About
Contact
Advertise

Facebook
Twitter

September 16, 2025 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 16 September 2025

Like this:

Like Loading…

Email
Facebook
Twitter
Comment213

Uncategorized
General Debate

Comments (213)

Login to comment or vote

Cassandra

The manager of Paremoremo prison: “Over 80% of the prison population have convictions for violence and more than 90% have had a lifetime diagnosis of a mental health or substance abuse disorder.” I’m not sure what the solution is but one thing is for certain – many of these men should never be released.
48 1
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 8:01am
- Blog-aholic
  
  Substance abuse is a major cause of the mental health issues. Abuse as a child is a precursor to the use of substances. It is a circle jerk of abuse which can only be broken by early affirmative actions in the childs (and only the child as a human) best interest.
  
  15 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 8:08am
  - Bullion
    
    Its a shame that a large part of the electorate doesn’t have a strong appetite to invest in families and children to try and reduce these cycles.
    
    5 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 11:51am
  - Paulus
    
    Not entirely, but we are faced like many other countries like within the Pacific, with historical family intermarriage (using the word marriage widely) and this leads over generations to mental instability – consanguinity.
    Andrew Little (Mayor of Wellington – poor fools) spent billions of dollars into mental Health without a single new bed, we are told.
    So we must but will not recognise it is not all substance abuse either – that is an excuse.
    
    5 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 2:04pm
    - Foxfour
      
      That wasnt the case. Its a $1.9 bill ‘fiscal envelope’ to be spent over 4 years , including existing spending.
      Extra beds were a tiny part of that, as people are treated in community. Its not been ‘a Kingseat’ situation for 50 years
      
      Heres the details
      “Out of the total package, just over half ($1.1b) has been spent on the actual health system. The rest has been spread across a range of government agencies including Corrections, Housing and Urban Development, Ministry of Social Development, Courts and the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.”
      Plus
      “$1.1bn that went solely to health, nearly half went towards putting more than a thousand mental health advisers into GP practices and other primary care settings, known as the Access and Choice programme.”
      The inpatient mental health program was mostly fixing up atrocious out date facilities not whole extra wards – which cant be staffed
      https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/in-depth-special-projects/story/2018918734/what-ever-happened-to-the-dollar2-billion-that-was-poured-into-mental-healthcare
      
      1 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 5:40pm
- artemisia
  
  Similarly the Loafers Lodge murders accused has 50 prior convictions and apparently mental health issues. Where do prisoners live on release?
  
  Well, multiple manslaughter and other charges have been laid against four people involved with management and operation of the Loafers Lodge.
  
  Apparently there is a surge in homelessness. A crisis some say. Could that possibly have something to do with boarding houses and other accommodation providers being a whole lot more selective taking on or keeping occupants. Could anyone blame them?
  
  28 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 8:08am
  - Taieri
    
    Could that possibly have something to do with boarding houses and other accommodation providers being a whole lot more selective taking on or keeping occupants
    ————–
    
    Many such establishments had to close down due to the changed requirements for rental properties implemented by the last government. Their former inhabitants now often live under the starry skies.
    
    19 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 8:18am
- imalwaysright
  
  Apparently over 90% of crime in NZ is committed by recidivists.
  
  If the judiciary would apply maximum sentences from the 2nd offense onwards we would see a drastic reduction in crime.
  
  Criminals should be detained in prisons, not houses.
  
  34 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 8:24am
  - MCōs
    
    No matter what the maximum is, say ten years, they’re still going to get out at some time and probably in a worse personal situation than before
    
    1 16
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 9:18am
    - Keith White
      
      And in those ten years they have not killed or brutalized any innocents.
      
      18 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 9:35am
      - pdm
        
        Well maybe some other like minded inmates behind the walls and barbed wire KW.
        
        2 0
        Report
        September 16, 2025 10:54am
      - MCōs
        
        Of course not, but one year, five years, ten years down the road the inevitable is only being delayed if the person is not rehabilitated particularly if all his mates are now not exactly wonderful people
        
        2 3
        Report
        September 16, 2025 11:54am
      - septic skeptic
        
        Do the maths MCos. If they are incarcerated 2 years in 4 vs 10 years in 12. That’s equates to a 67% reduction in crimes committed.
        
        2 0
        Report
        September 16, 2025 7:11pm
    - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
      
      3 strikes would solve that, just sayin’
      
      10 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 9:37am
      - imalwaysright
        
        3 strikes, as currently proposed, is more like 2 wet bus tickets and a hug from the judge.
        
        10 0
        Report
        September 16, 2025 10:52am
      - pdm
        
        diety – I am quite sure it would if the `do gooders’ in National had not watered it down.
        
        5 1
        Report
        September 16, 2025 10:55am
    - cmm
      
      That’s broken logic.
      
      If a crim spends more time behind bars that is less time on the streets to commit crime.
      
      Realistically we should have 3x the people in prison (including those that are out on home D). If we incarcerate more then:
      a) Opportunity for recidivism goes down.
      b) Longer sentences gives more opportunity to attend training (if that helps).
      c) More punishment is a bigger deterrent, so, quite likely, offending goes down.
      
      19 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 9:40am
      - Flossie
        
        And lots fewer victims of crime.
        
        14 0
        Report
        September 16, 2025 9:47am
      - cmm
        
        Flossie, correct!
        
        As much as it seems crazy storing these people in prison for $500 a day (or whatever it is), the amount of damage they cause in society is many times that.
        
        Ideally there would be some way to put them to work so they cost us far less than that.
        
        9 0
        Report
        September 16, 2025 11:06am
      - Northshoredoc
        
        ‘…as of March 2025. These costs have risen significantly, with sentenced prisoners costing $159,505 to $205,130 per year, which is a substantial increase from previous years.’
        
        If we accept Google at face value that would mean an additional around $3 billion OPEX if we tripled the NZ prisoner population.
        
        Agree with your points though.
        
        6 0
        Report
        September 16, 2025 11:36am
      - MCōs
        
        If prison was a deterrent why do we keep hearing about people who have been inside multiple times?
        
        4 2
        Report
        September 16, 2025 11:58am
      - cmm
        
        MCos: Clearly a NZ prison is not a sufficient deterrent. We have some of the highest recidivism in the world.
        
        But I’ll wager that if the conditions in prison were a bit tougher (eg. breaking rocks instead of watching TV) there would be a few less people signing up.
        
        How can it possibly cost $600/day to house a prisoner? (NShoredoc’s numbers)
        That’s over 10x what a pensioner gets. That’s twice what a nurse gets paid.
        
        Imagine that. Work all your life, pay taxes, keep your nose clean and your pension is 10% of what a prisoner gets!
        
        $200k per prisoner per year is crazy. I bet I could house them for less than 1/10 the price – probably for free if they were put to work.
        
        6 2
        Report
        September 16, 2025 12:29pm
    - David George
      
      Repeat offenders are mostly psychopaths, there is no way to cure that – or the other dark tetrad personality disorders. The best strategy is to make damn sure they are unsuccessful – same as if you encounter one in your personal life.
      
      5 2
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 11:14am
      - Northshoredoc
        
        I am not a clinical psychiatrist but I do have close contacts who are clinicians working in this area. Repeat offenders are not mostly psychopaths nor mostly suffering from NPD.
        
        Alcohol, drugs, low to no education, dysfunctional family history and gangs are huge problems.
        
        5 0
        Report
        September 16, 2025 11:39am
      - cmm
        
        NSD: “Alcohol, drugs, low to no education, dysfunctional family history and gangs are huge problems.”
        
        Yes, these are common problems, but are they the cause?
        
        Just because they are associated does not mean that one causes the other.
        
        People who eat a lot of KFC are more likely to have their cars fail WoF.
        
        Is that because KFC causes mechanical damage to the vehicles? Nope. Just that the demographic who seem fond of KFC tend to also be poor and have older cars in disrepair.
        
        I would argue that the same soft of life choices that lead to criminality also lead to poor educational outcomes, joining gangs, excessive alcohol and drugs consumption, etc etc. Loser behaviours tend to cluster.
        
