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August 22, 2025 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 22 August 2025

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General Debate

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NeverMindTheBollocks

Compare and contrast. Westport cannot attract a dentist. Meanwhile, 450+ apply to be a vet’s receptionist in Auckland – many from overseas.

If you need any more evidence that something’s very wrong with our education and immigration settings, here it is.
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August 22, 2025 8:01am
- AitchW
  
  A couple of years ago I advertised on Seek an entry level technician’s position for 24 hours a week.
  We received a handful of good applications from local candidates, and around a third of all applications were from Asian resident men, many with university degrees.
  Some of the local applications were virtually illiterate.
  We hired a young local guy who has worked out impressively.
  
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  August 22, 2025 9:22am
  - Notsofast
    
    I can only point out again that Trevor Mallard sentenced a generation to illiteracy in 2002 by refusing to introduce structured literacy as minister of education.
    Undoubtedly the worst ministerial act in the history of New Zealand.
    
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    August 22, 2025 11:18am
    - Notsofast
      
      Mallard had the exact control Stanford is now exercising and did zilch!
      
      ” “The Minister of Education, Trevor Mallard, was non-committal but gave some indication of his thinking.
      
      “I think it’s fair to say that for some time before that there was a degree of ideologically driven pressure towards a more whole language approach.
      
      “I think there is a slight return to tradition – teachers working out what’s best for individual kids – and I think that’s a good approach.” ”
      
      We know he did nothing because the cross party recommendation was ignored by his ministry and for another quarter century we failed the students.
      
      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/phonics-the-great-debate/CTCFCT2O2AQAWIRNMFA363GK3U/
      
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      August 22, 2025 2:10pm
- MCōs
  
  According to Health Workforce NZ there is a shortage of about 380 dentists in the country, mainly out in the provinces and beyond
  However
  To be a dentist requires five years training in the frozen south and a whole lot of cash.
  Obviously it doesn’t take a masters degree to work as a receptionist, but there’s no indication that some of the 450 aren’t vastly overqualified for the position. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s not people out there who’ll take on anything to put sausages on the table.
  
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  August 22, 2025 9:42am
  - Ian
    
    Would you like to expand on your throwaway line about the frozen south with some actual climate data compared to the rest of New Zealand? Is it frozen all year round, or not? Have you spent a whole year there to have observed it is frozen all time as your post suggests? Have you ever been there, and if so, was it only briefly and when?
    
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    August 22, 2025 10:41am
    - sirknz
      
      Really? That’s what you take out of the comment?
      
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      August 22, 2025 11:01am
    - MCōs
      
      I spent a year down there when I was two in hospital far away from Mum and Dad in Timaru, which is pretty cold itself this time of year
      
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      August 22, 2025 11:07am
      - Ian
        
        Cold and frozen are two different things. But thanks for clarifying. As a matter of interest, Metservice, Auckland today 14 and 4 overnight (cloudy), Timaru 12 and minus 2 overnight (all day sun, so a beautiful day) and Dunedin 13 and 3 overnight (cloudy). Wow, 1 degree difference between the big smoke and the frozen south…..
        
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        August 22, 2025 11:42am
    - Cassandra
      
      I lived in Dunedin and travelled extensively throughout Otago and Southland for several years – it’s cold and wet much of the time. Central is either hot and dry or b……. cold and dry.
      
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      August 22, 2025 12:09pm
      - Jack5
        
        Cold maybe, but wet?
        
        Have a look at this link. Invercargill and Auckland, almost the same rainfall. Poster MCos’s home town of Timaru, 40 per cent of the rainfall of Wellington. Dunedin, 50 per cent of the rainfall of Whangarei.
        
        https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/rainfall/
        
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        August 22, 2025 5:03pm
  - R
    
    Wasn’t aware that NZ dentists were trained in Antartica!
    
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    August 22, 2025 11:50am
  - cmm
    
    If could make a lot of sense to relocate Otago medical school in Christchurch.
    
    Otago already has a satellite medical campus in Christchurch to make use of Christchurch as a teaching hospital that provides many functions that Otago cannot.
    
    Why not bite the bullet and move the medical school to Chch?
    
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    August 22, 2025 12:20pm
    - hookerphil
      
      Because Earle Kirton wouldn’t played for Otago.
      
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      August 22, 2025 1:42pm
    - peterwn
      
      That would really be sour grapes. Those canny Scots recognised that if wanted doctors, they had to set up a medical school and the rest is history. The settlers on the First Four Ships could have set up a medical school in Christchurch, but they did not, Christchurch so missed the bus.
      
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      August 22, 2025 2:29pm
  - Prince
    
    Except putting sausages on the table.
    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/569740/restaurant-association-concerned-many-hospo-positions-left-off-list-of-new-visas
    
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    August 22, 2025 1:31pm
- Simon
  
  “education and immigration settings”
  
  lol – settings.
  
  Dancing Luxon, the central planner clown from Wellington, is all in on the economy. Luxon and his National party planning will get the right settings in good time. In meantime enjoy Luxon dancing for India.
  
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  August 22, 2025 10:14am
Colinxy

Note to mods: I tried to email Kiwiblog as suggested last night with the requested ‘guest post’ on my essay examining Marxism.

I kept getting relay email message errors. One of the accounts I tried was from Hotmail. I did send my essay as an attachment, I don’t know if that is an issue or not.

Hopefully, it will appear on No Minister at some point, so people can see it there.

[Mod – sorry, I’ve been offline today. You can send submissions to [email protected] ]
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August 22, 2025 8:13am
Chuck Bird

I hope this is of interest and pressure increases for the Labour MPs to front up.

https://theplatform.kiwi/podcasts/episode/martin-lally-on-the-economics-of-new-zealands-covid-response
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August 22, 2025 8:15am
- imalwaysright
  
  Chuck,
  
  The one thing that will tell us whether the Commission is a soft coverup box ticking excercise or not is the list of questions they are asking.
  
  And is there a print journalist in the room observing and recording on behalf of the public ?
  If not, why not ?
  
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  August 22, 2025 8:35am
  - AitchW
    
    Would said print journalist be one of the many wet, woke, left mob now in evidence?
    
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    August 22, 2025 9:07am
  - pdm
    
    `And is there a print journalist in the room observing and recording on behalf of the public ?
    If not, why not ?’
    
    That sounds like real work and real reporting to me ima. Surely you are not expecting todays journalists etc to lower themselves to actual work.
    
    Dream on.
    
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    August 22, 2025 9:33am
    - imalwaysright
      
      Yes, it is futile
      
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      August 22, 2025 10:21am
      - kowtow
        
        There seems to be no shortage of coverage of the faux and very Maoist sounding “People’s Select Committee on something or other.”
        
        They can when they want to, Komrade.
        
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        August 22, 2025 12:56pm
  - Ghost
    
    They’re off limits to the media
    
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    August 22, 2025 10:03am
  - Nikola Donatello
    
    It is not open to the public AFAIK.
    
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    August 22, 2025 10:17am
    - imalwaysright
      
      So an investigation into the greatest disruption to our country that involved every single New Zealander will be done in private and the main protagonists get to dictate the terms….
      
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      August 22, 2025 10:25am
      - wsk12345
        
        Its live streamed and available online after.
        
        Except for the pollys who got written questions in private.
        
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        August 22, 2025 11:24am
      - Nikola Donatello
        
        I was mistaken. There have been public hearings.
        
        https://www.covid19lessons.royalcommission.nz/the-inquiry/public-hearings
        
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        August 22, 2025 11:52am
- AitchW
  
  The left has a strange morality in which it assures itself in its carefully protected echo chambers that it is virtually incapable of doing wrong. Anyone in, or connected to, said chambers is excoriated if they disagree with the accepted norms.
  Ardern et al keep themselves smug and warm with their self congratulatory messages. They can do no wrong, and no amount of public pressure will change the hive mind.
  
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  August 22, 2025 8:39am
  - sirknz
    
    “It’s OK when we do it.”
    – The Left
    
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    August 22, 2025 4:13pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    It takes a strong ball breaker of a leader to break into their huge matrix of BS.
    
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    August 22, 2025 8:44pm
- mandk
  
  They won’t front up, Chuck.
  
  They are cowards. And, besides, they have contempt for the little people like you and me.
  
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  August 22, 2025 8:45am
  - Skippytony
    
    Lets assume they are well informed professionals with plenty of strategy / comms people they can tap.
    
    They have weighed the negatives of not showing – dies down in two weeks vs potentially sit there and give conflicting accounts / recollections or indeed be forced publicly to own stuff they may rather not at this point.
    
    I’ll take option 1 all day thanks.
    
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    August 22, 2025 11:39am
- balanced
  
  Thx Chuck. I listened to Martin Lally.
  
  Lally explained Hendy surreptitiously doubled the overseas covid death rate in his 2020 nz covid modelling and his predictions of covid deaths from delayed lockdowns was too high by a factor of 10.
  
