumps
  
  Well said NMTB. Yes I saw that too – welcome back Steve!
  
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  August 9, 2025 11:00am
NeverMindTheBollocks

There’s a shop opening in China where you can buy humanoid robots, from NZ$400 and up. Fancy an Albert Einstein look-alike to help you with your homework? Certainly sir, step this way.

Me, if they have one that will do the weeding then they will have my attention.

http://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgm2jed7xvyo
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August 9, 2025 8:43am
Master Mariner

What happens when a Scientific Paper goes Viral ?
The Biggest Climate Scam Ever?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWDEawUSyUY

Love to see how NZ “Billion” trees project is panning out? I am sure Foreign Pension funds will be pleased //
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August 9, 2025 8:47am
NeverMindTheBollocks

Listening to RNZ this morning, the thought struck me that they no longer have the heavy hitter interview guests of former times. Half the time, their guests seem to be acquaintances of the interviewer.

I can’t say that I really liked the often sarcastic Kim Hill, but she secured notable guests, did her research and knew how to ask non loaded questions (when she wanted to).
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August 9, 2025 8:48am
AitchW

I saw a report about a huge battery in Aus, the largest in the world, about to come on stream. It can power a million houses for a whole hour. I forget what it cost, but that doesn’t sound like a great back up supply.
Am I being too cynical?
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August 9, 2025 9:00am
- JackRabbit
  
  Manapouri can power 600,000 homes all year round. Batteries not included.
  
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  August 9, 2025 12:43pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

In the latest of a series of peace making efforts, Donald Trump presides over the signing of a treaty at the White House between Azerbaijan and Armenia. This marks the end of a long running war over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Well worth a Nobel Peace Prize nomination, I would have thought. Not that he’ll get one.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/08/08/azerbaijan-armenia-nagorno-karabakh-trump/
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August 9, 2025 9:11am
- Pope Punctilious II
  
  Loss of Armenian territory to an oil-rich dictatorship is hardly worth celebrating.
  
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  August 9, 2025 1:34pm
sungsamning

https://issuesinsights.com/2025/08/08/texas-redistricting-breaks-the-democratic-party/
Texas Redistricting Breaks The Democratic Party.
Consider what has transpired in the past few weeks and ask yourself which political party is acting like petulant children.

Earlier this year, the Justice Department found that four Texas districts drawn in 2021 are “unconstitutionally racially biased” because they violate the equal protection clause and “must be rectified immediately.”

Hans von Spakovsky, an election law expert at the Heritage Foundation, notes that not only did those Texas districts violate the Constitution, but the boundaries they drew in 2021 were based on faulty 2020 Census data, which had missed half a million Texans, and didn’t reflect the influx of 2 million people over the past five years.
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August 9, 2025 9:21am
sungsamning

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/08/rfk_shuts_down_government_sponsored_mrna_vaccine_research.html
RFK shuts down government-sponsored mRNA vaccine research.
In a reversal of one of the most prominent biomedical investment trends of the past five years, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on August 5 a coordinated wind-down of its mRNA vaccine development efforts under the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). To be clear, it is not a ban on mRNA, but the changes carry significant repercussions for mRNA vaccine research.
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August 9, 2025 9:22am
- Gary Benner
  
  Despite some of the ranting on RFK being “anti-vax”, the Press Release issued by HHS ended saying:
  
  The move signals a broader shift in federal vaccine development priorities. Going forward, BARDA will focus on platforms with stronger safety records and transparent clinical and manufacturing data practices. Technologies that were funded during the emergency phase but failed to meet current scientific standards will be phased out in favor of evidence-based, ethically grounded solutions – like whole-virus vaccines and novel platforms.
  
  So acknowledged that the mRNA technologies were implemented without due process to ensure safety and effectiveness, and that the funding will be used for “evidence based” solutions.
  
  What can you object to any of that.
  
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  August 9, 2025 11:09am
  - sungsamning
    
    Yes, bobby has it sussed. Lets hope the Kennedys produce a Jack or Bobby every generation. It won’t matter what the rest do. Same for the Churchill family.
    
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    August 9, 2025 5:57pm
- imalwaysright
  
  Noticed that they’ve stopped telling us to get flu shots or else granny will die.
  
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  August 9, 2025 12:07pm
  - sungsamning
    
    Yes, I think they’ve been reading the tea leaves since Trump won, and RFK got a cabinet post.
    