        7 2
        Report
        September 16, 2025 12:35pm
      - Jack5
        
        But punishment also can work in crime control.
        
        An extreme case: think of petty thieves in Saudi Arabia.
        
        Hudud penalty for theft: right arm and left gone.
        
        Some Western expatriates tell of crime rate in Saudi Arabia:
        
        https://www.reddit.com/r/saudiarabia/comments/j80qoa/how_low_is_the_crime_rate_in_saudi_arabia/
        
        2 0
        Report
        September 16, 2025 4:57pm
    - Beach Haven expat
      
      Unfortunately this is reflective of the thinking that misunderstands and undermines custodial thinking.
      Prison and sentencing in general used to have three pillars – punishment, protection of the public and rehabilitation – all of them equal.
      Now, through the changes over the past 20 or so years, they are hierarchical with rehabilitation at the top and protection of the public way way way down the bottom.
      This prioritisation of rehabilitation has not worked.
      I absolutely accept that these bad buggers will get out but if they’re only free for 20 years of the rest of their lives as opposed to 30 then that is potentially 10 years of the rest of us not being victims.
      
      1 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 17, 2025 12:21am
- David Garrett
  
  Cass: As others have pointed out in the past, most of those in prison – including most supposedly serving “life” – will eventually be released. I don’t know what the answer is either.
  
  I have recently had the pleasure of private communication with F E Smith, a criminal lawyer who comments here regularly. He confirms what the Pare manager says – he is also of the view that Corrections is absolutely useless with regard to rehabilitation, and that some other agency should be tasked with trying to rehabilitate prisoners. I have no reason to doubt him.
  
  23 3
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 8:58am
  - MCōs
    
    Nobody wants money to be spent on rehabilitation — or anything much right now
    If some party went into an election and said we’re going to scale back on your new hospital so we can rehabilitate a few prisoners they could kiss their arse goodbye
    
    10 3
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 9:27am
    - cmm
      
      Why do you need to spend lots of money to rehabilitate people?
      
      Prisoners already cost us about $500 a day. We can likely find room in there for rehabilitation.
      
      If some of the rehabilitation is vocational, then – quite likely – the rehabilitation can be self funding.
      
      Some rehabilitation need not cost anything. eg the theraputic exercise of turning big rocks into little rocks.
      
      13 2
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 9:43am
      - David Garrett
        
        cmm: eg the theraputic exercise of turning big rocks into little rocks.
        
        That is exactly how the old Mt Eden prison was built – by prisoners quarrying the rocks in the quarry next door to be trimmed by the stonemasons who built the prison.
        
        Mind you, that was long before prisoners were referred to as “men in our care”, which is how they are described today. Back then, they were just criminals paying their debt(s) to society.
        
        13 0
        Report
        September 16, 2025 10:52am
      - cmm
        
        DG: Once they’ve spent a day breaking rocks they are probably too knackered to cause much mayhem in prison either.
        
        10 1
        Report
        September 16, 2025 11:08am
      - Paulus
        
        You do not believe that the Unions will allow any prisoner to get paid below the highest Minimum hourly rate in the OECD, if not the World with no productivity unless the rock breaking is weighed daily and pay accordingly.
        
        4 0
        Report
        September 16, 2025 2:14pm
    - Beach Haven expat
      
      Incorrect. No one wants money spent on failing to rehabilitate people. If the current scheme meant they walked out of pokey and never offended again then the public would be be well onboard.
      I remember a former Prime Minister, one J Ardern, who said as she eagerly jumped in on someone (possibly Kelvin) speaking at Waitangi to say: “We don’t want anyone in prison.”
      The scary thing was she was serious because she believed that like child poverty, Toyota EV utes, GDP and being the font of all truth that she could just close her eyes really tight and have a little wish and it would all happen.
      
      1 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 17, 2025 12:25am
  - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
    
    Probably true about corrections, but it isnt their day job, which is to keep increasingly dangerous people away from us, each other and keeping their own staff safe.
    
    Better question is why is Corrections expected to be the mental health service of last resort? Perhaps time to revisit Deinst? Or to ask where the $1.9 billion the previous government spent on new mental health services actually went?
    
    14 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 9:36am
  - Keith White
    
    Why don’t prisoners who want to never return to prison, rehabilitate themselves? Lots of assistance is offered if they really meant it – before they got sentenced – that they’re turning their lives around. In the meantime, while they’re locked up, they’re unable to kill and brutalise. One of out two goals achieved is still one goal achieved, worst case scenario.
    
    13 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 9:38am
    - pdm
      
      KW – there was a time when I was growing up when I would hear adults say:
      
      `Fred Jones is back inside for the winter – I wonder what he did to arrange it this year?’
      
      Or words to that effect.
      
      7 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 10:59am
    - imalwaysright
      
      Yes, rehabilitation to a bureaucrat means a series of boxes to be ticked, most of them ambiguous and/or subjective.
      
      A crim could do a couple of courses, learn to cry on cue, speak meekly to da man, do a pinky promise, and within a few months be declared rehabilitated .
      
      5 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 11:03am
  - fightingtemeraire
    
    I thought Lord Birkenhead had died years ago!!!
    
    2 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 11:33am
- kowtow
  
  It was a huge mistake to close the asylums.
  
  15 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 9:08am
- sirknz
  
  Could that 90% figure be cooked as mental illness and mental health are used as mitigating factors by defende lawyers for sentencing reductions?
  
  7 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 9:12am
  - cmm
    
    I am rather skeptical of using mental health as an excuse. Pretty much everyone can find some element of mental health issue if they are motivated to do so – even if it is low-level depression, anguish or such.
    
    There are so many facets to mental health and I doubt many of them are contributory to offending.
    
    Mental health is such a wide definition that it is close to pointless.
    
    6 3
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 11:12am
    - Skippytony
      
      What seems to land an awful lot of people in trouble is the inability to do or manage two things. First, poor impulse control – the search for instant gratification runs through drug problems, theft and assault.
      Second, the inability to reflect – judge cause and effect.
      Those characteristics seem to be the hardest to ‘rehabilitate”.
      The number of people who present and say, in effect “My judgement was impaired” as their rationale for doing something even they know was just silly.
      So, from the cheap seats, the pathway to rehabilitation starts with learning to avoid substance abuse & we all know just how hard that can be. But, I think in many cases, if people could learn to function without drugs and alcohol they will consistently make better decisions.
      So that would be, for me, focus area 1 if you want to get any remission at all. I don’t know how you do that, of course.
      
      Second, how many of our incarcerated are functionally illiterate? This deficiency makes day to day life almost impossible today, especially how much you are expected to do online.
      So for me, focus area 2 is numeracy and literacy. how many lives could be changed with 20 hours a week of instruction in these two areas?
      
      6 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 11:34am
- Clyde
  
  Gangs are the root cause of most of NZ’s criminal behaviour. Can ANYONE argue against that?
  
  So the answer is to eliminate the gangs, and here is where it gets messy. Largely gangs have just replaced tribalism and are just a mix of urban (mixed tribes) and rural (non-mixed). Gang members don’t want to belong to society as most of us understand it. They don’t want to work, they don’t want to responsibly parent – they are a cancerous growth in our society that contributes not one positive input.
  
  Answer. Make membership or alliance with any gang a serious offence with no room for judicial sob stories.
  
  Build a new gang facility off shore – my preference is for sub Antarctic – for gang members alone. No rehab, no access to communications of any sort. Basic things provided and nothing more.
  
  Who wants to argue or oppose drastic action for drastic problem?
  
  6 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 10:53am
  - imalwaysright
    
    Gangs are terrorists but no government has the nuts to declare it.
    Instead, our society must make allowances for them and supply them with a customer base and a source for recruitment.
    
    We are also obliged to curtail our human rights when gangs want to have a function or despoil the earth with the interment of one of their ilk.
    
    We are now conditioned to make allowances for terrorists in our own streets.
    In a normal society the terrorists would be hunted down and imprisoned or killed. Not here.
    
    3 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 1:25pm
- alphabeatrium
  
  Mental institutions? Remember those? Did we throw out the baby with the bathwater?
  