  No surprises there!
  
  Why is Martin speaking up now and not in 2020? His study and testimony is useful to help the inquiry understand why and where our $66b went.
  
  But Martin’s conclusions would have been much more beneficial before our $66b disappeared.
  
  Which still leaves the unanswered question Mr Luxon…..
  
  Who has our money?
  
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  August 22, 2025 9:12am
  - I remember when
    
    “Who has our money?
    Who had our money!!
    
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    August 22, 2025 9:35am
  - imalwaysright
    
    Apparently Hendy’s company, run from Auckland University, was paid over $6,000,000 for his services.
    
    That’s a lot of money for playing with a Win95 spreadsheet.
    
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    August 22, 2025 9:46am
    - R
      
      And using a taxpayer funded institution as your company offices, means that the TAXPAYER was funding his overhead expenses. Typical socialist!
      
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      August 22, 2025 10:14am
  - Ghost
    
    You can read the treasury report
    
    https://www.treasury.govt.nz/information-and-services/nz-economy/covid-19-economic-response
    
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    August 22, 2025 9:55am
    - balanced
      
      I looked at the report and like the auditor general who looked at the same report, I’m none the wiser.
      
      I have to change my question though.
      
      Come on Mr Luxon.
      
      Who got our $74.4b?
      
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      August 22, 2025 10:48am
      - Paulus
        
        It is suggested via the Reserve Bank that as much as $44 billion is still floating around in New Zealand.
        Where is it spent – how many car dealers have gone bust and look at Auckland Airport overseas departures mostly on holiday with the three kids.
        Expensive holidays are being advertised in the media daily.
        
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        August 22, 2025 1:51pm
  - Local Miller
    
    2020 was really a bit early for an economist to be speaking up, but at least by October 2022 Martin was talking out about the impact and bad decisions being made around Covid.
    https://nzae.substack.com/p/economics-of-saving-lives
    
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    August 22, 2025 10:24am
    - balanced
      
      The productivity commission reported to Jacinda and chums after the first lockdown, that lockdowns cost thousands more life years than they saved
      
      Why couldn’t economists?
      
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      August 22, 2025 10:52am
      - balanced
        
        Ghost my conclusion is borne from logic and unanswered questions.
        
        Where is the proof to support your position?
        
        The report you posted was as empty as your claims that questions are a conspiracy!
        
        Except the revelation from the report that $66b spent on the worst covid response in the world is another covid lie and its actually $74.4b spent
        
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        August 24, 2025 7:09am
      - Ghost
        
        You make things up, invent conspiracies and then want proof that what you have made up isn’t true.
        
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        August 24, 2025 7:56am
  - Chuck Bird
    
    AFAIK, he did speak up, but as he explained, his press releases were ignored.
    
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    August 22, 2025 10:28am
    - wsk12345
      
      Like the Plan B crew. If you knew they existed you could look them up but they were otherwise ignored at best, or vilified.
      
      Lally is an extremely smart guy – I have come across him a few times over the years through his consulting work.
      
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      August 22, 2025 11:37am
  - Frank the tank
    
    “Why is Martin speaking up now and not in 2020?”
    
    Because there were still CovidCultists in our media, institutions and importantly outgoing and incoming government that would have roasted this type of research. It is only now where there is SOME rational analysis regarding our response.
    
    You have to remember there is still 35% of this country that would love to go back to the Smug Hermit Nation and CovidCult complete with masks and sign in QR codes.
    
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    August 22, 2025 11:22am
  - 2ic
    
    @balanced: “Why is Martin speaking up now and not in 2020?”
    
    He was speaking out as early as March 2020, but was just ignored by the media. He discussed this in his RCR interview here:
    
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFfcvaC2-Po&t=3814s
    
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    August 22, 2025 3:55pm
- I remember when
  
  When Martin Lally mentioned David Seymour I thought he might have given Simon Bridges some credit for trying to question government actions.
  
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  August 22, 2025 10:00am
  - leoj
    
    Never forget that every single govt MP hid behind Jacinda’s pants suit during the protests, including Seymour.
    
    Our emtire govt at that time acted disgracefully.
    
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    August 22, 2025 1:34pm
    - balanced
      
      Jacinda was allegedly making millions from the subterfuge.
      
      Seymour did it for free!
      
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      August 22, 2025 4:36pm
      - Ghost
        
        I’m surprised people still believe that rumour.
        
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        August 22, 2025 5:16pm
      - balanced
        
        Ghost, do you think Seymour was paid?
        
        Where is your evidence?
        
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        August 23, 2025 6:05am
      - Ghost
        
        You are the one, as usually making accusation that you can’t back up. So provide evidence, because it’s been provided over and over again on this blog that the rumours about Ardern were false.
        
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        August 23, 2025 9:45am
- Simon
  
  lol – the economy. All those who got the jaxx pretending they knew what was going on.
  
  Remember the forced medical experiment? The economy. Losers.
  
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  August 22, 2025 10:16am
artemisia

NY Appeals Court has thrown out the huge civil fraud case penalty against President Trump, his family and his company. Though not the verdict. Letitia James has said she will appeal the decision though may have her hands full dealing with investigations and grand jury deliberations about her.

Lawfare? Biter bit?
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August 22, 2025 8:26am
- CJames
  
  When the court writes in the prevailing opinion, “While the injunctive relief ordered by the court is well crafted to curb defendants’ business culture, the court’s disgorgement order, which directs that defendants pay nearly half a billion dollars to the State of New York, is an excessive fine that violates the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution.”
  So the judges are saying it was unconstitutional. Makes it hard for Ms James to bring a case. Not that it won’t stop her trying.
  
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  August 22, 2025 8:32am
- CJames
  
  Furter to that decision, which was not unanimous, it still leaves Trump liable for fraud. The judges aligned to uphold his liability and toss the penalty so the case could move forward for further appellate review.
  So he may still have more wins to come. And if no success there, he has always got the state Supreme Court.
  
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  August 22, 2025 8:36am
- sungsamning
  
  Good news. She will look great in orange.
  
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  August 22, 2025 8:53am
  - Northshoredoc
    
    Why do you think she will be jailed?
    
    The judge in this case upheld the decision only over ruling the over the top fine.
    
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    August 22, 2025 9:39am
    - All_on_Red
      
      Judges not ‘ Judge’
      Mixed opinions from the Judges on the case
      ‘Two judges wrote that they felt New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit against Trump and his companies was justifiable and that she had proven her case but the penalty was too severe.
      
      One wrote that James exceeded her legal authority in bringing the suit, saying that if any of Trump’s lenders felt cheated, they could have sued him themselves, and none did.
      
      One judge wrote that Engoron erred by ruling before the trial began that the attorney general had proved Trump engaged in fraud.’
      ‘ In his portion of the ruling, Judge David Friedman was scathing in his criticism of James for bringing the lawsuit.
      
      “Plainly, her ultimate goal was not ‘market hygiene’ … but political hygiene, ending with the derailment of President Trump’s political career and the destruction of his real estate business,” Friedman wrote. “The voters have obviously rendered a verdict on his political career. This bench today unanimously derails the effort to destroy his business.”
      https://hotair.com/ed-morrissey/2025/08/21/breaking-ny-appellate-court-tosses-letitia-james-case-against-trump-n3806020
      
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      August 22, 2025 11:03am
      - artemisia
        
        Wonder what Letitia James thinks now. Publicly I guess she will stand firmly behind her decision to prosecute. But privately? That’s a big smack from the Appeals Court even if fraud was not overturned (yet anyway). Appeal? Stay under the radar until there is a Dem government again? Retire? She is not far off 70.
        
        Going to be the poster girl for biased lawfare for decades. Though it is a crowded field.
        
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        August 22, 2025 12:45pm
      - Paulus
        
        Do they have Prison Garb in her size ?
        
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        August 22, 2025 1:53pm
- Handyman
  
  Most people have forgotten the actual case.
  Trump valued his properties highly to get a lower loan rate. Borrowing, say $100m on a $600 m property gives a lower rate than say $100m loan on a $150m property.
  
  The initial judge (James) unilaterally valued Mar a Largo at just $18m dollars and fined Trump the difference in valuation. ($450m). Weirdly she said he could pay the fine by selling Mar a Largo.
  
  The RV of Mar a Largo is over $500m with all real estate agents questioned by media put it well over that.
  
  Hence the 5-0 decision of the appeals court.
  
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  August 22, 2025 10:06am
  - All_on_Red
    
    Deutsche Bank did their own Valuation and testified that they did.
    They didn’t rely on Trumps number
    Every borrower fills out an Asset Liability Statement and puts their own view of values on them.
    Banks ignore it and do their own DD.
    The Fraud accusation is ridiculous
    
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    August 22, 2025 11:01am
    - slijmbal
      
      @all_on_red
      
      there might and I repeat might be a case for fraud if he hid the fact that there are restrictions on development of Mar a Lago as that has a huge effect on its value but …….
      
      as others state here and elsewhere it’s common for the borrower to attempt to exaggerate the value of the asset and for the bank to check any valuation.
      