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    August 9, 2025 6:03pm
Jack5

Saturday topic: Do we need this tradition?

A picture of a New Zealand military attache in Türkiye (Turkey) brings up the issue of aiguillettes, golden cords that decorate military shoulders.

Should NZ, with our modest-size military, abolish this centuries old ceremonial decoration? We’re already weighed down by Maori ceremonial tradition like war dances and in grass skirts. Do we need stuff from way back in medieval Europe, in this case decoration that goes back to cords that linked knights’ armour plates.

Typically, aiguillettes are worn by British field marshals and equivalent chiefs in other UK services. They’re also on the shoulders of aides to a British monarch or to an American President or US state leader. In some exotic British units, such as the Royal cavalry, they can sometimes be seen on corporals, even bandsmen of the Dragoon Guards. Even the Aussies have them as part of dress uniforms for several ranks.

They appeared recently on the shoulders of the head of the NZ Navy while he also wore a Maori cloak. The chief of the mighty American Navy, who he was meeting, was without the shoulder rope wear.

Here’s Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Murray, Defence Attaché to Türkiye, wearing aiguillettes, along with NZ’s ambassador to Türkiye Greg Lewis:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360784457/remains-soldiers-reburied-gallipoli-after-exceptional-discovery

A photograph of an NZ Navy officer in both aiguillettes and Maori cloak:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MilitaryPorn/comments/hzwdvf/chief_of_royal_new_zealand_navy_hands_command_of/

Who wears them in British military hierarchy:

https://www.wyedean.com/how-to-wear-an-aiguillette/
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August 9, 2025 9:23am
- Flossie
  
  Those shoulder baubles are about as useful as a Maori cloak I’d say.
  Seem that Maori regalia – good, Colonialist regalia – bad.
  
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  August 9, 2025 2:28pm
- Paulus
  
  It would appear that as far as we can find out our Defence Attache wear similar uniforms, braids, and ranks as most others for ceremonial occasionals.
  Civvy in usual work day time.
  
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  August 9, 2025 2:57pm
Swifty

The last of the Apollo 8 guys after Borman (2023) and Anders (2023):

https://www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/360786141/apollo-13-moon-mission-leader-james-lovell-dies-97

While of course I totally get the importance of Apollo 11, Apollo 8 always seems to me to be the ‘big one’ where we left Earth and travelled to the moon for the first time.

I’ve watched many interviews with Lovell over the years and he always came across to me as a genuinely good bloke in addition to all his qualities as a pioneering astronaut and commander.

The end of an era.
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August 9, 2025 9:32am
- Swifty
  
  *Anders (2024)
  
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  August 9, 2025 11:09am
- David Garrett
  
  Swifty: I agree totally. I have always been amazed how Lovell – who must have been asked the same questions hundreds of times – always responded with good humour and graciously each and every time each he was asked those same questions.
  
  Great guy. As you say, the end of an era…although I note that Fred Haise is still alive aged 91..
  
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  August 9, 2025 12:58pm
Chuck Bird

It was interesting watching “The World According to Rowan Dean” on Sky News Australia last night.

He pointed out the problem of having too many Islamists coming to Australia. Many of these supported 7 October. This was shown by their walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

This should be a concern here. A brief bit at the link below.

Rowan Dean warns of Labor’s ‘draconian’ and ‘terrifying’ social media laws

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1MahCY_vNE
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August 9, 2025 9:39am
- Wandering Star
  
  “He pointed out the problem of having too many Islamists coming to Australia. Many of these supported 7 October.”
  
  The problem with mass immigration is the destruction of the European cultures and the associated demographic changes in the destination countries. It is certainly not that some of them “supported 7 October.” I’d much prefer 1,000,000 Norwegians, Swedes or Croatians coming into the country who were all anti-Israel than I would 1,000,000 Muslims who supported Israel.
  
  Should “do you support Israel?” be a criterion for immigration (like it is de facto in the US)? I wouldn’t have thought so.
  
  There’s a rhetorical deception practiced wherein the Islamisation (and otherisation generally) of the West is somehow a branch of Israel’s campaign against the Muslims in the Middle East. It is, but in the inverse manner to how it is presented. The Islamisation of the West and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict are two different things. In fact, where do the Muslims come from? The Middle East, and Israel’s largely unwelcome presence in the Middle East and the wars it provokes are a great source of Muslims into the West.
  