  7 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 11:55am
Chuck Bird

I watched an extended version of Family First Straight Talk last night. They noted that David Seymour made positive comments about Charlie Kirk, although he is a libertarian, but no comment from Luxon, who is meant to be a Christian. Have they missed it?
25 15
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 8:06am
- RoboRob
  
  No need for NZ polis to make mention of Kirk.
  
  However even if there was, Kirk and Luxon have VERY different views (I assume, because we dont really know what Luxon believes in). Remember Joe, pro abortion, Biden was a Catholic. You know, the religion that strongly opposed to abortion.
  
  21 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 8:59am
  - kowtow
    
    Biden was no RC. His religion was Joebidenism.
    
    15 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 9:10am
    - David George
      
      Joe said the Bidens were a very religious family, that he was a Catholic and son Hunter was a Crystal Methodist.
      
      18 3
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 11:17am
      - Don Beckett
        
        Joe Biden is a CINO – Catholic In Name Only. He has a number of co-religionists – Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry & a number of Democrats – they claim to be Catholic, but ignore the teachings of the Church, including the Ten Commandments.
        
        9 2
        Report
        September 16, 2025 12:18pm
  - keepcalmcarryon
    
    What religious views did the autopen have?
    
    12 3
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 9:19am
- David Garrett
  
  Chuck: I had an exchange with a guy on here the other day about the Dylyn Davis sentencing – as you know we were both there.
  
  It is my recollection that Mr Douch, the Hamilton Crown Solicitor, didn’t even seek LWOP – but the commenter referred to a radio ZB report which suggests he did. I may be wrong – it’s several years ago now. What is your recollection of what was said that day?
  
  8 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 9:03am
  - Chuck Bird
    
    Much as you said, but I do not see the connection to Charlie Kirk,
    
    4 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 9:35am
    - David Garrett
      
      There is no connection with Charlie Kirk Chuck; Sorry I should have emailed you privately.
      
      5 2
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 10:47am
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  Luxon can’t comment on anything. He is making Cindy look like a better PM.
  
  2 7
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 10:46am
  - wsk12345
    
    It’s like that new maori party MP – shes being gagged by her party as she can’t speak without saying in something incorrect or offensive. I’m sure Luxon is the same.
    
    1 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 12:25pm
Scott

Hamas leader on television stating the obvious, about their aims and objectives regarding the Jews –

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DOYyDhEADRn/?igsh=NDQ4Nmw5YTAwaGN3

There is no room in their thinking for the state of Israel to exist. They attacked on October 7th and they will do so over and over again. They are prepared to be a nation of martyrs if that means destroying Israel.
We ought to believe them when they tell us who they are and what they believe.

They’re interesting to me in that the Nazis tried to cover up the Holocaust. The Hamas leaders, the modern day Nazis, openly glory in the Holocaust and want to complete it.

And people say, well that’s only the Hamas leaders, the people of Gaza are innocent. We protest on behalf of the innocent people of Gaza, not on behalf of Hamas.

Well consider this. In World War 2 there were some individual Germans and their allies who tried to save the Jews. Some Germans risked their lives to rescue Jewish people.

In Gaza not one of the Jewish hostages was rescued or helped by the locals. None of the people of Gaza helped the Jews. In fact some of the hostages were held captive by ordinary Gazan civilians who treated them brutally. None of the people of Gaza lifted a finger to help a single Jewish hostage. Not one.
37 3
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 8:06am
- David Garrett
  
  Scott: Where did you get the information in your last para, specifically about some of the hostages being held by Gazan civilians, and treated brutally?
  
  If your source is good, then I completely agree with what you say.
  
  20 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 9:07am
  - Scott
    
    Hi David, here you go –
    
    “Last week’s dramatic rescue of four Israeli hostages from Gaza included a shocking revelation: The hostages, who endued unbearable torture and constant threats of death, were held captive by Palestinian civilians in their home in central Gaza—including a journalist with bylines in Al Jazeera and his physician father’
    
    https://www.newsweek.com/its-time-start-using-term-palestinian-civilian-correctly-opinion-1913628
    
    22 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 10:15am
    - Wandering Star
      
      Yikes! That’s the “kill ’em all” mindset that much of the world finds so reprehensible. Just as many have pointed out for the last two years, the IDF’s indiscriminate killing of Palestinians is accompanied by the usual pretext, perfectly encapsulated by the authors of that article, which is that, as the Gazans are being subjected to (the war crime of) collective punishment, they all deserve to die because there is no meaningful distinction between “civilian” and “combatant” in the Israel/Palestine conflict – accept, of course, if Israeli “civilians” are casualties in the decades long conflict, in which case its an irrational pogrom of hate against Jews everywhere.
      
      You’d be justified in calling this an overt and pronounced double-standard, but it’s better called a single-standard, in the nature of “it’s right only if Jews do it.”
      
      3 18
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 11:38am
      - imalwaysright
        
        “…there is no meaningful distinction between “civilian” and “combatant” ”
        
        That’s correct, yet the IDF say that they are so accurate with their killing that they have the kill ratio of civilian:combatant down to 1:1.
        
        They don’t elaborate on how they do a head count, and neither do they say how they can tell whether said heads are civilian or combatant.
        
        But most here find that question inconvenient and a threat to the narrative.
        
        0 2
        Report
        September 16, 2025 1:57pm
  - cmm
    
    DG: It is well known that many of the hostages were farmed out to be cared for by civilians.
    
    It is quite likely that only the most zealous Hamas supporters were selected for the honour to serve Allah in this way.
    
    16 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 11:15am
    - imalwaysright
      
      “It is well known that many of the hostages were farmed out to be cared for by civilians”
      
      First I’ve heard of it.
      If that’s the case then how does the IDF know where to land their missiles?
      
      They don’t. And the only conclusion to draw from that is that they don’t care.
      
      The IDF Hannibal Directive says that hostages are expendable if their death coincides with the death of the enemy.
      That explains the surgical strikes.
      
      1 5
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 2:03pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

I heard this story on RNZ CheckPoint last night. There’s a young man with a wife and four kids with myeloma. He’s had all the Pharmac treatments; Dara, his last chance drug costs hundreds of thousands. The family can’t afford it, so they’re off to Aus where it’s “free”.

I felt very sorry for the bloke and his family; myeloma is not as far as I know a lifestyle disease. But, there was so much missing from the story, and of course Checkpoint was happy to use the story to beat the government with.

For starters, how many New Zealanders would benefit from Dara, and what would the cost to the country be. What’s the Human Life Value calculation for Dara vs other drugs? If Dara is bought, what gets dropped? If Pharmac’s budget is increased, what other public spending is reduced? Or do we debt fund it, or increase taxes?

I should add that the currently funded drugs have nasty side effects, including wide mood swings that poison friendships and family relationships, brittle bones and others (which I have witnessed twice in the last decade, with people I was close to), whereas Dara lets people live full lives including working and paying taxes.

I object to the lazy “we’ll go to Aussie because there, it’s free”. Of course it’s not free; it’s involuntarily funded by Australian tax payers. There’s not much that’s moral about that.

I’d also like to know more about the mechanics. Can a New Zealand citizen simply rock up in Aus and ask for Dara? Is there no stand down period? No pre existing medical conditions exclusion? In this case, the couple have previously lived in Australia, so perhaps they can tap into some existing rights.

There are material facts missing from this story, and the public deserves better from the journalism it funds.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360824675/blood-cancer-patients-say-government-breaking-promise-life-saving-drugs
17 0
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 8:06am
- Nikola Donatello
  
  I looked up the details of eligibility for Medicare and subsidised medicine in Australia.
  
  If you are a New Zealander you need to prove that you have moved permanently. A job, a house etc. You need to show that you have closed ties with New Zealand, eg sold a house, bank accounts etc.
  
  So very generous. No stand down period.
  
  Of course over the next, say, 40 years, if New Zealand becomes ever poorer, expect all this access to be tightened. Otherwise there will be a flood of people doing this.
  
  12 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 9:16am
  - kowtow
    
    There’s currently a wee stoush in Oz over how Labor are so in favour of huge ( we’re talking nearly one million) Indian migrants , cos research shows they are massive Labor supporters . 85% .
    