      For commercial arrangements it is rare for the state to intervene and prosecute any such exaggeration unless it is obviously and deliberately deceptive. Caveat emptor and all that.
      
      While no fan of mr random-in-chief this was obviously utterly politically motivated and a nonsense prosecution. I am surprised that the conviction itself was not overturned but it’s incredibly easy to break the law in the US because of their ludicrously complex and vague laws.
      
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      August 22, 2025 1:02pm
Scott

In a really interesting article we find that a spokesman for Joe Biden, a man called Ian Samms, actually only met with Biden twice. He also had a virtual meeting with Biden once and a phone call with Biden once.

This was one of the main guys who assured us that Joe Biden was sharp as a tack. But he never interacted with him! He was relying on other people to tell him how Joe really was!

“Ex-Biden spokesman who called mental fitness doubts a ‘conspiracy’ only met with him twice: Comer”

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ex-biden-spokesman-who-called-mental-fitness-doubts-conspiracy-only-met-him-twice-comer

This confirms that Joe was hidden away by a very small inner circle of advisors who shielded him from everybody, including his official spokesman!

Did Joe actually know what he was doing? Did he know about the people he pardoned? Did he know what executive orders he was signing?
I think it’s safe to assume Joe was a puppet president. Others were actually running the show.
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August 22, 2025 8:29am
- Tom Hunter
  
  It’s why I developed the tag “President” Biden from my earliest posts on him at No Minister in 2021.
  
  Even though there are plenty of scandals to choose from in his “presidency”, that one should be the biggest of all.
  
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  August 22, 2025 9:59am
Cassandra

Why is it that so many people in the West are outraged by Israel’s attack on Hamas/Gaza yet all over the world eg Sudan, Congo, Myanmar, there are far worse wars which are ignored.

NZ’s National Prime Minister states that Israel’s leader has “lost the plot”, Britain’s is going to recognise as a country a motley collection of terrorists, the West’s media are full of accusations of war crimes against Israel yet there’s hardly a word about far more serious breaches of human rights. Why is the NZ Green Party silent about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?

I don’t understand the double standards. And I’m perplexed by the right/left divide on this issue. If anything is antithetical to the left wing it’s Islam.
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August 22, 2025 8:46am
- Inandout
  
  Cass, I did read that the pro Palestine catch cry ‘from the river to the sea’ was originally a Jewish saying. How ironical if it was so.
  
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  August 22, 2025 8:52am
  - balanced
    
    The reason is simple and obvious.
    
    The greens, Labour, and TPM need to distract you with Palestinian smoke bombs to stop you asking what we’re getting for our $200k a year mp salary.
    
    It’s easy to go on tv abusing israrl, much easier than fixing the health sector and the roading network.
    
    The amphorous “imported culture wars” they’re all supposedly fighting is another fictional smoke bomb.
    
    Wtf is a culture war?
    
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    August 22, 2025 9:52am
  - wrightingright
    
    Inandout, there is lots that the mythical Palestinism idealogy that they have stolen from the Jews or other people (such as the Jordanians, where do you think their scarf they wear comes from?).
    
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    August 22, 2025 10:02am
    - Paulus
      
      Thought that the scarves are made in China as cheapest available.
      
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      August 22, 2025 1:56pm
  - mandk
    
    God promised Abraham and his descendants a land from the river to the sea, but the river was the Euphrates, not the Jordan.
    
    And, strictly speaking, Abraham pre-dated the Jews. He was a Hebrew.
    
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    August 22, 2025 10:28am
    - Scott
      
      mandk – Abraham is like the founding member of the Jews surely? The Jews are supposed to be those descended from Abraham I would have thought.
      
      Regarding the boundaries of Israel, what God gave them in the bible is substantially more than the boundaries of modern Israel now. Here is a map of Israel based on God’s promises in Numbers 34 –
      
      https://dwellingintheword.wordpress.com/2015/07/30/1629-numbers-34/
      
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      August 22, 2025 11:42am
      - Don Beckett
        
        mandk.
        Abraham was a Chaldean – or Sumerian – from the city of Ur in Mesopotamia, now Iraq.
        He was the father of the Jews, also known as Hebrews.
        
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        August 22, 2025 2:33pm
    - NothingLeft
      
      Abraham was supposedly born in Urfa in south East Turkey, there’s a cave there they claim he lived in, a big deal to Muslims too as a founder of Abrahamic faith.
      
      Evil/psychotic/schizophrenic bastard. Tried to murder his son cos god told him to. We lock people like that in mental hospitals, forever. I guess Moses and Mohammed, John Smith, and other prophets and ‘receivers of revelations’ fit that diagnosis too.
      
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      August 22, 2025 1:54pm
    - Ehlana
      
      I seem to recall hearing that whereas Israel traces its lineage back to Abraham’s son Isaac, Islam was started by a descendant of his other son, Ishmael.
      
      If that is so, I suggest both sides follow the example of Daniel, “So I gave my attention to the Lord God, to seek Him by prayer and pleading, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.” (Daniel 9:3).
      
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      August 22, 2025 4:07pm
  - Local Miller
    
    Actually it almost definitely wasn’t originally a Jewish saying. Below is what most reliable sources say about the source of this phrase.
    
    “The expression “from the river to the sea” was first used by the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) in 1964. In its founding charter, the PLO demanded the establishment of a single Palestinian state extending from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea, decisively rejecting the UN’s 1947 partition plan for Palestine.”
    
    On the other hand, the first time this is used in a Jewish setting is in the 1977 election manifesto of the right-wing Israeli Likud party said: “Between the sea and the Jordan there will only be Israeli sovereignty.”, so at least 13 years after the PLO were using it.
    
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    August 22, 2025 10:44am
- sungsamning
  
  Because leftists and Islamists both hate Israel, and the West.
  
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  August 22, 2025 8:54am
  - leoj
    
    ….. puttimg them on the same side of any argument as the most vilified man of all time, Adolf Hitler.
    
    I wonder if these numties realise that? Probably not. There’s not much in the way of intelligence on the left.
    
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    August 22, 2025 1:40pm
- Libertarians are right
  
  Because it’s about Marxism, it’s always about Marxism. Jews are disproportionately successful Capitalists and are therefore evil according to the Left.
  
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  August 22, 2025 8:59am
  - cmm
    
    Jews are disproportionately active communists too.
    
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    August 22, 2025 9:30am
    - Pope Punctilious II
      
      Also disproportionately active scientists, musicians, writers …
      
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      August 22, 2025 9:53am
      - cmm
        
        Correct. Disproportionate achievers.
        
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        August 22, 2025 11:31am
      - Paulus
        
        And I suspect Nobel Prize winners too !~
        
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        August 22, 2025 1:57pm
- rouppe
  
  I get confused about the protests in Israel to “bring home the hostages”.
  
  Hamas refuses to release the hostages. How do they want Netanyahu to return those hostages? Withdraw, allow continuous rocket attacks, and do nothing?
  
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  August 22, 2025 9:00am
  - leoj
    
    Also, as Mike Huckabee asks: When is it compulsory to feed your enemy?
    
    The ONLY way peace will take place is when Hamas is completely and utterly destroyed. Maybe then, Gazans can get their lives back.
    
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    August 22, 2025 1:42pm
- RoboRob
  
  The left have always supported the Palestinians, mostly because they dislike Israel. This was all true before the current conflict and is proven by the immediate calls in the US and UN for Israel to not react to the invasion and slaughter.
  
  Just like racism, where supposedly black people cannot be racist, the Palestinians are oppressed and as such any action they take against their oppressor can be justified. Conversely any actions Israel takes, as oppressor, must be wrong.
  
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  August 22, 2025 9:10am
  - kowtow
    
    RR
    
    Funnily enough , back in the day Israel was a darling of the left . Esp when Golda was a kind of lefty feminist icon and the kibbutz movement was a sort of western lefty’s nirvana . Think of all the lefties who did their pilgrimage , not to the Holy Places there but to some cruddy , dusty “collective” in the desert , just to say they did.
    
    Something changed . And the left embraced the very people blowing up our airplanes and Olympics.
    
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    August 22, 2025 9:33am
    - wrightingright
      
      The Left supported Israel right up until the point it turned the corner and started becoming economically successful. Oh the irony!
      
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      August 22, 2025 10:04am
- john1234
  
  Assume that’s a rhetorical question and that you already know the answer: it is because the cultural Marxists cannot stomach the existence of a tolerant, capitalist democracy.
  