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  August 9, 2025 10:49am
  - David George
    
    So the Islamic disaster ruining Europe is all down to the Israelis is it now.
    Apart from the Iranian Islamists and their proxies the M E is accepting of, if not outright friendly with Israel.
    The Islamists (political/fundamentalist Islam typified by their modern terrorist outfits Muslim Brotherhood/ ISIS/Hamas/Hezbollah etc) are generally banned in most of the area – for good reason.
    Islamist hate the West and have a long history of persecuting Christians/Yezidis/Zoroastrians, Jews/Hindus/Buddhists etc. that goes back over 1350 years. Fact.
    
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    August 9, 2025 2:41pm
Ghost

I find this hard to believe that the [Mod – as there is a suppression order on who employed him, I think it is best not to list the profession] “snapped on two occasions.”

The baby was unresponsive, floppy, cold and pale after the incident that caused the brain injury in June 2021. He was rushed to hospital. His heart rate and oxygen was low.

A CT scan found multiple bleeds of the brain. A traumatic brain injury was diagnosed and initially recorded as being caused accidentally. That changed after the child had a chest X-ray. It revealed multiple fractures to the ribs that doctors deemed unlikely to be caused by a fall or accident.

A full skeletal survey and eye exam were called for. More than 30 rib fractures and 12 to the baby’s limbs were found. Others were identified on his toes. There were widespread retinal haemorrhages, too many to count in the left eye. It took time for the child’s vision to fully return.

Article

Pathetic, he should be in jail, instead he got a 12 month holiday at home.
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August 9, 2025 9:47am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  He’s described as a Medical Professional… [Mod – as there is a suppression order on who employed him, I think it is best not to list the profession]
  
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  August 9, 2025 10:10am
- imalwaysright
  
  He’s lucky he didn’t beat his dog, he would have got jail time…
  
  https://www.spca.nz/news-and-events/news-article/manjailedforbeatingdog
  
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  August 9, 2025 10:54am
  - Graeme Hall
    
    Most sub-humanoids who are violent towards their animals are violent towards children and women. He needs to be put down.
    
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    August 9, 2025 2:15pm
- Pineapple Lumps
  
  I haven’t seen the article. Am I correct in surmising that the defendant has been found guilty of inflicting serious injuries or death to a baby/toddler and has been given home detention for 12 months plus name suppression for them and their employer?
  
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  August 9, 2025 11:20am
- Keith White
  
  …and the law and the judges are sending a clear message to the violent ferals that beating children repetitively and nearly to death works in your favour because when your victim is a child you get name suppression, so the child you beat can’t be identified.
  
  Much like despising mainstream journolistas – just when we think we despise the NZ judiciary enough, they prove us wrong.
  
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  August 9, 2025 3:35pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  Meth user?
  
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  August 9, 2025 6:22pm
Ghost

A good example on why these people shouldn’t get name suppression. Sadly, these likely aren’t the only he abused

Police are investigating a fresh complaint of sexual assault against former Act Party president Tim Jago.

Jago indecently assaulted two teenagers he had been mentoring through a sports club between 1995 and 1999.

Article
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August 9, 2025 10:49am
- Skippytony
  
  I like the Aussie approach – automatic name suppression until convicted, default name release on conviction, with the usual exemptions
  
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  August 9, 2025 1:21pm
Chuck Bird

“Police are investigating a fresh complaint of sexual assault against former Act Party president Tim Jago.”

Do you not mean by instead of against?
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August 9, 2025 10:54am
- imalwaysright
  
  “Police are investigating a fresh complaint, of sexual assault, against former Act Party president Tim Jago.”
  
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  August 9, 2025 11:08am
- greybeard
  
  The complaint is against, the sexual assault is by.
  
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  August 9, 2025 12:08pm
Bridgenag

To lighten the day

Friday Funnies: DEI is Not Going Well…
Because it is dead…

https://open.substack.com/pub/rwmalonemd/p/friday-funnies-dei-is-not-going-well?r=1aj1bv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
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August 9, 2025 10:56am
Pineapple Lumps

Another situation where a public space is passed over to Māori management and then a club that has been operating for 70 years is given 4 days notice they can no longer operate. Note headline – 50 years – is an error.

The maunga authority is just a bullshit way of creating another cost to ratepayers to give a special few power and money and status. Breeding racist division annd entitlement in our society. During lockdown they were highly noticeable as the only car drivers in Auckland Parks. Very nice Mercedes cars too!

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/owairaka-archery-clubs-lease-terminated-seeks-new-home-after-50-years-on-auckland-maunga/N6PVXLJEPFFK7L27NG7HALGI5I/
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August 9, 2025 11:18am
- AitchW
  
  Brooklyn Water Ski Club at Karapiro had a similar experience.
  The building has now been vandalised, and there is never any sight of activity on the site.
  https://www.cambridgenews.nz/2024/06/death-knell-for-ski-club/
  
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  August 9, 2025 2:16pm
  - Pineapple Lumps
    
    Thanks for sharing Aitch W – another example of “what is good for maori is good for all NZers.”//s
    
    Ski club hands over buildings to DOC, who lease back to them. At some stage DOC have given management presumably of a greater parcel of DOC land to iwi. 12 months ago the ski club lease is revoked and iwi provide lease to Waka Ama club. Giving power and control to iwi who have no accountability to anyone, claim to represent 16% of the population, and are being paid by taxpayers and ratepayers for their grift. Why are we tolerating this racist division of our shared public assets by DOC?
    
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    August 9, 2025 6:20pm
Jack5

Here we go!

Christchurch’s notorious anti-Muslim (I nearly typed Antichrist), Philip Neville Arps, is about to drive Leftists up the political wall. He’s standing in the election for Mayor of Christchurch.

Arps won’t become mayor but he’ll piss off many people, particularly on the Left. Imagine organisers of candidates’ meetings wearing out brain cells as they seek ways to exclude him.

Arps, who has been imprisoned for his statements and actions against Muslims and the Left, has a record that makes hairs stand up on necks, and especially on the pale necks of the White Woke.

Arps is a nasty bugger, but his imprisonment for speech and propaganda actions contrast with the sentences imposed on scores of other nasty people. Judges continuously put violent offenders on home detention and keep them out of prison.

Some Christchurch folk will remember also an incident from before the mosques tragedy. In that incident a young Muslim lad who planned to run down Christchurch people in a car attack, ended up with a restorative sentence that included the judge recommending golf lessons.

The Free Speech Union in a statement today attributed to the union’s chief executive, Jillaine Heather, says of Arps’ candidacy:

“Democracy is a radical idea – and a damn good one; together, letting everyone have their say is the best chance we have at a stable, prosperous future …

“The Free Speech Union’s comment to those questioning Philip Arps’ eligibility to run for Mayor is simple: trust the ratepayers of Christchurch to decide, they’re up to the task.”

Arps has a snowball’s chance in Hell of being elected, but coverage of his candidacy will be a test for local newspapers, especially as the State continues to support them on the ground they are necessary for democracy.

The Arps background is here, at Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Arps

Free Speech Union’s take:

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/WhctKLbfPxxfcFKDRswVffVgcDPStnCDFPqXgzPrMJxZQmDpzWPnTDdfTzqxPJhBSsSwrml
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August 9, 2025 3:07pm
- Keith White
  
  I for one hope he gets elected just because of the pandemic of metaphorically exploding heads that will ensue.
  
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  August 9, 2025 3:29pm
Keith White

Yip, yip, that’s what it does.

“A whistleblower lawsuit filed in the Superior Court of California, Fresno County, accuses Community Regional Medical Center of covering up a dramatic rise in stillbirths following COVID-19 vaccination.

“Nurse Michelle Spencer, who has worked at the hospital since 2017, says the spike began in spring 2021, shortly after the rollout of COVID shots. Prior to that, the hospital reportedly saw about one stillbirth per month. After the vaccine push, that number jumped to approximately 20 each month — and has remained high ever since.

“According to the complaint, hospital management had access to internal data showing that nearly all the stillbirths occurred among vaccinated mothers, but suppressed that information. Spencer says the hospital left official files blank when asked to provide the data to regulators and continued to promote COVID-19 vaccines to pregnant women.

“When she raised concerns, management dismissed them and blamed the spike in fetal deaths on unrelated factors like pesticides.
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August 9, 2025 3:46pm
Cantabrian

Charlie Kirk tussles with a speaker who thinks reparations are a good idea. The argumenst are just as relevant here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI4BHyL2qo4
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August 9, 2025 4:51pm

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