    I don’t expect the lame stream media to give that much cover though . ‘Diversity’ is our strength ( in the polling booth) you see.
    
    UK Labour also in favour of mass immigration . To stick it to the ‘Tories’
    
    The west needs a very serious discussion about all the issues involved.
    
    9 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 10:44am
  - Foxfour
    
    Medicare is heath insurance scheme for elective type care
    The stand down is 12 months for existing illnesses.
    There are other major medical insurers as well as ‘Medicare’
    
    The acute care system treats NZs just like Australians as it a reciprocal system.
    
    7 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 11:33am
- PurplePen
  
  As NZ is to Australia in relation to publicly funded healthcare, are the pacific islands to NZ?
  
  Do PI-ers that can’t get drugs in their home country think, well, I’ll go to NZ as it’s free there.
  
  8 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 10:48am
Cassandra

Stop Press: it’s just been revealed that a group of priests chained themselves to Chloe Swarbrick’s office door for a week at the time of the Hamas mass murder. Why that wasn’t widely reported at the time is unknown. I’m sure it must have happened.
47 4
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 8:08am
- Blog-aholic
  
  lol x 2
  
  12 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 8:08am
- artemisia
  
  Priests make demands.
  
  LOVE DEMANDS ACTION
  SANCTION ISRAEL NOW
  SANCTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS
  FREE THE HOSTAGES NOW
  
  Oh, wait.
  
  27 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 8:16am
  - Cassandra
    
    I’d like the priests to organise a flotilla to say Mecca to protest about Saudi treatment of homosexuals. Accompanied by some – all? – Green MPs and Greta.
    
    44 4
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 8:19am
    - Nick R
      
      Why wait for someone else to do it? Let’s get Cassandra’s flotilla going now! I’m sure you will be willing to walk the talk and put your life savings, and indeed your life itself, on the line for this noble endeavour. Well done Cassandra! We, the people of Kiwiblog, salute you for this outstanding demonstration of courage and principle. We will all be behind you, on our keyboards and in spirit, and will contribute financially towards the success of this magnificent project. Well, not me, obviously. Got some nasty bills to pay, but once those are dealt with I’ll be chipping in for sure. Next year, or the year after that, probably.
      
      6 25
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 8:26am
      - Cassandra
        
        Lighten up, Nick. Life is short. All I’m doing is contrasting our relatively free society with those which aren’t.
        
        21 2
        Report
        September 16, 2025 9:54am
      - Ra Henare
        
        Love the sarcasm/Humour. Nick
        Apparently many dont have a sense of humour!
        
        0 0
        Report
        September 16, 2025 8:56pm
    - Jack5
      
      Cassandra talks of ” … Saudi treatment of homosexuals.”
      
      If the Saudi Arabians are hostile to homosexuals, they’ve changed since T.E. Lawrence’s time.
      
      In his great book, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, Lawrence depicts plenty of buggery in Saudi Arabia, down to boy soldiers frolicking openly in the sands.
      
      0 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 17, 2025 12:14am
  - Paulus
    
    Free the Hostages should have come first.
    Hamas have no love anywhere and anytime.
    
    23 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 8:54am
    - Prince
      
      Pretty sure the ‘Free the Hostages’ demand was sarcasm.
      
      6 2
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 9:57am
  - kowtow
    
    Reminds me of all the times Christian clerics chained themselves outside the Chinese embassy to protest the oppression of Christians , Wegurs . Tibettans , pro democracy types etc
    
    14 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 10:07am
  - PurplePen
    
    500K+ killed in Syria – silence.
    377K+ killed in Yemen – silence.
    5.4M+ killed in Congo – silence.
    500K+ killed in Sudan – silence.
    300K+ killed in Iraq – silence.
    350K+ killed in Nigeria – silence.
    Ruthless Empire and other children in NZ brutally murdered – silence.
    
    Their protest suggests it only matters if the ‘perpetrators’ are Jews.
    
    20 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 10:53am
- mandk
  
  What foolish people those priests are.
  
  Instead of giving encouragement to Hamas, why aren’t they following the Great Commission?
  
  No wonder their congregations are in decline.
  
  17 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 9:01am
  - Jack5
    
    Stuff gives the handful of priests a boost, with the
    headline: Christian leaders trespassed.
    
    Leaders? They represent local churches? I bet not.
    
    No wonder the traditional churches are fading away while the born-again mob booms.
    
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360824212/christian-leaders-trespassed-ministers-auckland-office-after-protest
    
    8 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 11:43am
- sirknz
  
  Probably because she didn’t turn up to the office for the week prior, the week of, and the week after…
  
  4 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 9:17am
- G152
  
  And not a fire hose in sight
  
  6 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 9:31am
- Scott
  
  Cassandra, normally I would support my brothers and sisters in Christ?
  I got nothing. 🙄
  
  5 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 11:09am
- Foxfour
  
  Is Chloe part of the Cabinet and able to sanction Israel ?
  
  1 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 11:35am
  - Beach Haven expat
    
    No but Chloe is the one who recently chastised the Government for not imposing sanctions on Israel similar to the ones imposed on Russia….
    … with no one asking this political titan how those Kiwi sanctions on Russia was working out for the Ukrainians.
    
    0 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 17, 2025 12:32am
- Paulus
  
  One Clergy appears to have said that as a result he pissed in his pants as they did not leave !
  Lady Vicar there has no comment.
  
  3 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 2:20pm
imalwaysright

Maybe the Protesting Priests outside Willis’s office would be better off chaining themselves to the fence in front of Baby Ru’s house and stay there until the murderer came out.

Its only 15 minutes up the motorway.
55 1
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 8:10am
Toes on the nose

I thought Judith was going to stop whale songs for kauri trees. There’s an exhibition in Gissy about ‘artists feelz about Gabrielle’. It’s not the 100K that irks me (if it was lefty luvvie arts money)… but it’s Health ‘research’ funding.
25 0
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 8:12am
- imalwaysright
  
  Good luck finding a whale that can sing in Maori …
  
  14 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 10:07am
  - cmm
    
    Any right thinking whale would head for the high seas if it heard a Maori voice.
    
    10 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 11:16am
    - Jack5
      
      If they really wanted attention, the protesters could climb into the lions’ pen at Auckland Zoo, for an Ancient Rome-style protest. 🦁
      
      9 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 11:47am
Yvette

From the Kiwiblog 7.00am post this morning –
At an urgently convened conference in Wellington this week, educators said mention of the Treaty of Waitangi and Māori words were being dropped from new English and maths curriculums, and from key documents that provided guidelines for schools.
They’re complaining that the maths curriculum doesn’t mention the Treaty of Waitangi enough. They really are the educational equivalents of a cult.

Can anyone explain what motivates teachers in this stance.
• If such material is dismissed suddenly does it mean teachers are shown to have been in error in applying another approach for as long as they have, and still does not explain why they started this in the first place.
• Normally if told to teach one ‘ethnic religious worldview”, like for example: an Islamic context, they would be horrified and refuse.
• Is it to aid Maori students with the normalisation of language and views which at home are not perhaps normal?

What exactly is the investment Eduction has in Maori exceptionalism?
21 1
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 8:22am
- RoboRob
  
  My wife works for the MOE and was formally an ECE teacher.
  
  While studying her degree she had specific Maori papers. For all other papers 25%+ of each paper was ‘how does this apply to Maori’. All papers were full of Manglish and students were expected to use and embrace it. The National ECE curriculm is ‘Te Whariki’. Once out of study all teaching is done with a Bi-cultural focus, NOT multicultural, specifically Bi-cultural. In Christchurch there are far more Asians then Maori! Now she is at the MOE, large meetings are sometimes run under marae protocol (men at front etc), even when they are in the office and the people involved are not Maori.
  
  When your training and everyday adctivities are Maori focused this stuff becomes the ‘norm’ and you dont even think about it. When people start attacking your processes, you defend them.
  
  Note: this is my understanding but may be wrong as I try and stay out of it.
  