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  August 22, 2025 9:11am
- imalwaysright
  
  Cass
  
  “And I’m perplexed by the right/left divide on this issue.”
  
  I don’t think it is a right/left divide; I get the impression that there are many people who bear no malice toward Jewish people but disagree with the Israeli government’s actions.
  
  An analogy may be that many around the world would vehemently disagree with the Ardern régime but sympathise with the New Zealand people.
  
  I’m not comparing the two situations, just the public perception of government that goes too far.
  
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  August 22, 2025 9:12am
  - James Stephenson
    
    I don’t think it is a right/left divide; I get the impression that there are many people who bear no malice toward Jewish people but disagree with the Israeli government’s actions.
    
    I’m yet to encounter anyone that would a) put themselves in that camp and b) give a cogent argument as to what else the Israeli Government could do that wouldn’t just be breathing space for Hamas to re-arm. It goes to show how powerful “won’t someone thing of the children?” is as a (non)argument.
    
    It’s definitely not Left / Right though. I see plenty of old-school anti-semitic tropes about “small hats” etc around the online Right-wing venues like Lotus Eaters’ comment sections.
    
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    August 22, 2025 10:12am
  - Paulus
    
    Situation still simple for a truce
    Release ALL the hostages first.
    Why is this not being preconceived, but appear ignored Luxon.
    
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    August 22, 2025 2:00pm
- Im Right
  
  I have been scratching my head for a few years as to why the left, far left more so, champion Islam/Muslims also Cassandra.
  I can only assume it’s happened as Republicans were against Islam/jihad so Democrats were for it?
  Republicans support Israel, and again Democrats must be against them?
  I’ve never really nailed down why the left would go so hard out in supporting a cult/faith that is diametrically opposed to their actual life beliefs…..
  Gay/homosexuals killed as per scripture
  Women treated as chattles and 2nd class citizens
  And yet the left and more so far left are out in the streets marching for Islam, most ironic (sad?) laughable ‘LBGTQ+ for Palestine’
  They just don’t understand, or perhaps easier to ignore I suspect?
  
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  August 22, 2025 9:14am
  - MCōs
    
    If you’re talking about America the democrats have always been pro Israel. That support is wavering in the last few years, but Israel has been around in its modern incarnation since 1948.
    https://news.gallup.com/poll/692948/u.s.-back-israel-military-action-gaza-new-low.aspx
    
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    August 22, 2025 9:59am
    - Skippytony
      
      Everytime I see a pro palestine rally in Chch John Minto is there
      
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      August 22, 2025 10:42am
- kowtow
  
  Funnily enuff I think the answer to your question is in that last sentence.
  
  The far left seem to be the biggest anti israel , pro hamas block ( see the Greens and other extreme left ) .
  I don’t think it’s essentially anti Israel , it’s anti west and the IDF/Netanyahu embody that , for them at this moment.
  
  How the hell can the west’s far left , pro tranny crowd support such an extreme conservative , anti “equality” crowd whose inspiration, underlying cause , is the Tehran Mullah’s and their “spiritual” ideology .
  
  As Karen Carpenter would croon ; it’s the only explanation I can find. Oops , I forgot , music is forbidden.
  
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  August 22, 2025 9:23am
- Simon
  
  Israel Gaza so many in NZ don’t have to address NZs problems.
  
  If you were running Neoliberal loser country like NZ you couldn’t be happier with the nominal hard left wing party like the Greens be more concerned about Gaza than say Northland.
  
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  August 22, 2025 10:21am
- Nikola Donatello
  
  I’ve never been persuaded by the argument that Israel needs to adopt a “proportionate” response to the Hamas attacks. The people of Gaza elected Hamas. Hamas then provoked a war with Israel. Simple as that.
  
  An analogy. IIRC the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 killed about 3000 American naval personnel. In response, the USA set out to defeat Japan and remove permanently its ability to wage war. Japan lost about 5 million dead, about half of them civilians.
  
  The war in Gaza can stop tomorrow. Every last Hamas combatant surrenders. All hostages released.
  
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  August 22, 2025 10:26am
  - MCōs
    
    If every last Hamas combatant surrendered and all hostages released Netanyahu would still find a way to continue the war. The hardliners on his side are more of a threat than Hamas right now
    
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    August 22, 2025 1:51pm
    - Nikola Donatello
      
      If all combatants surrendered who would they continue the war with?
      
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      August 22, 2025 3:01pm
      - MCōs
        
        Israel would find someone
        
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        August 22, 2025 3:57pm
  - Paulus
    
    RELEASE all the Hostages First.
    
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    August 22, 2025 2:02pm
    - Nikola Donatello
      
      Yes that is what I meant.
      
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      August 22, 2025 3:00pm
- Ra Henare
  
  You jest re Myanmar “”war”” being worse than the Israel/Palestine war.
  
  Maybe I misunderstood your words
  
  You do understand the Myanmar “war”has been condemned by many countries around the world as well as ASEAN trying to broker a cessation.
  
  But like Netanyahu, the Military leaders(Both PM and President as Myanmar is ruled by a Militray Junta) ignore the rest of the world and continue their warmongering.
  
  I am not familiar with Sudan , Congo that you refer to.
  But very familiar with the Myanmar situation as I have Burmese friends living there
  
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  August 22, 2025 1:40pm
sungsamning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQEP7r6DnLg
Vance 1 Wokesters 0.
Not a single one of the “protesters” would set foot in the hood after sundown… OR after sunrise for that matter
[I know its not Tuesday. But leftists lose again. So that’s the main thing.]
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August 22, 2025 8:52am
sungsamning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeyGovFLxeE
Migrant Shelter Torched.
Fed up voters in one city have had enough of their local migrant hotel, which used to be a 4-star resort tourists paid for, but is now free accommodation for illegal immigrants. The recent victory has sparked other localities to fight for their local hotels to be shut down as well throughout the United Kingdom. Journalistic report.
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August 22, 2025 8:52am
- kowtow
  
  Some people here poo poo Reform as empty rhetoric.
  
  I believe it was a Reform council that brought the case and won .
  
  Now other councils , including Labour run ones are joining the party.
  
  Winning . Bigly.
  
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  August 22, 2025 1:01pm
  - sungsamning
    
    Yes, the fight back has started. Can’t rely on the Tories after all.
    
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    August 22, 2025 1:34pm
Keith White

This is correct…

100+ years after the mutating/runaway-cells-mechanism that causes cancer was discovered and trillions of research $ later = no vaccine

40+ years after the virus that causes HIV was discovered and many billions of research $ later = no vaccine

30+ years after the virus that causes Hep C was discovered and many billions of research $ later = no vaccine

…yet a virus ‘gamed’* by Gates et al appears in 2019 and within 12 months 4 pharma companies come up with a vaccine, all within the same week.

Let that sink in a little – within 12 months and within the same week.

I think I’ll sign up for this conspiracy theory, especially as the time between “Crazee Conspiracy Theory!” and “Actually, Yes, That’s True” is ever-shortening. Current half life is about 6 months…

* “The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in partnership with the World Economic Forum and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation hosted Event 201, a high-level pandemic exercise on October 18, 2019, in New York, NY. The exercise illustrated areas where public/private partnerships will be necessary during the response to a severe pandemic in order to diminish large-scale economic and societal consequences.” – from their own website.
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August 22, 2025 9:14am
- Northshoredoc
  
  ..and yet along with potable water and disinfectants, vaccines have probably been amongst the greatest contributors to improved morbidity and mortality over the last couple of hundred years.
  
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  August 22, 2025 9:46am
  - Keith White
    
    The nMRNA vaccine is not the like other vaccines, at all.
    
    It was not developed the same way.
    It was not tested the same way or for anywhere near the same duration, at all – not within years.
    It has an order of magnitude (at least) more life-threatening and -terminating side effects in even healthy vaccinees.
    And, it was and is not associated with durable immunity.
    
    Even the NZ Medical Council admits the above four points, Doc.
    
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    August 22, 2025 10:22am
    - Northshoredoc
      
      Oh I thought you were having a go at vaccines in general, which would’ve been daft.
      
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      August 22, 2025 11:06am
      - Keith White
        
        Just for background: I consider myself one of the most vaccinated people in NZ, because of my overseas assignments and post-disaster deployments: in addition to all the ‘usual suspects’ DTP MMR polio Hep A Hep B tetanus shingles etc so forth, I have had a lot of the others: off the top of my head, — Jap B encephalitis, BCG, typhoid, yellow fever, cholera, pneumococcal, meningococcal, etc. So when people in the Medical Council (and elsewhere) called me an ‘antivaxxer’ – well, my opinion of them by then could already not sink any lower, given they drove trucks though both the Geneva Conventions and the Nuremberg Protocols…
        
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        August 22, 2025 2:36pm
    - Nikola Donatello
      
      “It has an order of magnitude (at least) more life-threatening and -terminating side effects in even healthy vaccinees.”
      