  22 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 9:39am
- wsk12345
  
  I dont think it’s about the kids (most of those that may benefit will be absent anyway). I think it’s the woke mind virus – teachers buy into it wholeheartedly. A bit like they all LOVE talking about pedagogy. They were taught it at some workshop and feel the need to parrot it incessantly to show how wonderful they are.
  
  10 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 9:42am
  - septic skeptic
    
    I guess teaching woke shit is much easier than teaching stem. I think people are gradually waking up to the fact that these supposedly overworked underpaid professionals are in many cases lazy incompetents that want to work 9 till 3 40 weeks a year – minus strikes, teacher only days and whatever else they can get away with. Education is going down the toilet and my guess is that the majority of those employed in the system are the problem not the solution.
    
    1 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 17, 2025 7:07am
- Gravelroad
  
  The Government of the day “motivates teachers in this stance”
  He who pays, says.
  If your employer demands that you carry out company policy,as part of your contract, then you fit in or do the other thing.
  
  15 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 9:46am
- Prince
  
  What motivates these activist teachers will occur in October 2026.
  After which all their desires will be met by the new Govt, and many of the leaders will take up their seats in Parliament.
  
  8 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 9:59am
Philview

You may have seen this already but the media reported a violent Far Right March in London at the weekend. Here is some footage of a Haka from the same event. My take is that it was most likely a largely peaceful event with an audience having a good day out enjoying speeches and entertainment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ2jmBf-sZM
18 1
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 8:24am
- David Garrett
  
  Phil: In my view it is ludicrous to try and say that a haka is a “welcome” – it is a fucking war dance FFS, designed to intimidate a possible foe.
  
  Visitors to the country must not know what the hell to think we they are confronted with this primitive spectacle. I remember cringing many years ago when a “Maori welcome” for the band Dire Straits included shoving their front man, Mark Knopfler. He looked utterly bewildered and more than a little frightened.
  
  31 3
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 9:24am
  - Chuck Bird
    
    There is sometimes a haka at a funeral. I believe that the haka was organised by Tamaki.
    
    10 4
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 9:49am
    - MCōs
      
      I don’t know why Brian Tamaki and his haka team were at the Unite the Kingdom protest and who paid for them to be there.
      Meanwhile another faction was protesting against the pro Palestine march in Auckland.
      
      8 6
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 10:06am
  - imalwaysright
    
    The worst example of pandering to people exhibiting violent behaviour in the name of their culture was when the entire Diplomatic Protection Squad stood and watched Tama Iti present a shotgun and fire it metres from government dignitaries.
    
    In any other country he would have been instantly killed by security.
    They later arrested him.
    
    19 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 10:16am
    - Foxfour
      
      There was NO DPS present as it was merely a congregation of Waitangi Tribunal members for a hearing
      There also was no pandering as Iti was convicted having an unlicensed firearm and firing it in a public place
      Curious about your handles double meaning ?
      
      3 5
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 11:26am
      - imalwaysright
        
        From article linked:
        “The Herald has also learned that the police investigated an incident two years ago in which Iti fired a weapon at a tangi in the presence of Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright and Prime Minister Helen Clark, but decided not to prosecute.”
        
        https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/iti-arrested-over-shotgun-protest/M5IUJPSSDQHOF3OC37DHVELTUQ/
        
        Thanks for the feedback on the handle. Its great fun predicting the types who bring it up. I’m rarely wrong, ironically!
        
        7 1
        Report
        September 16, 2025 12:29pm
      - imalwaysright
        
        A bit more from the article:
        
        “The head of the diplomatic protection squad (DPS), Inspector Bruce Blayney, said two of his staff had been present and had been “concerned” at what had happened and filed a report to Mr Smith”
        
        6 1
        Report
        September 16, 2025 12:39pm
      - Foxfour
        
        Thanks for that. I didnt know that
        This is more information
        ‘ Iti was convicted of firearms offences, but his conviction was overturned in 2007. The Court of Appeal judges ruled that his actions had been foolhardy rather than harmful.’
        
        3 2
        Report
        September 16, 2025 3:45pm
  - kowtow
    
    ‘He looked utterly bewildered and more than a little frightened’
    
    Therein the point of said display.
    
    I do think that overseas folk ( and indeed many “kiwis” ) don’t understand it at all and simply conflate it with rugby tours , happy times and blokey comradery.
    
    Anyway it’s now a very far cry from the 1905 party piece .
    
    4 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 10:50am
  - cmm
    
    Yup. May as well assemble a bunch of soccer yobs shouting “Fuck you and all! Gonna stomp you and your muvva”
    
    But it’s ethnic, therefore whitey stands there and claps politely.
    
    11 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 11:21am
  - Ra Henare
    
    David, I suggest you take some education in the Maori Culture.!!!!
    
    A Haka is NOT a war dance altho often used in a conflict situation.
    
    But you seem to have fallen in to believing that myth like so many non maori.
    
    0 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 9:02pm
- Tauhei Notts
  
  I saw those Black Shirts there and thought of Cable Street, 1936.
  
  6 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 9:57am
- Paulus
  
  But the Haka is a strong public exhibition of Violence, and we are supposed to be proud of it ,as it is taught early on at Primary Kura (used to be called School).
  
  5 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 2:24pm
  - Ra Henare
    
    see my reply to David Garrett.
    
    Ever been to a University graduation ceremony when a Maori is capped!
    
    Yep Haka happens. Certainly not an exhibition of Violence.
    
    And I guess repeating this falsehood, makes people feel able to denigrate customs of other ethnicities.
    
    0 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 9:05pm
- Beach Haven expat
  
  Oh no. This is inconvenient for Takuta and JT – I thought they’ve been telling different ethnicities don’t get involved in Maori politics because Maori don’t stick their nose in yours.
  This would seem to be a living example of Maori indeed expressing support for a political movement (as they should if they live in the UK because we should all be able to express our views).
  
  0 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 17, 2025 12:37am
wsk12345

Great conversation on Triggernometry this week about how Britain is financially destroyed (before you even get to the other issies). And strangely it nearly all applies to NZ, we are just a year or two behind. Britain is essentially at the point where they will not be able to borrow more within a year or two and as they are spending way more than they take in, there is an impasse….
26 1
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 8:37am
- kowtow
  
  The media machine still go on about Trussonomics, mockingly .
  That was part of a Deep State coup that hastened the arrival of this disastrous Starmer regime ,which actually is intent on destrying Britain.
  
  Makes you wonder…..
  
  14 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 9:19am
  - Foxfour
    
    Coup? It was a resounding election victory by 411 to 121 in a 650 seat Commons
    Even the SNP lost 42 seats
    Maybe you dont like their FPP system?
    
    2 8
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 11:22am
    - NothingLeft
      
      Labour scored a record beating mandate with 20% of UK voters voting for them as a result of them and all other parties being impotent and mostly irrelevant in the face of a UK govt bureaucracy and judiciary that are in effect overriding parliament in key matters of policy. So much good democracy going on in UK that millions are now taking to the street in protest and Keir Stalin is setting records as least popular PM in UK polling history.
      
      9 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 3:01pm
      - Foxfour
        
        Only 20% ?
        Polling statistics says that 20% is a huge sample of the whole electorate and wouln’t be any different .
        Same goes for Trumps share of the 262 mill eligible voters.
        Statistically is the same if all people voted.
        So you can put wild claims to one side, or unless you think Reforms 4 mill voters , 42% of those who voted Labour should be ‘special ‘
        
        1 6
        Report
        September 16, 2025 3:56pm
      - NothingLeft
        
        The point is that the Conservatives deserved to lose given their shit governance, but voters saw noone as a worthy successor. Labour got in by default with just 33% of the second lowest voter turnout in a century with rapidly growing Reform taking 14% off cons (who in absence of Reform would have likely still beaten Labour) , not because there was significant support for them.
        
        Starmer’s Labour have since proven themselves to be an omnishambolic talent vacuum perhaps equal to Ardern’s govt.
        
        8 0
        Report
        September 16, 2025 4:37pm
      - NeverMindTheBollocks
        
        Bo Jo has a lot to answer for
        
        0 0
        Report
        September 16, 2025 7:50pm
- RoboRob
  
  The Labour minister of finance wanted to cut spending but much of the rest of her party blocked it ‘you cant cut x & y, they are important’. Now she is trying to magic up more revenue, even though they promised no tax rises. She is screwed.
  