      No. That is a myth.
      
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      August 22, 2025 3:04pm
      - NothingLeft
        
        A huge japanese analysis just released of 18million patients has shown that excess deaths amongst vaccinated rose to peak at about 3-4x higher than non-vaccinated 3-4 months after vaccination before gradually returning to baseline after 10 months:
        https://youtu.be/ABxekx2Rp3Y?t=271
        The size of the difference and huge sample size makes it well nigh certain as a result.
        
        In NZ with no significant respiratory viruses in circulation (covid included) through 2020 and 2021 there were 2000 more excess deaths in 2021 (above average 35000) than in 2020. A clear point of difference between the two years being the covid vaccination program (what else could explain it? NZ was an almost perfect control for vaccine danger with it’s absence of significant covid) – though the 10month higher death window from that would have extended mostly into harder to discern 2022 when covid was rampant.
        
        It’s now quite clear that the covid vaccine killed a shit load of kiwis. Perhaps more than the few thousand killed by the virus.
        
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        August 22, 2025 8:09pm
- imalwaysright
  
  KW
  In a fair world the term Conspiracy Factualist would be a thing.
  
  Note that the conspiracy theorists are never given coverage when they are proven correct. Its a conspiracy…
  
  In this world there is forgiveness for being wrong.
  But being right is unforgivable.
  
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  August 22, 2025 9:58am
  - sirknz
    
    It is because we have to move on to new conspiracies, it is tiring finding new ones when your old ones are found to be correct.
    
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    August 22, 2025 11:37am
    - imalwaysright
      
      Yes Sirk,
      In this world the truth is valid only when the media and their masters say so.
      
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      August 22, 2025 12:49pm
  - Nikola Donatello
    
    I can’t believe that four years on, people still fall for this rubbish.
    
    At a 95 percent confidence interval, the COVID vaccines saved 14.4 million lives.
    
    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9537923/
    
    The rate of side effects from COVID vaccines is comparable with all other vaccines.
    
    COVID vaccine conspiracy theorists are just plain old anti vaxxers. No different to the fraud in the 1990s who indirectly killed millions of children convincing their parents that vaccines caused autism.
    
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    August 22, 2025 3:11pm
    - imalwaysright
      
      “At a 95 percent confidence interval, the COVID vaccines saved 14.4 million lives.”
      
      If you can prove that statement you will probably qualify for a Nobel prize.
      
      Not 14.3 or 14.5?
      
      Or perhaps they caused those numbers of deaths . That’s equally hard to prove.
      
      As for historical frauds, look up Faucci and his fear mongering of gay people to sell the drug Interferon on behalf of big pharma to cure “aids”.
      
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      August 22, 2025 7:08pm
    - NothingLeft
      
      Study of 18million japansese showing 3-4x excess deaths amongst vaccinated in a clear window extending up to about 10months after last vaccination, with worse risk the more vaccinations you received says you and all the other vaccination pimps were wrong – and that the vaccine clearly killed millions (~2000kiwis in 2021 in NZ alone before covid swept through, though vaccine deaths would have also continued into 2022 given most didn’t receive vaccine until mid-late 2021 and 10 month window of elevated risk of death from vaccine that japanese study reveals)
      
      https://youtu.be/ABxekx2Rp3Y?t=271
      
      It shouldn’t be that surprising given widely known heart damage already identified and studied, there was no long term safety testing of the vaccines prior to their roll out, and even in the larger safety studies (that were cut short without follow up that might have revealed such issues) there was higher incidence of cardiac issues, though sample size was too small to give it statistical significance.
      
      In data we trust.
      
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      August 22, 2025 8:16pm
- Tom Hunter
  
  I assume you’ve seen the video of the little conference that was held the next day, October 19, carried by CSpan2, with Fauci and friends? Key points made by these pandemic experts:
  – The old way of making vaccines sucks.
  – This new mRNA method is the future.
  – But all the testing we must do is so slow.
  – If only there was a way to speed that up.
  – A pandemic would do it, if it was bad enough.
  – Like if an avian flu virus escaped from China.
  
  I don’t go for conspiracy theories as a rule, and in this case I don’t think these tools are capable of such organising – but this stuff is extraordinarily coincidental in its timing, given Fauci’s involvement.
  
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  August 22, 2025 10:12am
  - Keith White
    
    “The first time is happenstance.
    The second time is coincidence.
    The third time is enemy action.”
    
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    August 22, 2025 10:23am
rouppe

Read this in the Herald about how some people are leaving Spotify and Substack. Highlighted are Tamatha Paul (like, who cares?) And David Farrier.

For Spotify the reason seems to be

In June, Spotify chief executive and co-founder Daniel Ek announced that through his venture capital firm, Prima Materia, he is investing €600 million ($1.18 billion) in Helsing, an AI defence start-up based in Germany that creates advanced weaponry for warfare.

Basically an ESG state of mind. Sure. Free choice. I’ve made sure to avoid ESG investing. Which means I benefit from things like the nz defence force buying Airbus A321’s, and missile systems from Raytheon.

The Substack one was more interesting. Farrier was partly against the fact that there were some publishers on Substack who published Nazi rhetoric. So he moved to a platform hosted by an open source publishing platform called Ghost.

I’m thinking two things:
1. What happened to opposing bad ideas with better ideas? All that’s going to happen is that more and more left wing – including extreme Marxist – content is going to coalesce into fewer and fewer platforms, creating a self confirming bubble that risks being just as extreme. How is that better?
2. Surely Substack started out just like this other publishing platform. It was somewhere that small and independent content creators could get published easily and cheaply, and develop a readership. Which is exactly how Ghost promotes itself. What’s to say the same thing doesn’t happen? Only censorship can prevent it.

Farriers last reason was

“On top of that, Substack has increasingly created lock-in for writers that makes it harder and harder to leave. Right now, Substack has massive backers and investment – and those people are going to want their money back. I believe there will be a rug pull – and so for the sake of my work and for my readers, I decided to get out on my own before it’s too late.”

That’s about the only thing that makes good sense to me.
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August 22, 2025 9:16am
Tomtoddy

If you believe that the Ministry of the Environment “accidently” released a confidential paper on the danger of NZ missing its climate targets, then you are likely to believe politicians always tell the truth.

The word “sabotage” springs to mind.
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August 22, 2025 9:23am
- kowtow
  
  It also tells you about the quality of the advise from the Blob to the elected politicians .The latter who should be doing our bidding.Not that of the faceless bureaucrat .
  Once again. Sir Humphrey Appleby does run the country .
  
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  August 22, 2025 9:27am
- Handyman
  
  It is a well trodden path.
  First write a confidential classified report as “advice” to the government to take certain actions.
  
  Begin to suspect the government may be getting some independent advice from outside the civil service.
  
  Write a memo showing your frustration at the government delays for not following your advice.
  
  Leak the non-classified memo referring to the initial classified report.
  Even better, get one of your media friends to request a FOI. For the first time ever, do not delay by referring it to the Minister.
  
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  August 22, 2025 10:29am
cmm

A titrated Maori dude with facial tattoos got upset when he was denied entry into an Australian restaurant. Fair enough, I wouldn’t want facial tattoos like that around me while I’m trying to have a relaxing meal.

Just because you want a face tattoo does not mean the rest of the world has to roll over and accept it.

He says this “smashed my mana”. Dude, if your mana gets smashed by that then it is pretty fragile.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360799047/smashed-my-mana-man-ta-moko-denied-entry-australian-hotel
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August 22, 2025 9:35am
- Clyde
  
  If I was running a restaurant, it is up to me to set and uphold the standards of people coming in. I would not be obligated to let someone who chooses to mutilate their face with scribbles which might be confronting to my other guests. No different to banning someone with offensive t shirts. As for this “mana” crap – simply tell the guy to piss off.
  
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  August 22, 2025 10:07am
- Conservatarian
  
  From the article:
  
  “Brian Gardiner (Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Te Arawa, Ngāti Ranginui and Ngāi te Rangi), who was a former professional Rugby League winger, said a Saturday night with his friends earlier this month turned sour when he was refused entry to the pub inside a hotel.”
  
  This happened in Wollongong, a provincial city in NSW.
  
  Imagine thinking that your right to display personal cultural markers of a culture foreign to the country you live in should trump the right of a private business to choose not to associate with you.
  
  Also imagine if the guy did not claim Maori descent, and a “newspaper” listed his connections to family names (e.g. Jones, Robinson and McDonald) or a series of neighbouring villages in Devon as though that was an extremely important thing about him.
  
  This news organisation sold for $1, and then purchased the news operation of another media organisation, and the latter media organisation was also sold for $1.
  
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  August 22, 2025 10:50am
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Wollongong. Known there as The Gong. 🙃
    
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    August 22, 2025 8:54pm
- cmm
  
  There is nothing special about Maori cultural choices, especially outside of a Maori cultural setting.
  
  In South Africa it is traditional for children below the age of puberty to walk around naked and for unmarried women to walk around bare chested. I suppose traditional Australian Aboriginal culture is much the same.
  
  Would anyone expect that a NZ restaurant would be Ok with a Zulu woman walking in topless because that’s her culture?
  
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  August 22, 2025 11:36am
- cmm
  
  Funny as hell that the photo of him dressed up as a savage thug has a headdress made with…. American Turkey tail feathers (probably from a fly tying section in a fishing shop).
  
  Does the mere say “Made in China” on it?
  
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  August 22, 2025 1:12pm
  - Jethrod
    
    The strangest thing was the big friendly smile on his face, would have expected a tongue poking out at the very least!
    
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    August 22, 2025 3:34pm
  - sirknz
    
    It really does look like someone doing a tourist photo.
    
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    August 22, 2025 4:19pm
I remember when

Croatian free diver held his breath for 29 minutes and 3 seconds.
No indication that Chloe Swarbrick is ever going to threaten his record.
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August 22, 2025 9:39am
- Keith White
  
  You win 🙂
  
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  August 22, 2025 10:24am
I remember when

Palmerston North August month to date rainfall as at 21st August.
Airport 12.2mm (Ave 77), City 8.0mm (Ave 84).

Ark, he said. Do I hear heavy rain in the distance?
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August 22, 2025 9:51am
I remember when

On 27 Dec 2024, Opie Bosson, one of the greatest jockeys NZ has produced, announced his retirement from racing.

3rd July 2025, Hall of Famer Opie Bosson ONZM, confirmed he would return to the saddle for the new season.
“We’ve (Te Akau) got a stunning team of horses coming throgh for the new season – one of the best I’ve seen for a long time – and being part of their development – has made me want to be there on race day too.”
“.. I still have goals I want to achieve – and that includes chasing Group One win number 100.”
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August 22, 2025 10:09am
I remember when

Last Secondary School Teachers strike was in 2023.

Have teachers become the replacement for freezing workers and wharfies for the NZCTU?
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August 22, 2025 10:12am
- sirknz
  
  The wharfies and other sea based unionists would at least wait for school holidays…
  
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  August 22, 2025 11:46am
- AitchW
  
  The teachers unions are the propaganda arm of the Labour Party.
  
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  August 22, 2025 1:08pm
- Paulus
  
  It’s their turn !
  
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  August 22, 2025 2:06pm
Swifty

Credit where credit is due.

I’ve had two blood tests this week – blood drawn on Monday and yesterday (Thursday) and on both occasions the test results were in my GP’s hands the next day.

Yesterday’s test was blood drawn around 12.30pm and I’ve just had an email from my GP with the results just before 10.00am today.

I’m sure it used to be a few days to get your results.

Very good.
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August 22, 2025 10:12am
- Ghost
  
  Ours have typically been next day. My gp only contacts you if there is something in the results.
  
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  August 22, 2025 10:35am
  - OlderChas
    
    Likewise.
    
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    August 22, 2025 1:12pm
- mandk
  
  I can beat that.
  
  Last time I needed a blood test I went to the Awanui collection centre in the Wellington CBD at 3.30 pm. The blood would have been tested at Wellington Hospital.
  
  I received the results from my doctor by 7.00 pm the same day, via indici.
  
  btw, going for a blood test mid-afternoon is a really good time to go. I’ve done it on the last two occasions, and I was seen within a minute both times.
  
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  August 22, 2025 10:43am
  - Swifty
    
    Excellent.
    
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    August 22, 2025 11:55am
- cmm
  
  Blood testing speed very much depends on the type of test and urgency.
  
  Of course now we have highly automated systems which speed things up massively. The machine that runs the test already has the email address for your doctor and can send the email as soon as the result is calculated.
  
  For some ionic style tests (eg. testing for various salts in blood and urine) the test takes less than a minute and the result takes less than 5 seconds to be emailed across the world.
  
  The longest part of the test is getting the sample to the lab, then getting to the front of the queue. They can of course jump the queue if it is urgent.
  
  A few years I was in ER and had some blood tests done for heart function markers at about 3 am. Results came back within 20 minutes or so. Then the same with a second sample two hours later.
  
  If you have some tests that need to be cultured then that is going to take much longer – maybe days.
  
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  August 22, 2025 11:47am
- Ra Henare
  
  haha, in teh Kingdom or wonder we measure blood giving to results in hours. My most recent experience(2 seperate occasions) results in 4 hours (general bloods) and 5 hours specific follow up tests.
  
  Results emailed to me so I could pass on to Doctor.
  Hint. Ran the report through AI and got a laymen’s interpretation.
  Later supported by my Russian Doctor after I forwarded the email to him.
  
  Same when I had an MRI scan done in Vietnam. I got the results directly, then met with Doc for a “chat””
  
  Why does everything in NZ have to go to a Doc first???
  
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  August 22, 2025 1:51pm
- Paulus
  
  Me too regularly same day, except the Doctor either rings me at dinner time at home or texts results.
  Nothing new !
  
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  August 22, 2025 2:08pm
- MCōs
  
  I have an app Manage My Health
  Test results go there the next day with a short comment from the GP
  Also abbreviated colonoscopy reports, various scans and specialist reports etc. A comprehensive report printout may be available from the clinic or the GP
  The app can be used to make appointments, order prescriptions, send messages to the GP, record immunizations
  There are other apps; that’s the one our clinic uses.
  I was at the dentist the other day and was able to open the app to list my regular medication
  A student who was there from Otago didn’t realize there were such apps. That surprised me
  
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  August 22, 2025 2:30pm
Chuck Bird

Did anyone hear Sharri Markson of Sky News Australia interview Netanyahu last night?
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August 22, 2025 10:30am
I remember when

Still eagerly awaiting explanations on how the Maori vowels improve phonics when learning to read english language books.
Lets include “aunt, and au.”
‘What’ and ‘whare’ may cause difficulties.
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August 22, 2025 11:01am
- septic skeptic
  
  It goes to show that either some teachers/principals/journalists just don’t get how phonetics works, or for them the objective of political indoctrination is more important that teaching reading. Damning either way for anyone remotely connected with this failure that we call a world class education system.
  
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  August 22, 2025 4:44pm
rouppe

Verity Johnson seems upset this week because not enough people are coming to her cabaret show.
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August 22, 2025 11:27am
- Swifty
  
  There is only one solution!
  
  We must have publicly-funded cabaret shows!
  
  They are essential to our nation’s wellbeing.
  
  //
  
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  August 22, 2025 12:30pm
- greybeard
  
  Verity truly believes that the rest of us should support her choice of lifestyle: “The Truth is out there”. Verily.
  
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  August 22, 2025 7:33pm
- Pope Punctilious II
  
  ~~Vanity~~ Verity Johnson.
  
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  August 22, 2025 8:38pm
Keith White

“People who received COVID-19 vaccines had a significantly higher risk of death in the first year after vaccination compared to the unvaccinated, according to an analysis of a Japanese database of 18 million people.”

If one opines (correctly) that Causation is not inevitably Correlation, OK, I agree; so tell us, what did cause this increased mortality?
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August 22, 2025 11:41am
- Northshoredoc
  
  ‘If one opines (correctly) that Causation is not inevitably Correlation, OK, I agree; so tell us, what did cause this increased mortality?’
  
  It’s very difficult to make any comment without a link to the dataset Keith.
  
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  August 22, 2025 1:42pm
  - Keith White
    
    Easily found online NSD
    
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    August 22, 2025 7:58pm
Nikola Donatello

A guy is refused entry to a bar in Australia.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360799047/smashed-my-mana-man-ta-moko-denied-entry-australian-hotel

I have no sympathy. If you get extensive and confronting facial tattoos, you are going to get an adverse reaction from some people when you visit other nations and cultures. You need to weigh that up when getting the tattoo.

A venue in Australia is perfectly entitled to exclude someone with facial tattoos. They don’t need to pander to the “mana” of this guy. They won’t know or care what that means.

Good thing he didn’t try his luck in Japan.
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August 22, 2025 12:01pm
- rouppe
  
  He’ll be upset because he thinks it’s discrimination of his culture.
  
  But it’s to prevent entry to mongrel mob and black power (or equivalent) members. If they let in this guy they can’t exclude the other guys that have proved to be trouble makers.
  
  Find a different restaurant.
  
  Back in the day I’ve been turned away from bars on Courtney place who think they’re exclusive based on what I’m wearing. I just told them I’ll spend my money elsewhere and they’ll be in receivership within the year. They usually were.
  
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  August 22, 2025 2:33pm
Swifty

Is it appropriate for New Zealand families to be forcibly taxed to fund the teaching of Hindi to our schoolchildren – to ‘preserve the language’ when there are a good 500-600 million Hindi speakers worldwide?

https://x.com/2eteka/status/1958421187220189466?s=46

For a nationwide programme presumably costing tens and tens of millions annually, if not more, is this the best use of scarce taxpayer funds?
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August 22, 2025 12:04pm
- cmm
  
  I call bullshit that Hindi needs to be taught in school to preserve the language.
  
  All the Hindu people I have spoken to use Hindi at home at least 50% of the time. That is enough to keep a language flourishing.
  
  None of the Maori people I deal with can even speak Maori and none are at all interested in learning.
  
  I suppose at least teaching Asian languages in school would not be a complete waste. Moat Asians actually turn up at school.
  
  Teaching Maori at school is a complete waste because somewhere around 90% of Maori secondary kids wag school. Why waste time providing resources that nobody uses?
  
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  August 22, 2025 12:32pm
  - NothingLeft
    
    Yeah, make Maori, Hindi, Chinese etc lunch-time or after-school elective options for those that are interested. They’re increasingly irrelevant in a world with ridiculously good AI translation.
    
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    August 22, 2025 1:45pm
  - Paulus
    
    Remember Indians are a pure race and languages are used at home from birth.
    They are not Iwi territorial tribal as their language, only 175 years ago was accepted as some 80 dialectic words, and even to day so few can speak it anyway as it requires learning, and so few at home have done so.
    
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    August 22, 2025 2:13pm
  - Gravelroad
    
    I had kids at secondary school in the 1990’s when there was a huge craze here on learning to speak and write Japanese.
    Didn’t know why then. Don’t know now.
    A lot of the brighter students took up learning this language and one of them from round here (not mine) was celebrated for getting 100% in the school certificate Japanese exam.
    I would be very surprised if that person has ever spoken or written Japanese since.
    But it was very fashionable at the time.
    I thought it was actually a waste of school time and teaching resources for little benefit.
    Unless we were on the brink of being invaded by Japan.
    Or something.
    
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    August 22, 2025 2:27pm
    - Fender
      
      it was because the Japanese were at the time all holidaying here so the tourism aspect and people were expecting more trade and mutual travel and jobs.
      I flew into Cairns directly pre covid on Holiday and was stunned at this massive international airport. terminal was probably bigger than Wellington, we arrived about 111.00am and on the boards I think there was one more flight due in for the day total. Was a complete ghost town and very confusing.
      Talking to a taxi driver later he said in the boom they were getting 4 jumbo jets full a day of Japanese tourists and then when the exchange rate changed it just stopped dead. The taxis, Hotels, tourist attractions etc were all built but suddenly empty except for a few people from NSW and VIC having summer Holidays there over winter.
      BTW beautiful place to visit in July August, combination of sea and a rainforest is hard to beat.
      
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      August 22, 2025 5:40pm
- nz_aj
  
  Until we make huge improvements in the teaching of STEM subjects, nice to haves can stay outside of school hours.
  
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  August 22, 2025 12:55pm
  - greybeard
    
    I have upticked you for this comment, but at the same time have to say that taking Latin for 3 years at school, and French for 6 years at school and one year at Uni has served me well since. In fact I still try to keep up with my French by referring to various text books in my shelves.
    Anyone who reads extensively will agree with me that to be familiar with the various languages which collectively make up our “English” language is a huge advantage.
    
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    August 22, 2025 4:37pm
- Ian Boag
  
  Good ole chatgpt. Tells me that Hindi is spoken as a first language by about 45% of the Indian population – if one includes those who have it as a second language its about 55%. There are something like 30 other languages that have over a million speakers each ….
  
  Go figure
  
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  August 22, 2025 1:26pm
  - Swifty
    
    What is your point Ian?
    
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    August 22, 2025 1:36pm
  - cmm
    
    Pretty much all Hindu households in NZ will speak Hindi a large % of the time.
    
    There are of course many non-Hindus who do not necessarily speak Hindi as a second language (eg. Sikhs who mostly speak Punjabi as a first language might or might not speak Hindi too).
    
    The loss of mother tongue is not just a Maori thing. For example, two Dutch dudes I work came to NZ as small children and hardly know any Dutch even though their Dutch-speaking parents are still alive. I understand Dutch better than they do – third hand through Afrikaans.
    
    What is different though is that the Dutch are not bleating for hand outs.
    
    Although there are officially 78,000 Hindi speakers and 186,000 Maori speakers in NZ according to the last census, I’ll wager a servo pie that if it came to actual competent speaking (eg being able to understand a lecture) competent Hindi speakers vastly outnumber competent Maori speakers.
    
    I would doubt there are even 50,000 competent Maori speakers (ie. about 7% of all Maori) – putting it behind Mandarin, Hindi, Cantonese and Samoan.
    
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    August 22, 2025 2:30pm
    - Ian Boag
      
      The “parents’ language” thing is interesting.
      
      I have grandchildren with a Japanese mother and a sort-of Japanese speaking father. They are 11 and 9 and both speak impeccable Kiwi English. They also speak reasonable Japanese (they spend a couple of hours a week at Japanese school) but the 11 year old is starting to choke learning Kanji.
      
      Anyway the typical way it goes in this sort of house is that the children are addressed in the foreign language and drift into replying in English. Their cousins have a Russian mother and it works there too even though Dad is fluent in Russian.
      
      Not sure what this has to do with Hindi (or te reo) lessons in school …. 🙂
      
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      August 22, 2025 7:12pm
- Sir Henry Morgan
  
  I’m guessing this will either create some cushy part-time for Indian mums who want to earn a bit of pin money on the taxpayer, or help advantage Indian schoolteachers over others. Either way it seems a waste of public money. Next will be taxpayer-funded Tagalog lessons.
  
  Was the ‘preserve the language’ argument used back when it was fashionable for high school students to learn Japanese? Has that argument ever been used for Chinese or Korean?
  
  Why did New Zealand’s many generations of children with Celtic heritage never get their taxpayer-funded Gaelic lessons?
  
  It’s never too late though. New Zealand can still do its bit to preserve the Cornish language, and I’m available to teach school students (nobody will ever guess I can’t speak it either).
  
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  August 22, 2025 2:35pm
- Ra Henare
  
  Oh dear, what short memories we have.
  NZ Schools taught Latin, French Japanes and Mandarin.
  
  NOT to preserve the language(what planet are you on thinking NZ is preserving Hindi).
  
  Research overwhelmingly that Teaching a second language enhances general education (and in my experience- tolerance).
  
  Oh, Iforgot to meet that criteria of enhancing education you prefer Te Reo be the second language.
  
  Bias: I have learnt a number of languages in my time.
  MAORI
  Bahasa Indonesia
  French
  Khmer(Cambodia).
  
  While I can use the last 3 when travelling, the only use I had for Maori (late 90s) was visiting outback East Cape.
  
  I think you should also get your calculator fixed.
  Tens and Tens of Millions Annually! You jest of course.
  
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  August 22, 2025 3:27pm
  - Swifty
    
    “I think you should also get your calculator fixed.
    Tens and Tens of Millions Annually! You jest of course.”
    
    There are 2,500 primary and secondary schools in New Zealand.
    
    As a starter for ten, if each school required just one Hindi teacher, ensuring national coverage, earning the national average of $100,000 each, that’s $250 million per annum.
    
    Of course, some schools may have no demand but others have relatively huge demand, especially in the cities, and may require half a dozen or more Hindi teachers.
    
    $250 million annually is just the teachers of course, and doesn’t include any additional Ministry or NZQA resourcing, curriculum development and materials etc.
    
    So, if anything I was being conservative.
    
    What are your numbers Ra?
    
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    August 22, 2025 4:38pm
    - Ra Henare
      
      [Mod – now try again without all the sarcastic rubbish]
      
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      August 22, 2025 10:19pm
- Sir Henry Morgan
  
  One other little thing worth mentioning.
  
  You can see Indian students who already speak Hindi taking advantage of this to cruise their way to some easy credit/marks/grades – or whatever they call it these days.
  
  When I took Indonesian at university the class with full of Chinese Malaysians who certainly knew enough of the language to pass even though they swore they’d somehow grown up in a majority Malay-speaking country without learning Malay (Malay and Indonesian are basically dialects of the same language, something like US vs UK English). To be fair they were from Eastern Malaysia were Malays are a minority, but still very hard to believe they diidn’t know enough to pass Indonesian 101.
  
  Of course to some extent you’re going to have this issue with every language (except Latin I guess), but it’s especially open for abuse in the case of languages spoken by large immigrant communities – doubly so when those communities are renowned for gaming the system wherever possible.
  
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  August 22, 2025 6:51pm
Swifty

Once we as citizens agree to our government being responsible for our ‘wellbeing’ we open the gates and our wallets to any state intrusion into and control over our lives the socialists and totalitarians can dream up:

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/570751/public-health-group-report-calls-for-wealth-tax-cross-party-focus-on-wellbeing

While I expect a large proportion of New Zealanders to think this is the best thing since sliced bread, I argue this will signal our death knell as a modern, prosperous society composed of independent and resourceful people.

This is the offer of a poisoned chalice and one I urge all New Zealanders to resist with all their strength.

It is a siren call luring us to our demise.

It is a recipe for total state control over our lives all under the guise of ‘we know what’s best for you’, or should I say total Labour and Green parties’ control over our lives with National running a close second.

Resist. Resist. Resist. While you still can.
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August 22, 2025 12:27pm
- Paulus
  
  Try and resist the next Labour Coalition led Government next year
  
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  August 22, 2025 2:14pm
  - AitchW
    
    Winston Peters led coalition. With Labour, Green, and Maori parties in his wake. God help us if Labour rolls over for him. Actually I think it would more like bending over and holding their ankles for him….
    
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    August 22, 2025 4:50pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  “The Public Health Advisory Committee – established by the Ministry of Health – is led by former Green MP Kevin Hague…”
  
  Say no more.
  
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  August 22, 2025 9:08pm
graham

In breaking news, turns out that RNZ staff are unhappy with a report that says they’re useless.

‘Hurtful’, ‘distressing’: Some RNZ staff fuming over scathing internal review

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/media-insider/media-insider-hurtful-distressing-some-rnz-staff-fuming-over-scathing-internal-review-rnz-responds-sky-inks-news-rugby-rights-deal-stripe-studios-bosss-former-home-for-sale/CQ64BBECQZHUXB5FGFDEA5MQCA/
(Paywalled)

Link is paywalled, but the summary is that following a pretty scathing review of RNZ last week, some RNZ staff are reportedly “fuming” and the E Tu union is describing it as “hurtful” and “distressing”.

E tū union director Michael Wood felt the report had been handled “pretty poorly”.

“While there might be some points in the report that bear consideration, the way in which our staff, in parts of the report, seem to be getting fingered and blamed … for an organisation whose direction has been set by management over a number of years, it’s pretty on the nose.

“The tone of the report was very unhelpful in terms of bringing people together to consider any changes that might need to be considered.”

Asked specifically what in the report had caused upset, he said: “Well, obviously particular comments in the report – without providing names – referred to some people, particularly people who are fronting on the network, needing to be moved on.”

Sounds like RNZ staff may not be greatly familiar with concepts such as performance reviews/appraisals, 1-on-1s, and KPIs.
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August 22, 2025 1:22pm
- NothingLeft
  
  The left (and civil service, but I repeat myself) are pathologically avoidant of accountability or performance assessment. It’s all about the vibe and feelings, man.
  
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  August 22, 2025 1:48pm
- AitchW
  
  Wow. Delicate petals love to run stories trashing other organisations. But when the shoe is on the other foot they run screaming to mummy.
  I have no sympathy for them at all.
  
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  August 22, 2025 1:52pm
- Swifty
  
  Thanks very much graham.
  
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  August 22, 2025 1:57pm
- mandk
  
  “Hurtful” and “distressing”
  
  Just toughen up and be professional.
  
  No one owes you a living.
  
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  August 22, 2025 2:07pm
- artemisia
  
  Michael Wood is right about management though. Bosses set the rules and the expectations, staffers follow them or exit (or get exited). And of course managers do the hiring, and guess who they select.
  
  Board members set strategy, so the presumption is they agree with the organisation’s direction.
  
  Look first at the Board and managers. Then act accordingly.
  
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  August 22, 2025 2:34pm
  - graham
    
    I agree partly, but in terms of radio hosts it’s a different situation. A radio show can succeed or fail depending on the host.
    
    If Mike Hosking’s show started tanking in the ratings, you can bet he’d be held responsible and told in no uncertain terms to lift his game. More to the point, I suspect Mr Hosking wouldn’t actually need to be told – he would take it upon himself to address it. One of the differences between being a public broadcaster funded by taxpayers and a commercial company.
    
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    August 22, 2025 2:39pm
Swifty

I find it quite worrying that we have a leader of a significant NZ political party talking in such extreme terms:

https://x.com/julietmosesnz/status/1906211102159245461?s=46

Over the last ten or fifteen years the Greens really have taken a massive lurch to the far-left and now come across as quite sinister in my view.

They seem to have lost the ability to self-moderate.

I note too they’ve lost their sense of humour, always a bad sign, and now just come across as enthusiastic Red Guards or fascist brownshirts full of self-importance and empty of doubt, self-awareness or introspection.
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August 22, 2025 1:55pm
- Ra Henare
  
  It would be great to mount a campaign saying
  Green is no longer Green, It is now blood red.
  
  If you are truly an environmentalist, party vote ??!!!!
  
  Watch the buggars howl and scream
  
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  August 22, 2025 3:35pm
- AitchW
  
  Give a green a megaphone and they become even more unhinged.
  Listening to some of her extraordinary rhetoric I can see how some others would be attracted but I cannot see how 10% fall for her hyperbole!
  A megaphone, a Pally flag and a rainbow keffiyeh are a powerful drain on the intellect.
  
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  August 22, 2025 4:46pm
Paulus

Wasn’t Wood a former Labour Minister of Immigration, now a Union Leader, who lost his Auckland seat, but no fear his wife, I believe is a prominent Auckland Councillor too !
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August 22, 2025 2:20pm
Handyman

Once (if) the Ukraine peace deal falls through, the West may finally get serious with Russia.
I don’t understand why Ukraine has not yet sunk one of the shadow oil fleet in either the Baltic or Atlantic. The resultant oil spill will cause an environmental event and give Baltic countries the excuse to ban or inspect all oil out if Russia.
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August 22, 2025 2:21pm
- kowtow
  
  The west has never been ‘serious” about Russia .
  
  Exhibit A ; The Euros buy huge quantities of oil and gas from Putin , way more in value than any ‘aid” they have ever given Ukr.
  
  If they were serious , they’d drop carbon bollocks , re arm , introduce conscription etc
  
  We are constantly treated to talk from their ‘leaders’ about the dangers of Putin etc , yet in reality ; nothing . Even the pretend increase in ‘defence’ spending has been diddled to include all manner of already costed infrastructure spending.That’s fraud.
  
  They are a joke . A very dangerous one.
  
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  August 22, 2025 4:46pm
  - NothingLeft
    
    I don’t know. It may turn out that in retrospect ‘boiling the russian frog’ without any particular moment of major escalation, always leaving them with a sense that they were winning (however glacial the progress) and so less inclined to hit the big red button, but in the long term bleeding them out economically and militarily in what turned into a ruinous war of attrition for them, has been the safest path to permanently defanging Putin and his hegemonic ambitions.
    
    I get the sense that we might see Russians end their aggression before 2026, with Russians losing a refinery nearly every night, running out of fuel for transport, oil sales falling, most industries and agriculture in dire shape or just dead, and non-nuke soviet stockpiles all gone. Winter is coming to Putin, and it won’t be pleasant.
    
    And Ukrainian long range drone production steadily ramping up to hurt Russia more and more as Russia’s air defenses get ever more depleted.
    
    Bloody tough on Ukrainians though, poor bastards.
    
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    August 22, 2025 8:32pm
cmm

Is Bloomfield really the person to be endorsing mayoral candidates?

I would have thought that someone in his position should be above politics.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/wellington/sir-ashley-bloomfield-backs-ken-laban-for-hutt-city-mayor/OQSEIAQZVFBTHNHEFUCOIVINV4/
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August 22, 2025 2:37pm
- Northshoredoc
  
  meh – always interesting to know how these type of people are politically aligned.
  
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  August 22, 2025 5:02pm
- Ghost
  
  Normally there would be a collective “who is Ashley”. Strangely Covid made him into some kind of celebrity. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him standing for labour or greens next year
  
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  August 22, 2025 5:08pm
Keith White

“Analysis of CDC/NCHS death certificate data using Deviation from Trend (DFT) analysis reveals a disturbing development: a sharp, sustained rise in infant and child mortality among those who neither had COVID-19 nor received the vaccine, but whose parents were previously exposed to mRNA injections.

“The evidence (so far) points to two risks—teratogenic effects during pregnancy and transgenerational epigenetic effects passed through germline biology.
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August 22, 2025 3:08pm
Ghost

Article

NZ post has suspended some forms of shipping to the United States as Donald Trump’s trade tariffs loom.

This included American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

On its website, NZ Post said there were some restrictions on what could be sent to the US and US territories. This included suspending a number of services temporarily “until further notice”, while formal processes around the new US tariffs were being finalised.

The suspended services included sending with economy, economy tracked, economy plus, courier and express. Letters sent via economy letters and documents sent via express were the only services still available.

Not good, hopefully this is sorted quickly
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August 22, 2025 10:50pm

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