  The National party here is in much the same position. Some MAY want to cut spending but National / NZF leadership doesn’t want the political pain that comes with cuts. Same in the USA.
  
  Eventually whoever is in charge will not have the opton of just borrowing more and cuts will be forced and they will be much harsher.
  
  17 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 9:44am
- imalwaysright
  
  I heard that, for every 20 billion that Britain borrows, they use 16 billion to pay existing interest bills.
  
  That’s a hard cycle to break, apparently the gold bullion held by the Bank of England on behalf of foreigners has been repatriated to other countries.
  
  7 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 9:58am
  - cmm
    
    Well it is a harder cycle to break if they keep borrowing more than just the interest and keep digging the hole deeper.
    
    USA is much the same – borrowing $1.1 trillion a year to pay interest. That’s more than their Biden-era defence budget.
    
    8 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 11:26am
wisteria

In the case of the five Priests chained together outside Nicola Willis’s office, What happens when one or more need to use the toilet.
10 0
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 9:26am
- Keith White
  
  It Depends.
  
  10 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 10:34am
  - imalwaysright
    
    Toilet humour …
    
    3 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 12:40pm
- Sir Cullen's Sidekick
  
  I had the same question in mind…But there are answers Wisteria bro…
  
  2 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 10:51am
- PurplePen
  
  I guess they’ll have some is idea then what it might be like to be an Israeli hostage in Gaza.
  
  10 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 10:56am
- imalwaysright
  
  Why didn’t the priests chain themselves to the gates at the Israeli embassy?
  
  4 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 11:50am
- zulumonster
  
  Simple – they have the keys on them (one of the priests had a funeral to officiate at so was “let go” early, so they can take turns at going to the bathroom – Nicola has probably instructed her staff to let them use the office facilities) and then come back and be chained up again!
  Conversely all the police need to do is perform a body search for the key(s), unlock them and escort them to a secure police facility.
  This of course won’t happen because it would be an affront to democracy, and probably a breach of the Treaty among other unspeakable crimes against humanity.
  
  11 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 11:51am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    QV the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, chapter one.
    
    2 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 12:46pm
- imalwaysright
  
  Maybe they could ask a homeless person. A novel experience for them, I would say.
  
  6 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 12:42pm
- Paulus
  
  He said that he pissed in his pants !
  
  2 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 2:27pm
- NothingLeft
  
  Obviously they can transubstantiate it into blood of Christ – part of their priestly skill set so long as one of them is willing to drink the result.
  
  2 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 3:03pm
- rouppe
  
  It would be a little bit amusing if someone came along with a new set of padlocks and double locked them together.
  
  And walked off with the keys.
  
  6 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 3:21pm
sungsamning

https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2025/09/15/jd-vance-will-be-at-the-microphone-for-the-the-charlie-kirk-show-monday-morning-n2193952
JD Vance Will Be at the Microphone for the ‘The Charlie Kirk Show’ Monday Morning.
As so many of us mourn the assassination of conservative leader Charlie Kirk, news has broken that his friend—the vice president of the United States, JD Vance—will take over hosting duties Monday morning and try to fill the gaping hole left by Charlie’s loss.
13 4
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 9:46am
sungsamning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSsJAdvMiHA
Europe in Turmoil. Germany Feels the Heat.
Europe faces unprecedented crisis as trust in governments plummets to shocking new lows while Trump prepares economic warfare against China. German Chancellor Merz admits massive labor shortages as only seventeen percent of citizens trust their federal government. Hungarian PM Orban directly accuses EU leadership of dragging nations into conflicts like previous world wars. Meanwhile Trump announces plans for fifty to one hundred percent tariffs against China and India, forcing European allies to choose sides. Poland completely closes Belarus border amid military tensions while digital euro implementation accelerates. Independent analysis reveals the connections between global power shifts, economic pressure, and political realignment happening across continents. From Soros investigations to European border closures, these developments signal major changes in international relations and domestic policies. Critical examination of mainstream narrative gaps and what global leaders aren’t telling their citizens about current geopolitical strategies.
5 3
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 9:46am
Graham Sharpe

The best use of a haka was to welcome the Coptic Pope a few years ago. A warrior pranced forward waving a spear, and was promptly decked by the Pope’s security detail.
31 0
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 9:52am
- David Garrett
  
  Graham: Brilliant! I’d pay money to see that!
  
  18 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 11:02am
  - Wandering Star
    
    Weren’t you just decrying the inherently violent nature of the haka further up the GD page?
    
    1 12
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 11:21am
  - Biscuit
    
    David, way way back in 1991 the great All Blacks team of that era was beginning to go past its Use By date.
    
    They got done 6-16 by the Wallabies in the Rugby World Cup Semifinal that year in Dublin.
    
    Star of the show was David Campese, the Aussie winger (and one of just two Ocks I’d have in my All Time Best World XV).
    
    David starred in the game – one try, one assist – but he caught my eye pre-game when the All Blacks’ haka, nowhere NEAR as tedious then as now, SO bored him that during it he played keepie-uppie with a ball behind the goalposts at the far end of the field.
    
    10 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 12:22pm
    - Sponge
      
      If he did that these day can you imagine the screams of “racism” and “lack of respect”?
      
      11 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 12:50pm
- Foxfour
  
  I doubt it. It was 22 years ago and a ‘cultural welcome’ would given advance notice to his Holiness
  
  4 7
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 11:42am
Chuck Bird

No American ally can be sure that Washington, in a pinch, would have its back

Whether America’s allies believe the US remains a stable democracy;
Whether they regard the US as a reliable partner;
Whether they’re hedging their security by seeking alternative alliances without the US;
Whether they’re developing contingency plans for wars “in which they might, for the first time in generations, have to fight against US forces if America were to align with Russia against Nato or Ukraine, for example”

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/no-american-ally-can-be-sure-that-washington-in-a-pinch-would-have-its-back/XWGKCVFJLRA3PPMH2EHXBPTENM/
5 7
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 9:55am
- Allan
  
  So the bludgers have been prompted into taken care of themselves.
  
  The worlds social democracys have stripped their ability to protect themselves to the bone while they have featherbedded their lazy and indolent populations.
  
  A whiff of grapeshot and they burst into tears as the reality hits home. No more bludging.
  
  7 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 11:25am
  - MCōs
    
    “So the bludgers have been prompted into taken care of themselves.”
    NZ has backed the US a number of times over the years. We sent people to Vietnam when few other countries would. We were involved in Korea before that. We sent people to Afghanistan
    One would have thought that in the unlikely event a foreign country threatened our shores the USA might cast their minds back to the times we answered their call.
    
    5 5
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 1:08pm
    - AitchW
      
      One could be forgiven for thinking that, but given the erratic nature of America’s current Commander in Chief one could also be forgiven for thinking that we may just be on our own.
      
      4 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 3:00pm
- Foxfour
  
  Its an opinion piece not based on a factual basis by an anti american wanting the French/Germans having economic and military hegemony
  
  1 9
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 11:39am
- Skippytony
  
  Hey Chuck, please provide the list of America’s reliable allies. The countries regarded as stable democracies. The countries who have over fifty years fully shouldered their share of the weight of defending democracy and the western way. Pretty thankless job being the adult in the room…..
  
  8 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 11:43am
- cmm
  
  Nobody can be sure that ANYONE would have their back.
  
  Times change. Allegiances change. Capabilities change.
  
  4 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 11:52am
Gravelroad

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360824731/simplicity-boss-apologises-after-backlash-charlie-kirk-post
The apology you make when you are doing it only to protect yourself and your business.
And to gain a little extra public profile.
He would have been better to have said nothing,
Classic.
28 2
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 10:41am
- RoboRob
  
  Too little too late. I have cancelled all our business with Simplicity, just finished moving my sons money this morning! There are plenty of other options available that aren’t run by a garbage human.
  
  You can gaurantee that ‘apology’ is simply for business reasons.
  
  24 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 11:14am
  - Paulus
    
    Not when the person named has a chequered financial history – trust yes , of course !
    
    3 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 2:30pm
- RoboRob
  
  Interesting the apology makes it into the MSM but the original post doesn’t appear to have.
  
  13 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 11:15am
  - Ghost
    
    The original post is quoted in that article. It is also in the nz herald article.
    
    1 5
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 12:02pm
    - RoboRob
      
      Should have said, the original Story doesn’t appear to have.
      
      I went looking for a story in the MSM about his original comments yesterday and found nothing. I was off the grid over the last few days. Today some sites have the story but purely so they can cover the apology. Would it have received any MSM coverage if Simplicity hadn’t wanted to make sure people knew he had apologised?
      
      Kind of hard to cover an apology without mentioning what is being apologised for 😊
      
      8 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 1:10pm
  - Paulus
    
    The media love him as he tells them stories to publish !
    
    9 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 2:30pm
- Philview
  
  I do wonder in this case if he based his comment on wildly distorted assertions made by the NZ media who in turn made the story about him. Does he have any legal rights if he considers his reputation has been damaged by reliance on misleading assertions made by the media about Charlie Kirk? Why should the media be allowed to get away with things like that when in any other endeavour you would end up in court for misrepresenting facts.
  
  6 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 11:21am
  - rouppe
    
    The Herald today was promoting the view Tyler Robinson was “far right”.
    
    9 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 12:33pm
    - cmm
      
      Yup, they were not exactly saying that. They said he used far right language – leading one to think from the headline that he was far right.
      It was only if you read the article that this was somewhat clarified.
      Again, disgusting disinformation by disgusting people.
      
      13 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 1:18pm
  - wsk12345
    
    If he is going to make inflammatory posts it is his responsibility to ensure he has all the information and facts. Surely any person with half a brain knows not to trust the media take on anything!?
    
    6 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 12:35pm
  - Ehlana
    
    I wouldn’t think he’d want to make an argument like that. It hardly builds his reputation as a businessman running an investment scheme to claim he relied on assertions made by the media rather than doing his own research.
    
    7 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 1:15pm
  - RoboRob
    
    This is from the herald article…
    
    ‘A handful of people have said they would switch KiwiSaver providers over the incident, he said…
    
    “As I’m one of the founders of Simplicity, people associate me with it and they assume that my personal views are those of the firm, which they aren’t.”’
    
    Yeah right. Since there are at least 3 people who have posted here about moving from Simplicity, I am sure it’s more then ‘a handful’. Also why apologise, if it is only a handful?
    
    It is clear from the last section, where he pretends to provide no direction to Simplicity, that he is concerned it has hurt it.
    
    9 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 1:19pm
    - kiwimike
      
      he founded and is the CEO, so he has built the environment there.
      are they all like him ?
      where does it stop ?
      
      0 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 17, 2025 12:22pm
- Conservatarian
  
  Comments on the article appear to be disabled [maybe you have to log into $tuffed to see / make comments but I won’t bother doing that] .
  
  Regime media has closed the issue down. That’s all you need to know. No further debate is required.
  
  “Stubbsie knows he done bad thing and Stubbsie is sorry and you must not criticise him further and you must reinvest with Stubbsie so that his funds under management does not suffer. “
  
  8 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 11:47am
  - Ghost
    
    Stuff don’t run comments on every article. They wouldn’t be running the stories if they were closing the issue down.
    
    3 7
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 11:54am
    - Conservatarian
      
      OK, I’ll check back tomorrow to see the next instalment of Stuff’s relentless campaign against social justice progressive and “ethical investor” Sam Stubbs.
      
      3 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 4:36pm
- cmm
  
  Why do these morons not just keep their mouths shut?
  
  Perhaps from inside his little bubble it seemed like a good thing to say and to promote his “mana” or whatever in his fan base.
  
  8 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 1:23pm
  - Paulus
    
    It is believed that he was probably a better Football Player in the UK than an Investment Guru !
    
    2 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 2:32pm
- kiwi_chileno
  
  Could Stubbs be banned from the US? US State Department DepSec: “I want to underscore that foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country…Please feel free to bring such comments by foreigners to my attention….” https://nitter.net/DeputySecState/status/1966114506116927972
  
  5 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 3:24pm
- sungsamning
  
  FAFO time for him then.
  
  2 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 4:21pm
- Tauhei Notts
  
  Is it true that Stubbs was chief executive officer of Hanover (also known as “hand over”) Finance?
  
  3 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 6:48pm
  - Jack5
    
    Sam Stubbs in July 2007 was appointed chief executive of Hanover Finance, owned by Eric Watson and Mark Hotchin. Stubbs resigned after just over six months in the job.
    
    Stubbs tells his own story:
    
    https://businessdesk.co.nz/article/the-life/my-net-worth-sam-stubbs-founder-and-managing-director-of-simplicity
    
    0 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 17, 2025 12:04am
- Beach Haven expat
  
  He’d have been better served stealing a tennis player’s cap from a small child or taking the head of HR to a Coldplay concert.
  
  0 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 17, 2025 12:43am
lifesgood

Did anyone see poor Dan, the weather man, valiantly struggling to do the forecast in Maori last night. It was an absolute shambles and I felt sorry for him . It was impossible to understand what he was on about. In the end he gave up and reverted to English. Shame on his bosses for forcing this on him. Later in the evening he did the short forecast entirely in English, as it should be.
26 0
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 10:51am
- cmm
  
  You wonder what benefit there is in society to Maorify the weather forecast.
  There is no special Maori knowledge in weather forecasting.
  There is no special Maori terminology. All the met terminology (beyond very basic stuff like wind and rain) is going to be borrow words from English.
  
  Complete waste of time, money and communication – just made life harder for everyone.
  
  20 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 12:19pm
- imalwaysright
  
  This should be a Spartacus moment for NZ.
  Me first…
  
  “I am Dan !”
  
  8 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 12:46pm
- Paulus
  
  Was a giggle though despite his embarrasment !
  
  4 3
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 2:33pm
- MCōs
  
  In my opinion Mr Dan is pretty awful at the best of times.
  I much prefer the people who rattle through the forecast with minimal fucking round. The MetService app while also overloaded with information can be accessed at any time
  
  4 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 5:27pm
Chuck Bird

I will be going to the mayoral debate in Huntly tonight and one in Ngaruawahia in a few days. Is there anyone here in Waikato District?
7 4
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 11:17am
- greybeard
  
  Why anyone would down-tick this post defies comprehension.
  
  11 3
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 11:27am
  - Chuck Bird
    
    Thanks. If the ABs win a few games in a row and I praise them, I will get a downtick. That is not how the up and down ticks should work.
    
    3 6
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 11:59am
  - MCōs
    
    It’s hardly a controversial comment
    
    5 4
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 2:01pm
- Tauhei Notts
  
  Tauhei is close to Waikato District, but I’m in Matamata-Piako.
  
  0 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 6:50pm
Keith White

“Former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern will launch her children’s book this weekend

“Her latest work is told through the eyes of a child and a note from Ardern in the book says, “This book is based on the words and lessons taught to me by my daughter, Neve, while I was the prime minister of New Zealand.

“May every child know that no matter what, they are our life’s greatest work.

Ardern. You made my child take an experimental injection after which she developed acute myocarditis and now lifelong heart failure.

Ardern. Your policies resulted in dead and damaged children (and adults).

And you’re too gutless to front up about it, you just keep crouching down walled off from reality by sycophants and enablers – and taxpayer-funded barriers to your accountability, like the Royal Commission weasels.

A plague on your house. In the Shakespearean / Mercutio sense. Your daughter is innocent. Long may she stay uninformed about your corrupt tyranny, for her sake.
34 2
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 11:21am
- cmm
  
  I assume she needed a ghost writer for that too.
  
  19 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 12:20pm
  - Jack5
    
    Her latest work is told through the eyes of a child …
    
    So she wouldn’t have needed a ghost writer.
    
    5 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 5:20pm
- Don Beckett
  
  “This book is based on the words and lessons taught to me by my daughter, Neve,”
  
  Well its pleasing to know that she learnt something when she was PM. Neve probably increased her knowledge tenfold.
  
  18 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 12:34pm
- alloytoo
  
  All her work was through the eyes of a child.
  
  15 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 12:37pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  I seem to remember that commenting about young Neve was a no-no (apart when she made a starring appearance at the UN).
  
  Now, it seems that although still a child, Jacinda is quite happy to trot Neve out for her own personal gain.
  
  22 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 12:50pm
  - imalwaysright
    
    I agree.
    Kids should be off limits regards the parents faults, but what pisses many people off is said parents picking and choosing when the use of their child is financially, personally, or politically advantageous.
    
    13 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 1:34pm
- cas
  
  I see Jacinda flew across the Atlantic to appear in the Black Ferns dressing room after their win against Ireland. I wonder if she had copies to give away to her adoring fans.
  
  10 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 2:49pm
  - kowtow
    
    So she lied when she told the world at the UN there was some climate something or other .
    
    3 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 6:57pm
- Foxfour
  
  NZ Covid response saved 20,000 lives .
  
  2 11
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 4:05pm
  - Jack5
    
    Nonsense! It’s impossible to measure how many lives were saved.
    
    What we want to know is how NZ fared in deaths per capita compared with Sweden.
    
    That country kept its economy running, avoiding the vast hit that NZ took because of the Ardern-Robertson-Orr blow-out in the money supply. They did this by printing tens of billions of dollars via bond issues.
    
    6 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 5:09pm
- Rich Prick
  
  Oh God, a book and the movie inside two weeks? I’m in for some quick weight loss. Why is she doing this to us?
  
  2 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 8:54pm
Maggie's ex partner

[Mod – children are off limits]
3 1
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 12:59pm
- mogg
  
  Bring back Maggie Pie!!
  
  4 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 7:39pm
MCōs

In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder, Taylor Swift went to her seat behind a bullet proof screen at an NFL game to watch her fiancee
Her liberal political leaning is well known and NFL crowds tend to be on the conservative side, but her personal safety hasn’t been an issue previously
How long before this sort of paranoia creeps in over here?
10 2
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 2:25pm
- NothingLeft
  
  I think things are going to get worse, Kirks assassination was something of a pandoras box. Some degree of tit-for-tat violence seems likely.
  
  And it may become a casus belli for major ideological evisceration of academia and other publicly funded far-left institutions – likely via withdrawal of federal student loan support or similar.
  
  7 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 3:12pm
  - sungsamning
    
    It was on the menu already. The Kirk assassination will likely speed the process up. There is talk of RICO prosecutions for some leftist organizations Especially the Soros ones. Tit for tat violence is totally inexcusable though.
    
    7 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    September 16, 2025 4:28pm
    - NothingLeft
      
      yeah, violence wrecks everything, destroys trust and creates life-long enmities. Only young and stupid see it as a solution. Civil wars take countries at minimum decades to recover from – really requiring all combatants to age and die to really put them to bed.
      
      3 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      September 16, 2025 4:42pm
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360825689/hannah-and-all-black-beauden-barrett-having-third-baby

“Hannah and All Black Beauden Barrett are pregnant with their third baby.”

That might explain his recent lousy performances, even though he was still being extremely well-paid. His shared pregnancy supercedes everything else.
4 4
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 5:36pm
greybeard

Geordie Beamish wins gold for NZ at world athletics champs
VIDEO CREDIT: WORLD ATHLETICS

Middle distance star Geordie Beamish has won a history-making gold medal for New Zealand at the world athletics championships.

Beamish won the men’s 3000m steeplechase in sensational fashion Tokyo in the early hours of Tuesday morning (NZT), becoming the first Kiwi to win a track gold medal at the world championships.

…………………

“El Bakkali was gutted to have come up short, something the 29-year-old has not been accustomed to.

“It’s very difficult for me to accept this result but I have to because this is high performance sport,” he told media at the stadium.

He admitted he didn’t even know the Kiwi’s name.

“I congratulated the athlete from New Zealand,” he said.”

What a lot of rot: he has been competing against Beamish for ages.
What we have here is a really bad loser who cannot admit he was out-played.
And to say he didn’t know who one of his competitors was is simply rubbish.
El Bakkali – what a small, pathetic man.
4 1
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 5:52pm
- MCōs
  
  Before today Beamish had the 67th best time out of about 1200 athletes this year according to World Athletics. He came out of nowhere to win that race.
  
  2 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 16, 2025 8:40pm
Ghost

Despite injunctions, there are people posting suppressed information in comments on TikTok, Facebook, X, Reddit, and Instagram about the Tom Phillips case. Even Google’s implicated. NZ based media are abiding by court orders. So is there anything the Government or police can do to rein in the tech companies? Lloyd Burr reports.

Whether you agree with the High Court’s injunction on elements of the Tom Phillips case or not, an injunction is an injunction and rules are rules.

Article

I saw a post the other day about this. Some New Zealander posted that it was suppressed and the post should be removed. Admin put them in their place saying this is a uk website, based in the uk, NZ laws don’t apply.

The world knows what this monster did, many in NZ know. Suppression orders are dead
2 2
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 5:54pm
Ghost

United Nations investigators on Tuesday accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza in a bid to “destroy the Palestinians” there, and blamed Israel’s Prime Minister and other top officials for incitement.

Article

Coming next, UN report into Hamas and UN organizations involved in this mess
0 2
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 7:46pm
Rich Prick

If you ever wondered what is being to done to young minds:

https://nypost.com/2025/09/14/us-news/teacher-allegedly-showed-charlie-kirk-assassination-video-to-young-students/

Now, I’ve seen that footage and I am forever damaged. Imagine what this leftist indoctrinator has done to those 10 and 11 year olds. This is the modern left.
3 1
Log in to Reply
Report
September 16, 2025 8:51pm
- Rich Prick
  
  Wow, some subscriber here thinks that 10 or 11 year olds should have to watch graphic murder videos played by their “teacher”. Wow, just wow. I thought NZ was better than that. I bet that downticker is actually somewhere in our education system.
  
  1 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  September 17, 2025 12:26am
Rich Prick

Another question, why have all the trans types gone so subterranean? They are usually so noisy.
2 1
Log in to Reply
Report
September 17, 2025 12:17am

Add a Comment Cancel reply

Login to comment or vote

« They’re crazy

Ferris doubled down on his racism »

Donations

You can now donate to Kiwiblog

Exclusive content from DPF on Patreon

Become a Patron!

Never miss a post

Email Address

Join 13K other subscribers

Highlights

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

Links

National gets Winstoned
No Right Turn
Alan Greenspan, 1926-2026: 'The Undertaker' passes away
Not PC
Cost of Renewables Holding Back Net Zero!
Utopia
Is Your Toothbrush Causing Gum Recession? How RANVOO AirJet Rewrites Oral Care with Science
The Daily Blog
Daily review 24/06/2026
The Standard
Word of the day
Hompaddock
Free Speech is in Trouble in Europe
No Minister
The mistakes that sealed Keir Starmer’s fate
Point of Order
NRL Predictions for Round 17
Stats Chat
Media Link: “A View from Afar” on Systemic Change.
Kiwipolitico
Alex Berenson on Fatherhood Manifesto, Marijuana & Biden’s COVID
Bob McCoskrie's McBlog
People Power
NZCPR
Levies as end-runs around the Generic Tax Policy Process
Offsetting Behaviour
A central banker’s fiction
Croaking Cassandra
THE WORKING FROM HOME RACKET BY PUBLIC SERVANTS
No Punches Pulled (Bob Jones)
The Accidental Engagement
Imperator Fish
Legal Beagle: Election '23: The Special Votes
Public Address
Get Vaccinated Tomorrow Or Shut Your Pie Hole
Cactus Kate
Making this movie might have been a mistake
Liam Hehir
Why I am retiring from political blogging
Kiwi FireWalker

[email protected]

PO Box 12270, Thorndon, Wellington 6144

Facebook
Twitter
FourSquare
Instagram
LinkedIn
Google+

Archives
Disclosure Statement
Editorial Policy
Privacy Policy
Complaints Policy
Comments Policy

Design by cre8d

%d

Share this:

Like this: