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October 10, 2025 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 10 October 2025

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General Debate

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Cassandra

Great joy throughout the world, really, but particularly in Israeli and Gaza, that peace is on the horizon.

But in all the speeches one thing is notably missing – recognition by Arabs and Iran of Israel’s right to exist. The two state solution actually has Israel as one of the states and all these pontiffs seem to have overlooked this in their focus on poor Palestine (which has steadfastly refused to budge since 1948). The tango is for two.
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October 10, 2025 8:02am
- artemisia
  
  Likely an uneasy truce, but Israel has displayed shock and awe that should encourage others to pause before another October 7. And will quietly regroup and strengthen its defences, greatly assisted by an educated population, intel and tech smarts. and funding.
  
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  October 10, 2025 8:11am
  - Cassandra
    
    Let’s hope you’re being unduly pessimistic – with a push and a shove this might bring back the Abraham Accords.
    
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    October 10, 2025 8:29am
    - Jethrod
      
      Amen to that!
      
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      October 10, 2025 9:30am
  - R
    
    Every Nation is entitled to defend, and prepare to defend its territory and citizens’ security. That some countries have mismanaged their nation is not justification to invade an neighbour’s. The UN was established to support such an entitlement; in this field the UN has failed badly, worldwide.
    
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    October 10, 2025 9:55am
  - leoj
    
    Who trusts Hamas?
    
    Dollars to doughnuts that they break the agreement.
    
    Their hatred of Jewes is entrenched and multi-generational.
    
    I give it a year, two tops. Hamas cannot help itself.
    
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    October 10, 2025 10:46am
    - Dave
      
      Yes. Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho were awarded Nobels for their role in the 1971 Paris Peace Agreement (though the latter declined his) but both sides soon broke the agreement and by April 1973 South Vietnam was no more.
      
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      October 10, 2025 1:35pm
      - Christopher Thomson
        
        The Paris Accords were never meant to work.
        
        Firstly, it was a face-saving excuse for the US to get out.
        
        Secondly, it was to allow the North to rearm and then invade and conquer after the US had gone.
        
        Vietnam now enjoys the status of being one of the five communist nations left.
        
        Le Duc Tho didn’t accept his award as he claimed the US had not complied with the accord.
        
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        October 10, 2025 4:29pm
- rouppe
  
  In all the video of celebrations by thousands of Palestinians, not one looked to be starving, all their clothes looked clean and without holes.
  
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  October 10, 2025 8:11am
  - Jethrod
    
    And well fed. Complete selection of video by the msm, to portray their message. Amazing things can be done by AI.
    Further on AI; Have just seen an AI video of a scowling Jerry suddenly change to a real grovy dude jiving to the haka in parliament.
    Wonder if he has seen it.
    
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    October 10, 2025 9:37am
  - R
    
    The videos have never shown real poverty and starvation, just like the NZ TVmedia videos of homeless and starving people. An ideological scam, perpetrated for a marxist political AGENDA
    
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    October 10, 2025 9:58am
  - Don Beckett
    
    Dead right. I noticed the exact same thing.
    
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    October 10, 2025 10:40am
- Wandering Star
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  Let’s think about the implications of that well-worn slogan.
  
  What other countries do you think share Israel’s “right to exist”? Are there any others, and if not, why not? From what source do they derive this right? What obligations do other nations have to uphold this putative “right” seemingly exclusively enjoyed by Israel? Does this right necessarily entail the extraction of limitless welfare from the United States? It appears so. When an entity claims it has a “right to exist” eventually they are going to have to walk all over everyone else’s rights in order to uphold their rights-claims.
  
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  October 10, 2025 8:13am
  - imalwaysright
    
    Good point.
    
    Explicitly demanding a right that is implicit seems to have the subtext that this is a special case and therefore the right to exist for Israel is of greater importance, and that furthermore, it is everyone elses responsibility to protect it.
    
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    October 10, 2025 9:57am
    - Cassandra
      
      If you were surrounded by countries calling for your annihilation I imagine you’d want some specifics too. Similarly the Hamas charter. That it has been temporarily amended doesn’t cut much ice.
      
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      October 10, 2025 12:32pm
  - Cassandra
    
    Wandering: you do write a lot of tosh, hence the impressive collection of downticks.
    
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    October 10, 2025 10:01am
    - Wandering Star
      
      Not an argument, nor are downticks. It’s quite apparent that you aren’t able to justify Israel’s alleged right to exist, a proposition you and others repeat ad nauseum. It’s one thing to say something, its another thing to back it up with a cogent argument, and I’m yet to see one following my comment this morning.
      
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      October 10, 2025 1:55pm
      - Christopher Thomson
        
        In that case what right does any country have to exist?
        
        A nation can only exist if it is prepared to fight off or preemptivley attack any nation it feels might be a threat to its existence.
        
        So by your standard Isreal is doing what you suggest to exist.
        
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        October 10, 2025 4:33pm
- My-Gumboot
  
  Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan have either peace treaties or joined in the Abraham Accords. Saudi Arabia was close just before Oct 7. Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, UAE and even the Palestinian Authority have shown some support for the current peace plan.
  Have to give the Trump team credit for getting to this stage.
  Sure thee are a few outliers and some big kinks in the kebab, but things are looking better than they have since Esau sold his birth right to Jacob for a bowl of lentil stew.
  
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  October 10, 2025 8:38am
- Boy Geoff
  
  Morena, I think it’s time we take this opportunity to give thanks and praise to Chloe Swarbrick and that actress girl for their immense mahi and kaupapa in making the peace process start to happen.
  
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  October 10, 2025 8:41am
  - Jethrod
    
    Finger down throat!
    
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    October 10, 2025 9:38am
  - leoj
    
    You left off the “//s”
    
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    October 10, 2025 10:33am
  - Ian
    
    Surely this is in jest? Why so many down ticks…
    
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    October 10, 2025 10:39am
    - Boy Geoff
      
      Heh
      
      Nothing like stirring the pot on a Friday morning
      
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      October 10, 2025 10:59am
  - David Garrett
    
    Boy: I can’t believe at least 11 readers apparently thought you were serious…I expected much better from the “KB commenter community”…
    
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    October 10, 2025 11:08am
  - Frank the tank
    
    You forgot Lorde as well.
    
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    October 10, 2025 11:39am
- Handyman
  
  At some point in the future there will be another Obama or Biden and it will all happen again.
  
  Hamas will be subdued while Trump/Vance is in office because they have the key to negotiating with Hamas. That is, if Hamas send rockets into Israel, the US will bomb Iran. I believe the bunker buster demonstration was the turning point in getting to this peace deal.
  
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  October 10, 2025 9:27am
- R
  
  Typical of the failure by poor parenting, and the educational institutes to instil a sense of respect, responsibility and maturity in young people. Some of who, although called adults, are little more than immature children
  
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  October 10, 2025 10:03am
- Foxfour
  
  Many Arab states and the PA have recognised Israel’s right to exist
  ‘The PLO recognizes the right of the State of Israel to exist in peace and security. The PLO accepts United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338.'
  
  Most don't have diplomatic relations while the oppression of Palestinians continues
  Netanyahu has moved the goalposts by now saying its a "jewish state' , not just Israel as they want to expel the Arab Israelis
  
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  October 10, 2025 1:21pm
- Ra Henare
  
  Also missing,
  Israels recognition for Palestine to exist.
  The proposal replaces Israel control of Gaza (Not all Palestine) with an unknown international administration.
  
  Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. This committee will be made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, the “Board of Peace,” which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump,
  
  Of course, the tricky bit is “”temporary transitional””. What will that mean in reality…???
  
  What will happen if Trump decides to step aside (which he will, dollars to Doughnuts)
  
  Already we have the statement that initially 200 US Troops will go to oversee the ceasefire >BUT WILL NOT ENTER Gaza???!!!!!
  
  Interesting days ahead.
  
  As has often been quoted. Its not over until the fat lady sings.
  
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  October 10, 2025 3:00pm
- Jake Dee
  
  What is this “National Right to Exist”?
  Nobody has ever explained it to me.
  Where does it come from, who determines it, what rights and obligations does it come with?
  Does it apply to all people around the world equally or just to Jews and Israel?
  If the “National Right to Exist” was the result of careful consideration, logical deductions from first principals, then all these questions could be easily answered.
  But if it’s just a myth invented for a political project, then not so much.
  
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  October 10, 2025 6:02pm
Cassandra

“Trump treats government funds like a personal piggy bank” is the headline on our State broadcaster’s website. That’s an accusation of fraud. It turns out that the article is actually a reprint of a CNN opinion piece.

It amazes me that our national broadcaster can be so blatantly biased. The headline isn’t even an accurate summary of the CNN article which actually doesn’t allege fraud but rather that Trump makes decisions arbitrarily. RNZ is so bad that the only solution is to close it and start again.
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October 10, 2025 8:04am
- hookerphil
  
  RNZ is so bad that the only solution is to close it.
  
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  October 10, 2025 8:10am
- Flossie
  
  I am not at all amazed at the bias shown every day in our state broadcasting. Actually quite used to it.
  
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  October 10, 2025 8:51am
  - muzled
    
    Whereas I’d have no idea as I flatly refuse to go to that website.
    
    Along with harrold and $tuffed.
    
    Life is much better without them.
    
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    October 10, 2025 11:14am
    - Flossie
      
      It is not necessary to even go to the website. Casual conversations will give you “did you hear that on the radio they said…” etc.
      
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      October 10, 2025 1:02pm
- JackRabbit
  
  “~~Trump~~ Bush/Obama/Biden/Autopen/Deepstate treated government funds like a personal piggy bank”
  
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  October 10, 2025 9:05am
- cmm
  
  But, for many in NZ, that is what passes for valid news and being informed.
  
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  October 10, 2025 9:07am
- Foxfour
  
  The CNN analysis is correct
  He’s happy to entertain spending on programmes he favours – for instance, vast bailouts for farmers routed by his tariffs or rescue plans for friendly global populists like his friend President Javier Milei of Argentina.
  But when the bill comes due for things he hates, or for projects important to his political foes, Trump can be remarkably stingy.
  In the past, Puerto Rican hurricane victims, Democratic states seeking disaster aid, Californian officials who ignore his forest management advice or “sanctuary cities” that resist his deportations have faced threats to their funding
  
  The Constitution gives Congress the power to allocate funding , not the Presidents pet projects or to harm his critics
  Its so blatant that Trump and his people are misusing funds allocated by Congress
  
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  October 10, 2025 9:17am
  - James Stephenson
    
    I know that “populist” is the new favoured look-down-the-nose term for anyone that the left wing bein pensant hate but Milei really isn’t.
    
    If we take Tony B.Liar’s sneering dismissal of Farage as “someone who is happy to make a fuss about problems, without offering any solutions” then Milei’s hugely successful implementation of Austrian economic theory doesn’t fit the narrative in any way, shape or form.
    
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    October 10, 2025 9:58am
    - In Vino Veritas
      
      Indeed James. Being populist has become a smear the left use to anyone on the right that gets into power. I’d have thought that promising some people other peoples money would be the absolute definition of being a populist?
      
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      October 10, 2025 12:25pm
    - Foxfour
      
      “Milei’s hugely successful implementation of Austrian economic theory ”
      Oh sweet Lord
      
      “The Trump administration finalized plans for a financial rescue of Argentina on Thursday, as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he had taken the rare step of directly buying Argentine pesos in global currency markets in a bid to relieve pressure on the nation’s embattled President Javier Milei, an enthusiastic supporter of President Donald Trump.
      
      Blatant case of spending US money -$20 bill- on a Trump pet project as CNN-RNZ article said
      
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      October 10, 2025 1:03pm
      - Ra Henare
        
        The test will now being Argentina selling its production of soybeans to China, as China stopped buying soybeans from the USA.
        
        https://www.newsweek.com/white-house-in-a-bind-as-soybean-sales-to-china-plummet-to-zero-1080048
        
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        October 10, 2025 3:07pm
      - slijmbal
        
        @Foxfour
        
        While I wouldn’t classify Milei’s results as hugely successful they are, by many measures, pretty successful. Many are not aware how much of a basket case he inherited – 200% inflation, huge fiscal deficit etc etc Argentina has defaulted on its debt about 9 times and no-one wants to lend to them anymore.
        
        Inflation is down substantially to circa 40%, deficit improving etc etc The big issue is that he is doing a short sharp fix because a country like Argentina is unlikely to do a more gradual one. His short sharp fix is painful and might get him voted out.
        
        I notice Krugman is against it, which implies it’s probably the right thing. Never seen a Nobel winner so wrong so often.
        
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        October 10, 2025 8:39pm
  - Cassandra
    
    The post is about RNZ, not CNN.
    
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    October 10, 2025 10:03am
    - Foxfour
      
      Read the item
      ‘It turns out that the article is actually a reprint of a CNN opinion piece.”
      
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      October 10, 2025 1:00pm
      - CJames
        
        “The headline isn’t even an accurate summary of the CNN article”
        That implies RNZ used editorial discretion to change the tone of the article – clickbait for TDSers maybe?
        
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        October 10, 2025 1:14pm
      - Foxfour
        
        First line in CNN story
        
        Donald Trump seems to view federal funds like a personal presidential piggy bank.
        
        https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/08/politics/trump-shutdown-tariffs-wic-farmers-analysis
        So your claims dont match the facts
        
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        October 10, 2025 4:45pm
      - Christopher Thomson
        
        If CNN is you source you’ve already swallowed the lie.
        
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        October 10, 2025 9:59pm
- cmm
  
  People seem to forget that this is now the US government system is set up. The President has huge individual powers over the operation of Federal functions.
  
  It’s OK if “our guy” does it.
  It is not OK if “their guy” does it.
  
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  October 10, 2025 9:26am
  - Foxfour
    
    Thats not how the US system works.
    Its actually illegal for a President to ‘impound’ funding approved by Congress in the budget which they have voted for. Trump is acting illegally
    
    This isnt department everyday spending its for specific projects , itemised in the budget
    
    Your claims dont match the facts
    
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    October 10, 2025 1:06pm
- Handyman
  
  I half expected the headline:
  “Israel withdraws from Gaza after Thunberg breaks Israeli aid blockade. UN nominates Greta for Nobel Peace Prize.”
  
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  October 10, 2025 10:29am
- sirknz
  
  They would just be rehired into the new entity on a higher salary and better benefits.
  
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  October 10, 2025 10:48am
Simon

Check out Tony Blair talking about AI and government. Basically revolutionary in it will allow for a much more effective but vastly smaller government. Blair is leading edge, ahead of the curve. That’s just his role for what ever reason.

If National wanted to be truly transformative they would as a number one priority be implementing AI across govt. It’s wide open for National. Can’t work out if National ignore reality or simply can’t deal with reality
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October 10, 2025 8:06am
- kowtow
  
  What’s in this for Bliar ?
  
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  October 10, 2025 9:28am
  - Paulus
    
    He is bored and wants for Cherie a Nobel Prize !
    
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    October 10, 2025 2:39pm
- [email protected]
  
  If you play with the current state of AI and it’s tendancy to confabulate things at the drop of a hat you should be a bit more nervous about the idea of using AI too heavily for the business of government.
  
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  October 10, 2025 9:36am
- cmm
  
  Nah, AI is still bleeding edge and following the hype is massively expensive. Being a “leader” has few benefits.
  
  Wait a few years (at least 3, maybe 5) and either the technology will be cheaper and easier to install/use or the hype bubble will have popped leaving a steaming crater.
  
  Either way there is no massive advantage to living this on the edge.
  
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  October 10, 2025 9:44am
  - artemisia
    
    Experts will be needed to set up and triple check outputs and will correctly expect to be very well paid.
    
    The public sector is largely legislation driven and can be extremely complicated and nuanced.
    
    Smart enterprises will be quietly setting up and testing, small scale to start with.
    
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    October 10, 2025 9:53am
    - Skippytony
      
      First, as Elon (PBUH) noted today, Grok AI is starting to work on AI checking AI, so theres that.
      
      Second, IMHO NZ should be aiming to be rapid adopters of proven technology. We simply are not of the kind to seek to be at the front of the wave (generally too risk averse and capital shy) and our current model is to be late arrivers which means we are always playing catch up. Neither side of Government seems to be really focussed on ripping cost out of our operating model.
      
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      October 10, 2025 10:22am
      - cmm
        
        AI checking AI is not really that new, but it does open up some huge potential problems.
        
        This is also used in AI training (the hardest and most expensive part) where a training AI generates fake data to train the pupil AI.
        
        If the AI oversight is broken then it will mentor the other AIs in a broken way too. If the mentor thinks 1 + 1 = 5, then that is what it will teach others.
        
        Basically the problem we have with teachers in schools, but AI edition, with no parents checking homework.
        
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        October 10, 2025 11:00am
      - Simon
        
        Corporates are going ga ga over AI. Its not hype.
        See:
        https://www.fonterra.com/nz/en/our-stories/articles/how-ai-and-automation-are-shaping-the-future-of-fonterras-operations.html
        
        Someone like Tony Blair is usually a front for govt policy. Backers, usually global tech is pushing Blair institute, which then writes govt policy. Govt adopt Lobby group policy within 12 to 24 mths. Its just how it works. Blair is pushing AI.
        
        AI will change govt. There is no question. Its wide open for National. National party people will know what is happening.
        
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        October 10, 2025 11:27am
      - R
        
        We had six years of rapid adaptors look where that has got us too!
        
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        October 10, 2025 11:47am
- pb
  
  Blair has been bleating about digital ID for 20 years, he reckoned it would help fight terrorism, as he launched into the Iraq war for globalists. Now, the excuse is it will save Britain from immigration. Or will help put a permanent choke hold on Gazans. Everything he does is about concentration of power. Embrace digital ID if you want to be enslaved. We love Lord Tony Vader.
  
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  October 10, 2025 10:45am
- alphabeatrium
  
  But I want a small and ineffective government…
  
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  October 10, 2025 12:40pm
- Ra Henare
  
  This NZ Government is not interested in improving efficiency by automation in any way shape or form (same as last government).
  
  My ongoing example is proof of life for those on Super. Still handled manually by MSD staff.
  
  Audited solutions have been sent to MSD ministers of both colours with copies to other Ministers. Yep, Crickets other than thank you for your email.
  
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  October 10, 2025 3:11pm
  - artemisia
    
    What sort of solutions Ra? The annual mail out is pretty much untouched by human hand apart from the posties. Gone no address returns process could be (maybe is) largely dealt with by reference to government databases, and manual follow up where appropriate.
    
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    October 10, 2025 3:52pm
    - Ra Henare
      
      Artemisia, [Mod – deleted]
      
      Proof of life forms are sent by email with responses returned by email. They are not an annual mass postal exercise. Forms are sent out on your birthday and 6 months later.
      
      [Mod – deleted]
      
      Its the 21st Century!!!!
      
      Send forms via a secure messaging app. Telegram springs to mind.
      With unique Identifier Yes Oldies can handle Smartphones/computers
      Currently, forms emailed out have no unique identifier!!! So I can get 6 copies of the form, get them signed and post dated and return one every 6 months.
      
      Then the receiver can fill in very simple details for proof you are still alive.
      The service will then date; time stamp the return plus GPS location.
      Which will be received by and validated by a computer system. Call it Ai if you want.
      
      Obviously, amongst the 941,000 currently on super. There will be exemptions for those who cannot do the proposed.
      
      Plus it would release 13+ staff to either find another job or do something else at MSD.
      Clerical Officer, which has an average hourly rate of NZ$28 in New Zealand, translating to approximately NZ$58,240 annually based on a 40-hour workweek.
      So 6.5 mill savings in salary alone. let alone perks and office space costs.
      
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      October 10, 2025 4:10pm
      - artemisia
        
        OK, though I know several over 65s who get an annual letter in the mail around their birthday. It’s been discussed at for example the book club. It does not require any action if there has been no relevant change. Not Luddites.
        
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        October 10, 2025 4:28pm
- Ghost
  
  Who’s ignoring reality, you? You might want to go and look at the different areas the government is implementing and planing to implement ai.
  
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  October 10, 2025 4:01pm
  - Ra Henare
    
    Ok Ghost, give me some current meaningful examples which have resulted in lower staff numbers
    
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    October 10, 2025 4:15pm
- Jake Dee
  
  There are very good reasons to suspect that the LLM model of AI will be a dead end for important projects dealing with novel situations, and running a government surely has to be dealing with novel situations.
  The training data of the LLM is just what previous people have said about past situations. there’s currently no way to feed back the outcomes of the real life decisions into the LLM to train it further.
  I was just watching some AI generated videos where Elvis Presley is Captain of the Starship Enterprise, nice and a good use for the current AI.
  Run a government on it? You’d have to be mad.
  
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  October 10, 2025 6:37pm
Positan

At LONG LAST, Brownlee has managed to call the Maori Party MPs’ abuse of parliament’s procedures and protocols what it is – CONTEMPT !!!!

Yet neither RNZ nor TVNZ’s OneNews could bring themselves to cover that item last night nor this morning.

Time for the Maori Party to be declared non grata permanently in New Zealand’s parliament.
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October 10, 2025 8:19am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  And am I the only one that thinks this poor soul is deranged?
  
  https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/speaker-to-investigate-unauthorised-haka-after-te-p%C4%81ti-m%C4%81ori-mp-oriini-kaipara-s-maiden-speech/
  
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  October 10, 2025 9:30am
  - Flossie
    
    No Maggy – you are not.
    
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    October 10, 2025 9:41am
  - cmm
    
    Remember she is not speaking to you. This is all performance for her voter base.
    
    If you look at it that way then it is perfectly rational behaviour.
    
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    October 10, 2025 9:45am
    - Colville
      
      Performative narcissism.
      
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      October 10, 2025 12:48pm
  - pdm
    
    Deranged – possibly/probably.
    Another activist – definitely.
    
    There to be a Member of Parliament to represent all New Zealanders – no way in hell.
    
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    October 10, 2025 9:55am
    - septic skeptic
      
      Isn’t that exactly what you would expect from someone elected to represent a race based electorate.
      The TOW is being used as a tool to divide New Zealanders by race – basically turning the treaty on it’s head from the original intent of uniting us as one nation.
      
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      October 10, 2025 11:48am
      - Paulus
        
        Sadly the TOW is being used by special people more than ever to divide the Country, and by gender too as I see more and more young so called Maori women with Moko strutting their stuff – in smart Beemers, and showing the other 85% how they are the important ones.
        I am waiting for the first college whahine to turn up to school with one being her superiority place.
        She cannot read or write but she is top of the tree paid for by the rest..
        
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        October 10, 2025 2:45pm
  - R
    
    The poor sole is NZ’s Greta! being used by TPM for the same purpose
    
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    October 10, 2025 10:10am
  - PurplePen
    
    What if everyone in parliament just decided to get up from their seat whenever they felt like it and shout or sing or dance. Chaos. I’m wondering that they should the next time anyone in any party does this sort of thing.
    
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    October 10, 2025 10:49am
    - Sponge
      
      A jolly good Morris Dance would certainly cause some outrage 🙂
      
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      October 10, 2025 12:26pm
    - MCōs
      
      If you pay much attention to parliament you’d know that plenty of the MPs yell abuse at each other on a regular basis
      If it’s particularly obnoxious all they have to do is withdraw and apologize and life goes on . . . .
      
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      October 10, 2025 4:25pm
  - David Garrett
    
    Maggy: The interesting bit will be observing what Brownlee will do about it all…Fuck all is my guess.
    
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    October 10, 2025 11:14am
    - septic skeptic
      
      Well, the previous privileges committee ruling was labelled as “harsh” by some. Others (like us) might have called it somewhat soft. TPM has now made it clear that it wasn’t enough to stop these haka. So now parliament has to decide whether or not they are serious about upholding traditional parliamentary standards. Or whether “tikanga” should allow Maori protests whenever Maori feel the need. It will be interesting to see which way they go.
      
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      October 10, 2025 11:53am
    - Chuck Bird
      
      He could bring back dress standards as suggested by Lockwood Smith on ZB this morning.
      
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      October 10, 2025 12:59pm
    - OlderChas
      
      Indeed DG. If – as I expect – there are no serious consequences then we can expect members of this “party” to continue to thumb their noses at “pakeha” rules and put on another performance anytime they feel like it.
      
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      October 10, 2025 1:15pm
  - mandk
    
    Not deranged.
    
    Just feral. She should be spayed to stop her breeding.
    
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    October 10, 2025 11:30am
    - Paulus
      
      Too late for her and many like her.
      
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      October 10, 2025 2:47pm
  - Boy Geoff
    
    Remember how many of us thought the voters would never elect her because of her train wreck of an interview on Q&A?
    
    We need to accept that different sectors of NZ society truly are on different strata.
    
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    October 10, 2025 11:32am
  - Countrygirl
    
    The photo, to me, shows exactly that derangement.
    
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    October 10, 2025 3:39pm
- kowtow
  
  RNZ/TVNZ must realise that reporting this latest outbreak of rudeness would help push more of the silent majority towards ‘peak haka’ and therefor towards the only serious political party standing against this division, Act.
  
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  October 10, 2025 9:30am
  - SoloView
    
    @ kowtow
    
    The latest outbreak was reported by RNZ yesterday and up on TVNZ website this morning.
    
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    October 10, 2025 11:39am
- cas
  
  He also needs to address dress standards. The woman was in the House in bare feet . Totally unacceptable as are cowboy hats and t towels
  
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  October 10, 2025 10:02am
  - septic skeptic
    
    USED to be totally unacceptable. Now, clearly, it has been accepted, precedents set, and therefore acceptable.
    
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    October 10, 2025 11:55am
    - Chuck Bird
      
      The Speaker can change the rule back.
      
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      October 10, 2025 1:01pm
- SoloView
  
  @ Positan
  re “Yet neither RNZ nor TVNZ’s OneNews could bring themselves to cover that item last night nor this morning.”
  
  RNZ had a video and text of this incident at 4:17 pm on the 9/10/25.
  It was reported on TVNZ this morning.(still up online)
  
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  October 10, 2025 11:37am
Morgan H

I strongly believe that this government will be a one term government. National has slipped below 30% too many times this year. That’s because people don’t feel this government has achieved much if anything. Act is struggles to keep any gains it gets in the polls, latest poll has them down to 6.6%. Act doesn’t know if it’s a conservative party of a libertarian party. This is alienating more ideological voters who would stick with Act if it were consistent in values.
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October 10, 2025 8:20am
- peterwn
  
  So you want a Labour led coalition next year?
  
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  October 10, 2025 9:27am
  - Morgan H
    
    That is what National wants.
    
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    October 10, 2025 9:47am
  - cmm
    
    That’s “I believe in fairies” thinking.
    
    Raising some observations does not mean that someone necessarily wants the opposite outcome.
    
    I too think that National has a very low chance of being reelected, but that in no ways means I want to see Labour at the helm.
    
    All it means is that I am prepared to acknowledge reality.
    
    Would it make more sense in your eyes to yell “Go National” and ignore the reality of how they are being perceived by many?
    
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    October 10, 2025 9:48am
    - R
      
      ‘being perceived’.?……..as the ideologically driven MSM desire, for the purpose of their AGENDA.
      
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      October 10, 2025 10:14am
      - cmm
        
        Yes, that is true, but it is also reality.
        
        MSM bullshit might be bullshit but it still sways voters. And no matter how stupid those voters might be, they still get a vote that is counts as much as yours.
        
        32% of NZers polled in April 2025 said they could trust the news most of the time. That is hugely down, but 32% is a lot.
        
        If you think that 32% of voters are not enough to sway an election you are completely wrong.
        
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        October 10, 2025 12:15pm
    - septic skeptic
      
      I’m a bit more optimistic. TPM/Greens will turn a lot of voters off Labour when push comes to shove. Also, there will be some extent of mid-term protesting in these polls. And generally the right seems to do a bit better “on the day”. I think Luxon will get rolled over the Xmas break or at some point prior to the election. His personal polling is now just too bad. Not that the likely replacements Bishop or Willis will be any better, but they might at least be a fresh face.
      
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      October 10, 2025 12:00pm
    - Paulus
      
      So without a Government next year how many Elections will we have ?
      
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      October 10, 2025 2:49pm
  - RoboRob
    
    Its not about what people want, its about looking at facts. I don’t want a Labour government (or a Green / TPM on) but that doesn’t change the fact that National has performed poorly. As I said yesterday, when you have to have a surrogate like DPF posting articles about you being transformative the day after yet another terrible poll comes out, you are in trouble.
    
    I am now an Act voter, I used to be a National voter, and I also agree with Morgan about Acts performance. Act too have gained no traction in the polls. I would prefer Act focused on fiscal / conservative policy rather then libertarian stuff such as the euthanasia bill.
    
    You can support a party and point out their issues / failures. I don’t understand why whenever there is criticism of Nationals performance some here jump up and shout ‘Oh so you want a Labour government’. I don’t but I am not oblivious to Nationals weakness. At this point it appears if we want a more right wing government we would need a NZF led government (Act is not polling well enough), which is so wrong as National is supposed to be right of NZF. I guess it is not that surprising when we have National insiders like DPF in favour of transgender sport.
    
    If National want to win and lead the next government they need to pick up their Act and start demonstrating the values right wing voters expect. Stop trying to grab the center left vote, that’s what NZF is for. They need to communicate what their strategy is and be clear on what they believe in. No more of this promising things they don’t believe in and then setting up work groups to look like they are implementing it.
    
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    October 10, 2025 10:00am
    - Ginger Cat
      
      Very well put RR. Thank you
      
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      October 10, 2025 11:23am
    - Positan
      
      Well said !!! So many on this blog are “party right or wrong” types who demonstrably can’t think for themselves.
      
      As a Nat supporter since 1969 Luxon’s losers are not going to get my vote in 2026. I want strength of leadership and obvious guts in the leader and his/her front people.
      
      Luxon and so many of those at National’s top have shown neither.
      
      Lack of support for the Treaty Principles Bill did it for me.
      
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      October 10, 2025 12:09pm
    - peterwn
      
      Sorry, but I think you and others are deluded about the political landscape. Far too many view the political landscape though their own political spectacles instead of looking at the wider picture. They criticise policies etc which do not line up with their personal views. It is all very well about talking about National going back to its original objectives whatever they happen to be but an awful lot has happened in the decades since.
      It is interesting that even ACT is starting to be criticised for not following the ‘true’ ways.
      So these sideline critics abandon the parties they claim they traditionally supported and in doing so hands Labour/ Greens votes on a plate.
      
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      October 10, 2025 2:12pm
      - RoboRob
        
        My point is, we should be able to criticise National for perceived mistakes, without being written off as ‘So you want a Labour led coalition next year’. It is the same scenario as when people criticise TPM and are branded as racist, without actually addressing the criticism itself.
        
        Sure my call for National to try and appeal to right wing voters, is my personal opinion on part of what is required to get national up in the polls. It may or may not be the right cure for the issue. But it changes nothing to the fact that there is a problem with Nationals current settings.
        
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        October 10, 2025 3:34pm
      - Quail
        
        There are Political principles ,that are important. They should not ever be subject to the Groucho Marx comment “ If you don’t like these ,I have others “
        Politicians should have principles that are not negotiable so the voters can make a valid judgement as to where they want NZ to go.
        It is not good enough to claim some principles and then change their mind in MMP coalition agreements.
        Voters must be able to trust their candidate to stand true to those principles.
        Sadly MMP has let them off the hook!
        
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        October 10, 2025 7:54pm
  - Christopher Thomson
    
    Do we want National to manage the decline or should we just go full retard and get it over and done with.
    
    A bit like ripping the bandage off a wound.
    
    Going full retard will allow the sane and capable to flee for their safety and those that stay will get roused from their passionless existence and fight back.
    
    Maybe nations need a good bloodletting occasionally to reconstitute themselves.
    
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    October 10, 2025 5:07pm
- Warren Murray
  
  Im v disappointed in National but also share your concern.
  
  Yesterday someone reminded me that at this stage of the cycle in 1992 National (Bolger) was 23 points behind Labour. They managed to secure a narrow (wafer thin) majority just a year later.
  
  The trouble with this lot is their plan is limited to hoping for the best. And Bill English once said ‘hope is not a strategy’. Unfortunately National doesn’t seem to have a strategy.
  
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  October 10, 2025 10:13am
- kiwimike
  
  Morgon H
  I thought ACT were conservative, I’m not so sure now.
  
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  October 10, 2025 11:28am
- Positan
  
  Next year, National will not be the major partner in the governing coalition. Luxon has blown it with his continued underhand support for maorification, treating the cultures of the majority as not even remotely important compared to that of Maori.
  
  He has effectively destroyed Sid Holland’s founding principles – and National is going to pay for it electorally.
  
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  October 10, 2025 12:06pm
artemisia

Intrepid RNZ reporter Evie Richardson has managed to find ‘poor thing’ people to interview about upcoming Jobseeker changes for 18 and 19 year olds.

Poor Rachel with a 19 year old said “if her daughter could not get a benefit, she was not sure she could support her. … “I feel like a little bit of a failure as a mother.” Someone should let her know the change is not coming until November 2026 so she’ll be OK. Though probably still unremittingly negative.

At 18 poor Oliver got a job picking fruit after looking for 4 months but only lasted 4 days. He thinks because he was not good enough. Not his fault though as he did not get much training.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/575472/regional-jobs-no-easy-fix-for-jobseeker-benefit-squeeze
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October 10, 2025 8:27am
- Boy Geoff
  
  Sounds like the pulp sob stories after the mother of all budgets. Evie’s probably just dusted off RNZ’s catalogue.
  
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  October 10, 2025 8:52am
- Foxfour
  
  You do realise that this this was the 2nd announcement of this program that doesnt come into effect until Nov 2026, after the election. LOL
  
  Its was first announced back in May
  
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  October 10, 2025 9:08am
  - Boy Geoff
    
    Hey Fox, just wondering, do you ever provide your impeccable erudite knowledge and wisdom to those at the Standard?
    
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    October 10, 2025 10:21am
    - Foxfour
      
      Its in the MSM.
      23 May 2025
      ‘As unveiled in Thursday’s budget, Social Development Minister Louise Upston announced 18 and 19-year-olds would now have their Jobseeker and emergency benefits tested against their parents’ incomes.” RNZ
      
      We have a government of reannouncements as they have run out of ideas and energy to implement
      
      Maybe you have some ideas rather than attacking the messenger
      
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      October 10, 2025 1:12pm
      - Ghost
        
        The announcement was made in the budget, but the details had not been worked out, they have now, which was what was announced the other day
        
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        October 10, 2025 1:17pm
      - Foxfour
        
        Details ?
        So its coming in force this November now the details – ie its taken 6 months to work those numbers out ?
        
        Dont be silly its Nov 2026, after the election.
        
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        October 10, 2025 4:48pm
  - artemisia
    
    A change of government next year will be very busy cancelling. As they say, we get the government we deserve. All good then.
    
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    October 10, 2025 11:03am
- R
  
  There is nothing too difficult about picking fruit, and very little training is necessary beyond being able to recognise ripe or mature, and the correct way to remove said fruit.
  I would suggest, from the article content that the problem is work oriented motivation. Common problem in NZ
  
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  October 10, 2025 9:12am
  - David Garrett
    
    R: Spot on. In my youth I picked apples and pears every late summer/autumn. The “training” took less than 15 minutes IIRC – and that included some hints on the placement of the ladder to access the most fruit without a move becoming necessary.
    
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    October 10, 2025 11:18am
    - Don Beckett
      
      That’s a “Me too”. 🙂
      
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      October 10, 2025 12:19pm
    - Chuck Bird
      
      You have an IQ higher than 80. Some of the unemployed do not. That is a problem. Any ideas?
      
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      October 10, 2025 1:05pm
      - David Garrett
        
        Chuck: You could train monkeys to pick fruit…stopping them eating half of what they pick might take some time
        
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        October 10, 2025 4:26pm
      - Chuck Bird
        
        DG: what IQ would the monkeys have?
        
        Monkeys are already used to pick pineapples.
        
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        October 10, 2025 4:59pm
  - Bobba Fret
    
    I picked Courgettes for a while. They are prickly plants.
    
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    October 10, 2025 2:41pm
- keepcalmcarryon
  
  The coalition are still in charge of a state media pumping out hard left wing propaganda.
  It beggars belief.
  
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  October 10, 2025 10:06am
- muzled
  
  No doubt Evie Richardson is one of those people that believe 16 years olds should be able to vote because they’re adults.
  
  But 19 year olds are too young to work…
  
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  October 10, 2025 11:20am
Anthony Melchett

https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/coroner-labels-temporary-pools-a-grave-hazard-after-drowning-of-napier-toddler/

The solution offered of course is to ban the sale of temporary pools. Why should responsible people miss out because of stupid ones?

The real reason is that a dad was in a hammock on his phone not watching a toddler around water. Parents just have to be smarter than this.

If your kids are around water you need to watch them. Like actually watch them and be ready to save them. It’s parenting 101. You see it at swimming pools too where the phone zombie parents stare at screens while their kids do whatever.

Don’t ban pools, ban bad parents.
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October 10, 2025 8:31am
- artemisia
  
  I vividly remember being at the beach when brother aged about 10 got caught in a rip. Mum was off the beach like a rocket to get him.
  
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  October 10, 2025 9:44am
- R
  
  phone zombie parents……and similar paid lifeguards who are supposed to be alert!
  Strikes me that parenting should be reintroduced into the secondary school, and University education curriculum. Could replace compulsory Maori, kapa haka and Marxist ideology
  
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  October 10, 2025 10:19am
  - PurplePen
    
    A sort of teaching of parenting customs and practice or as the woke might say parenting tikanga.
    
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    October 10, 2025 10:52am
  - artemisia
    
    The Young Parent Payment is, or is supposed to be, parenting, education and financial support for teen parents. A benefit with benefits. And responsibilities. It was a National social investment initiative.
    
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    October 10, 2025 10:59am
- pb
  
  Ban Karens?
  
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  October 10, 2025 10:47am
- sirknz
  
  We have a 3 year old in the house. They move fast, they are curious, and motivated. They are not aware of the dangers around them. When Miss Three is near water, the dog, the cat, the oven, the driveway, cars, powerpoints, anything sharp, and a whole list of other things, at least one of us is paying attention and reminding her of the danger. She isn’t out of eyeline in the bath.
  
  It just seems inconceivable to take eyes off any kid when you know there are dangers around.
  
  But as always, the answer is restrict everyone else from a thing because someone didn’t do what they should have done.
  
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  October 10, 2025 11:49am
  - R
    
    NZ has, over the years, wasted an awful lot of TAX trying to legislate against DUMB, STUPID, and IRRESPONSIBLE; and still the masses elect socialist Marxist government combinations. Not much chance with swimming pools then.
    
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    October 10, 2025 3:48pm
- OlderChas
  
  Anthony and R. I was at an inquest into the drowning of a 3 year old in a public swimming pool. Four “lifeguards” – all 17yo or under had their statements read to the Coroner’s Court. (No one from the pools actually turned up to be questioned.) Every statement started: “At (time) I was in the cafeteria when I heard the speakers calling an alert…….” . this was pre-cellphone days. Mother was changing her youngest at the time her 3yo jumped out of the toddlers’ pool and ran and jumped into the adult pool. So not only parents distracted.
  
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  October 10, 2025 1:28pm
- Ra Henare
  
  What you have outlined is the main reason for NZs decline.
  ie
  PPPP Piss poor politicans pandering.
  
  The weaklings in government seem to want to legislate against any act of stupidity.
  
  My favourite PPPP relates to the cost of housing where Double glazing is mandatory!!!!!!!!!!!!!! along with dehumidifiers/heaters etc etc etc.
  
  Meanwhile everyone is screaming about the cost of housing…. Ferk PPPP
  
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  October 10, 2025 3:20pm
  - R
    
    Guess which government mandated all those dumb ideas
    
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    October 10, 2025 3:50pm
  - MCōs
    
    My daughter’s house was built in the 50s in Onehunga
    I used to stay there occasionally and it was cold and damp in the winter with mould on the leather jackets and handbags in the wardrobe in the spare room
    About ten years ago the house was altered. The old gib was removed from the walls exposed nothing, but the back of the weather boards; no building paper and certainly no insulation
    No ceiling insulation or under the floor.
    Typical NZ icebox from that era.
    
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    October 10, 2025 5:10pm
Master Mariner

Cost of Living crisis ?
Higher insurance costs.
Useful idiots,
Peer reviewed, Right //
Another “You will own nothing and be happy” Inspired report.
https://www.interest.co.nz/public-policy/135591/peoples-homes-jobs-plus-fisheries-and-aquaculture-sectors-are-growing-risk
https://environment.govt.nz/news/our-marine-environment-2025/

What a load of Word Soup Waffle.
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October 10, 2025 8:35am
- R
  
  NZ bureaucracy is very good at ‘word soup waffle’; not so good at productivity.
  
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  October 10, 2025 10:22am
Biscuit

A couple of posters mused y/day that DJT was gonna miss out on his much-covered Nobel Peace Prize because of time constraints.

Not so: the Committee CAN consider new nominees right up to the day (tomorrow, NZ Time, I think) that they make their decision.

These are the odds for who will win the prestigious prize, according to Sky Bet:

Donald Trump – 15/8
Yulia Navalnaya – 2/1
Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms – 3/1
Volodymyr Zelensky – 9/2
António Guterres – 17/2
Greta Thunberg – 10/1
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) – 14/1
Jose Andres – 14/1
NATO – 14/1
Julian Assange – 18/1
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – 18/1
David Attenborough – 18/1

Some laughable nominees in there – Greta, for crying out loud … the ineffectual UN Secretary-General … ANYTHING to do with the UN.
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October 10, 2025 8:45am
- Libertarians are right
  
  They’re arguing that the US providing Israel the ability to defend themselves constitutes prolonging the war and Trump wanting redistricting being an attack on democracy (when Census data that the house is based on includes illegals in the primarily Democrat states). Also bombing drug dealers and Iran’s nuclear ability is bad apparently.
  
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  October 10, 2025 9:08am
- virtualmark
  
  Hard to see it going to Trump for Gaza when we don’t know yet how well this agreement will hold.
  
  Possible to see it going to Trump in 12 months time if things in Gaza have truly turned a corner, Hamas has been neutered (militarily and politically) and a rebuild is underway. Sadly, given Palestinian history that’s an unlikely series of events.
  
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  October 10, 2025 9:08am
  - MCōs
    
    The Nobel Peace Prize winner is announced tomorrow. The actual award ceremony is at the end of year.
    Anything could happen in the interim
    
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    October 10, 2025 9:43am
  - Gary Benner
    
    But what about all the other 6 or so conflicts he has brokered?
    
    While some downplay the results, the fact is he has made major efforts for peace in about seven conflict regions and brought about a decent measure of success.
    
    As to Gaza, what can Hamas do now? Their sponsors have been neutralised through a combination of military and economic means. Their leadership have been (literally) decapitated, and I’d say the flow of funds and arms has been thwarted. Any revival would be short lived if a new international regime is put in place to rebuild the area.
    
    As to what a Nobel Peace Prize means these days – since Obama got the Peace Prize literally a few months into his presidency for very little, I’d say not much. History will record the Trump presidency(s) as truly transformational, in so many ways. What some Swedish & Norwegian academics think of it is becoming largely irrelevant.
    
    Much like our system for Knight and Dame hoods, and even appointment of our Governor General. It’s become very political, and hence ho hum.
    
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    October 10, 2025 9:50am
    - virtualmark
      
      Gary, can you name the other 6 or so conflicts?
      
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      October 10, 2025 9:54am
      - rouppe
        
        “Azerbaijan and Armenia, Cambodia and Thailand, Israel and Iran, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India and Pakistan, Egypt and Ethiopia, Serbia and Kosovo, and with the Abraham Accords.”
        
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        October 10, 2025 11:24am
      - Libertarians are right
        
        There are plenty of articles about this with explanations of why they should/shouldn’t count. My favorite is that Armenia/Azherbaijan shouldn’t count because he called it Armenia/Albania a few months later.
        
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        October 10, 2025 11:33am
      - Gary Benner
        
        I asked AI to help out here:
        
        Israel-Iran
        12-day escalation in June 2025 after Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, killing ~28 Israelis and hundreds of Iranians.
        Brokered ceasefire via U.S. strikes on Iranian facilities and direct announcements; Trump declared it “officially ended” on June 23.
        
        India-Pakistan
        May 2025 border clashes over Kashmir, risking nuclear escalation after three weeks of strikes.
        Mediated truce; Pakistan thanked Trump and nominated him for Nobel;
        
        Armenia-Azerbaijan
        Nagorno-Karabakh territorial dispute reignited in early 2025, building on 2020-2024 fighting.
        Hosted leaders at White House in August 2025 for joint declaration ending 35+ years of conflict; focused on trade and borders.
        
        Rwanda-DRC
        Proxy war in eastern DRC escalated in early 2025 with Rwanda-backed M23 rebels seizing mineral areas; roots in 30+ years of conflict.
        Brokered June 2025 peace agreement in Washington honoring 2024 ceasefire; Trump called it a “Great Day for Africa.”
        
        Thailand-Cambodia
        July 2025 border skirmishes over disputed temple area, killing ~42 in five days.
        Pushed ceasefire via U.S., Malaysia, and China; Trump threatened 36% tariffs, leading to quick agreement.
        Ceasefire holds; both nations credit Trump.
        
        Serbia-Kosovo
        Post-1999 war tensions flared in 2025 over trade and borders amid Kosovo’s political crisis.
        Advanced talks via U.S. mediation; Trump suspended strategic dialogue in September to pressure compliance.
        
        Egypt-Ethiopia
        Nile River dam dispute (Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam) risked war in 2025 over water diversion.
        De-escalated via U.S. diplomacy; no formal deal, but Ethiopia delayed dam opening in September.
        Diplomatic tensions eased; Egypt’s war threats paused.
        
        Israel – Hamas
        let’s see ….
        
        HTH.
        
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        October 10, 2025 12:14pm
  - Libertarians are right
    
    You are right, of course they gave it to Obama for what amounted to “thoughts and prayers for the future”.
    
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    October 10, 2025 10:03am
  - R
    
    Obama received the award for doing nothing other than being elected President
    
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    October 10, 2025 10:25am
    - kiwimike
      
      R
      “elected as the First Black President”.
      there fixed it for you.
      
      11 1
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      October 10, 2025 11:36am
    - Colville
      
      Walking while Black.
      
      3 0
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      October 10, 2025 12:52pm
    - Jake Dee
      
      The “Not being a George Bush Award”.
      
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      October 10, 2025 6:48pm
  - PurplePen
    
    Well if Obama could get it just for existing and not having done a thing except become president…
    
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    October 10, 2025 10:54am
- Conservatarian
  
  Yes, but Guterres has introduced an all new level of climate hysteria by his “global boiling” description, and he is effectively holding the reins of the universal human rights grift (under which anyone can migrate to the West for free money and refusal to integrate).
  
  Both of these premises are collapsing in hilarious fashion. We are less than a decade away, for example, from the start of an age of mass deportations of many foreigners from Britain and Europe.
  
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  October 10, 2025 9:28am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Remember when our Dear ex-PM missed out on the Nobel?
  
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/123042149/jacinda-ardern-misses-out-as-2020-nobel-peace-prize-winner-is-announced
  
  I hope you didn’t have money on her.
  
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  October 10, 2025 9:33am
  - R
    
    Don’t remember any peace in her time, a awful lot of public agro though!
    
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    October 10, 2025 10:26am
  - Master Mariner
    
    From Link below by Ghost,
    
    “The Committee does not itself announce the names of nominees, neither to the media nor to the candidates themselves. In so far as certain names crop up in the advance speculations as to who will be awarded any given year’s prize, this is either sheer guesswork or information put out by the person or persons behind the nomination. Information in the Nobel Committee’s nomination database is not made public until after fifty years.”
    
    So who nominated J.Ardern ?
    
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    October 10, 2025 10:33am
    - Ghost
      
      J Ardern?
      
      14 0
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      October 10, 2025 10:34am
      - imalwaysright
        
        The receptionist at Pfizer.
        
        13 0
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        October 10, 2025 10:41am
  - Biscuit
    
    I was only shocked that []Helen missed out on noms for her stellar 2026 pieces of work:
    
    That brave visit to Gaza City…
    
    Her ongoing efforts in the Eden Park For The People vs. the Eden Park For The Way [] Wants It conflict..
    
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    October 10, 2025 12:26pm
- Ghost
  
  Nominations close January 31, they do not consider nominations after that. Nominations after that are considered next year. The committee can propose additional candidates, but this is done in the February meeting.
  
  Deadline for submission. In order to be considered for the award of the year, nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize shall be sent in to the Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo before the 1st day of February the same year. Nominations postmarked and received after this date are included in the following year’s discussions.
  
  Nomination
  
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  October 10, 2025 9:49am
  - Biscuit
    
    So why is Trump listed as the fave in 2025 by a betting outfit who have to put their money where their mouth is, Ghost?
    
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    October 10, 2025 12:28pm
    - Ghost
      
      No one knows who is on the list, including betting agencies. The deadline for the nominations is January 31, the only way he could be on the list is if someone nominated him prior to that, or the committee included him at their February meeting where they started to shorten the list. If the Gaza peace deal lasts it would improve his odds for next year. Even the peace deal is outside of the time. Betting agencies are in the market of making money, they will make some good coin on trump not winning this year.
      
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      October 10, 2025 12:39pm
      - RoboRob
        
        Im pretty sure a number of groups in the US entered nominations for Trump before 31 Jan.
        
        ‘At least one congressperson has come forward to say she nominated Trump ahead of the 2025 deadline. On Dec. 11, Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-New York, announced she nominated Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister of Israel Yoav Gallant for the peace prize for their work on the Abraham Accords. The Abraham Accords were signed in 2020 and established normalized diplomatic relationships between Israel and Arab nations.
        
        https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/10/07/trump-nobel-peace-prize/86545119007/
        
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        October 10, 2025 1:21pm
    - Ghost
      
      Nina Graeger, director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo, has suggested the overnight developments in Gaza have come too late for Mr Trump.
      
      “It’s highly unlikely that the overnight developments in Gaza will influence the Nobel Committee’s decision tomorrow [Friday],” she told Sky News. “By this stage, the laureate will already have been chosen, and speeches prepared ahead of Friday’s announcement.
      
      “However, if Donald Trump’s 20-point plan will lead to a lasting and sustainable peace in Gaza, the committee would almost certainly have to take that into serious consideration in next year’s deliberations.
      
      Article
      
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      October 10, 2025 12:47pm
    - Jake Dee
      
      The “job” or purpose of a bookie is not to make accurate predictions about the future.
      Their job is to extract money from your pocket and put it into theirs.
      A contest like this isn’t like a horse race where one horse will win and the bookies offer odds on all of them, the bookies are only going to offer odds on candidates they think they can get good “action” on.
      
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      October 10, 2025 7:25pm
- I remember when
  
  Greta Thunberg – 10/1
  
  Is that for sailing to Gaza again for the same result?
  
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  October 10, 2025 11:44am
Master Mariner

Insurance racket follow up,

“Looking at data from Statistics New Zealand, the report says since 2000, the price of house insurance has increased 916%.

“That’s the greatest increase in price for all goods monitored by the Consumers Price Index in the past 25 years.”

https://www.interest.co.nz/insurance/134900/without-action-its-entirely-possible-many-new-zealanders-wont-be-able-access

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HSWdQ7pbqc
World leading expert and her opinions //
Consumer NZ is another activist front for useful idiots it would appear ?
Bio, https://www.consumer.org.nz/topics/our-writers
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October 10, 2025 8:48am
G152

Every so often I have to reset my TV sat box.
In doing so there are a couple of unwanted religious channels that I usually delete but this time I could not be bothered…
And in this world of science and experimentation evidently creationism is still a go to explanation for some and the scene is always some middle aged bloke preaching to groups of kids….
Interesting
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October 10, 2025 8:50am
- MCōs
  
  I had a satellite dish and decoder in Bangkok that could get sports channels from South Africa plus a few news channels
  But, along with it came screeds of American evangelical mega church channels, which followed a similar pattern.
  Some preacher would be whooping and hollering in front of huge congregations; waving a bible and he always needed money, lots of money.
  Along the bottom of the screen a ticker would show all the money coming in, lots of money!
  
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  October 10, 2025 10:00am
wisteria

Getting a job is about having a work attitude and being enthusiastic when interviewed. Recently heard of an incident where a young man left school to be a builder. Intended to do an apprenticeship. After about 2 months he found the job too physically demanding and it was often smelly and dirty especially if the job was a rebuild..
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October 10, 2025 8:50am
- Don Beckett
  
  Poor little precious. Run back to mummy.
  
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  October 10, 2025 11:00am
Vidar

Will Trump’s Kiwi haters give him even a shred of credit for ending yet another conflict? Or will we get the usual mental gymnastics – “Actually it was *insert name here* who did it…”

I keep seeing people here moan that Trump supporters think he can do no wrong. But here’s a serious question: can his critics admit that he’s been remarkably successful at ending conflicts around the world? We’re at what now, eight?

Only one big one left: Ukraine.

And with Russia reportedly down 250,000 dead and 650,000–750,000 wounded since the war began, all on top of a population already in steep decline, the future isn’t exactly looking bright for Putin.
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October 10, 2025 8:57am
- pb
  
  Both he and Israel need some space to launch an attack on Persia. Lets see if this truce lasts longer than a standard news cycle before handing out Alfred Nobel Dynamite Peace Prizes.
  
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  October 10, 2025 10:52am
- mogg
  
  We also owe the Winston and the coalition government a vote of thanks for not making us into useful idiots by prematurely recognising Palestine.
  Hipkins’ last public pronouncement was: “On taking government we will immediately recognise the State of Palestine”. Starmer, Albanese, Macron and the EU are shown to be irrelevant and pathetic people who want to reward terrorism. Chloe the Marxist, Anti- Zionist will be crying into her Keffiyeh, now she will have to go back to her “Climate Apocalypse”.
  
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  October 10, 2025 10:53am
- David Garrett
  
  Vidar: Yes, one big one – the one he was going to end “in about a day” As the joke has it, he never specified which day.
  
  But I am happy to acknowledge that he seems to have been remarkably successful re Gaza….but it remains to be seen whether what has been agreed to actually happens.
  
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  October 10, 2025 11:24am
  - R
    
    Will some of the Arab nations allow it to happen!
    
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    October 10, 2025 11:51am
  - Vidar
    
    “but it remains to be seen whether what has been agreed to actually happens”
    
    Obviously. I do remember you saying the India/Pakistan deal would fall apart in a week – and that turned out fine.
    
    As for Trump claiming he could end the war in a day, I think that’s just his way of signaling intent.
    
    Given Putin’s attitude, I think Ukraine will keep getting top-tier weapons from the U.S., funded mostly by Europe. They’ll just keep bleeding Russia dry over time.
    
    that way is a tragedy, for both loss of life and the fact that it has bought Russia/ China together. Well done Biden.
    
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    October 10, 2025 12:03pm
Foxfour

Outrageous assault on democracy by US republicans

“Democratic Rep. Grijalva won her special election more than two weeks ago, but House Republicans refuse to swear her into office’

Epstein Files!
Along with four renegade Republicans, all 213 Democrats have signed a petition to release the files. If the petition reaches 218 signatures, that would trigger a process ultimately forcing a vote
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October 10, 2025 9:04am
- Libertarians are right
  
  The issue is that Johnson has previously sworn reps in when the House wasn’t sitting so there is some precedence but there isn’t a requirement. They are actually just trying to punish the Democrats for using 6 votes to shut down the Government.
  
  As for the Epstein files, anything of importance will be removed by the DOJ anyway so there is little to no risk of anything bad coming out. That vote is just a weird distraction.
  
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  October 10, 2025 9:12am
- virtualmark
  
  My understanding is that the formal results haven’t been certified yet. There’s a process that takes a few weeks – I suspect it’s analogous to elections here where we have to wait for special votes to be counted, run out the time limit on any possible applications for recounts etc etc.
  
  Grijalva has clearly “won”, but hasn’t yet officially “won”. That’s the fig-leaf that Speaker Johnson is hiding behind.
  
  My understanding is that once the formal results are certified then any judge can swear Grijalva in – it doesn’t require the Speaker to do it.
  
  The bigger thing to watch is that assuming Grijalva is the vote that forces a floor vote to release Epstein files then how many Republicans will defect from the party line and vote in that floor vote to release the files.
  
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  October 10, 2025 9:14am
- NothingLeft
  
  Both sides are breaking all sorts of conventions – like Democrats not allowing confirmation of about 90 of Trumps staff picks for 8 months.
  
  And we can all see just how dirty DNC have been with regard to manufacturing russian collusion hoax, shitting all over the 1st amendment with directed social media censorship of people they disagreed with, (illegally) using FBI to spy on their political opponents, having the likes of Tulsi Gabbard followed by agents, as well as a campaign of lawfare against Trump and his underlings.
  
  On balance its a real stretch to say things are worse from a trampling of rule-of-law standpoint under Trump than they were under Biden – who was without any doubt corrupt as hell. Though Trump’s bombast is certainly outside the bounds of decorum, he is fighting an activist partisan federal judiciary and entrenched ‘deep state’ interests that have proven themselves to be no respecters of the proper forms of federal govt.
  
  So I think you need to give him a bit of latitude. Given how fast and loose the opposition are playing.
  
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  October 10, 2025 9:14am
  - virtualmark
    
    It’s not the Democrat’s responsibility to rubber-stamp Trump’s picks. Their legitimate role is to scrutinise the candidates. The same thing happens with Republican Senators and a Democrat President. That’s the realpolitik.
    
    But re the “Russia collusion hoax” … which bit is the hoax? What is your definition of the “Russia collusion hoax”?
    
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    October 10, 2025 9:23am
    - NothingLeft
      
      It’s been all through the news over last 6 months – a paper trail showing how post 2016 election Obama directed his senior intelligence staff to create an intelligence report saying that Trump was in Russia’s pocket even though they had sound evidence and initial analysis summaries to the contrary.
      
      Here’s Matt Taibbi of Racket News (as close as you can get to an ethical neutral journalist these days) summary. https://www.racket.news/p/racket-library-the-declassified-intelligence
      
      This manufactured lie was used to effectively neuter Trump’s first term and is perhaps the most egregiously seditious/coupesque effort in US federal history – other than (if CIA organized) possible Kennedy assassination and Watergate perhaps-coup.
      
      I’m no fan of Trump as a person, but preventing govt from operating just because you don’t like who the people choose is many bridges too far.
      
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      October 10, 2025 4:03pm
  - Foxfour
    
    This was Johnston the House speaker
    
    The Trump appointees numbers roughly tracks the same numbers as for Bidens first 9 months- done by the Senate not the House
    
    see the graphic ‘Trump’s first-year confirmation count compared to recent administrations’
    Theres 300 major positions that Trump hasnt nominated anyone
    
    https://ourpublicservice.org/performance-measures/political-appointee-tracker/
    
    You reap what you sow
    
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    October 10, 2025 9:23am
    - Libertarians are right
      
      “You reap what you sow” – Exactly, the Democrats weaponised everything so have no right to complain now.
      
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      October 10, 2025 9:39am
      - Foxfour
        
        Have you seen the confirmations for trumps 1st term?
        Far faster than for Biden.
        The ultra partisanship came when Biden was elected and the republicans didnt like that Trump lost
        
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        October 10, 2025 4:50pm
    - NothingLeft
      
      Democrats have effectively stonewalled appointments, which you could say is just a continuation of the downward spiral of increasingly partisan senate politics that have almost ceased the past systems that saw eventual grudging acceptance of appointments and horse-trading on bills.
      
      Now everything is sacrificed to partisan posturing that has effectively stopped the senate from functioning as an upper house -it has become paralyzed and unable to pass almost anything with 60 person majority needed for certain types of bills and as part of devolution into incessant political posturing without care for destruction it causes.
      
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      October 10, 2025 4:17pm
      - Christopher Thomson
        
        The backlog was cleared this week.
        
        In effect the nominations were held up for 9 months.
        
        For almost an entire year since the election the nominees, many to minor and inconsequential posts, were not able to join the administration.
        
        To now trumpet that the numbers are the same ignores the fact that the previous nominees were getting to the appointments in a timely manner.
        
        This time the nominees were all stopped until 3 days ago. Next week Trump would have been able to appoint them without the senate vote.
        
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        October 10, 2025 10:14pm
- Conservatarian
  
  I’ve held my nose and up-ticked you.
  
  Not on this Grijalva nonsense, but because I agree that the Epstein files should be released wholesale and unredacted. Any person named will go though the normal “trial by media and public opinion” process of being associated (however superficially) with Epstein.
  
  My support is to the extent that the files have not been doctored by the FBI, DOJ, CIA, et al under any White House administration.
  
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  October 10, 2025 9:16am
  - Inandout
    
    C, you do realise that the Dems sifted through those files for 4 years, finding zilch on Trump? I do however think many politicians from both sides are mentioned and maybe now is the time for Trump to let the cards fall as they may. My bet is that Adam Schiff is one mentioned basing that on the old saying about those ‘who scream the loudest’.
    
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    October 10, 2025 9:53am
  - Libertarians are right
    
    My assumption is that there’s well known legal reasons it can’t be released and both sides know this. The Trump argument is weird because we know the Democrats would have “leaked” anything tangible.
    
    Seriously, the Democrats created a false “fraud” case relating to property valuations to go after him and then an insane “bookkeeping to cover up a crime which wasn’t actually a crime but we think he’s too stupid to know it wasn’t a crime so he thought he was covering up a crime which is a crime even though he never actually covered up or committed a crime” case.
    
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    October 10, 2025 9:55am
  - Gary Benner
    
    “My support is to the extent that the files have not been doctored by the FBI, DOJ, CIA, et al under any White House administration.”
    
    Anything of any concern will have already been done, burnt, and buried.
    
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    October 10, 2025 10:09am
    - Jake Dee
      
      In which case there’s no reason not to release them. If there was a perfect cover up or snow job done, then you’d want them out in the public domain.
      
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      October 10, 2025 7:29pm
  - leoj
    
    Why were the files not released when Biden was President?
    
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    October 10, 2025 10:41am
    - NothingLeft
      
      And why have democrats voted against some releases?
      
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      October 10, 2025 4:18pm
  - Paulus
    
    Who says the Epstein files have not been tampered with – this is America !
    
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    October 10, 2025 3:58pm
sungsamning

Before his departure, Bray issued an apparent call-to-action, urging widespread militancy. “Only mass antifascism, legal or not, can save us,” Bray declared on Bluesky, a popular platform on the political Left.

Bray, an assistant professor at Rutgers University, will continue teaching classes on “Terrorism” and the “History of Antifascism” remotely, despite a Change.org petition from students calling for his firing.
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October 10, 2025 9:23am
- Conservatarian
  
  Perhaps an actual expert on Antifa, such as the journalist Andy Ngo, will be called one day to give evidence against Mark Bray in a US court.
  
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  October 10, 2025 2:03pm
  - sungsamning
    
    We can but hope.
    
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    October 10, 2025 4:41pm
sungsamning

https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2025/10/09/beyond-the-noise-we-are-winning-fundamental-victories-n2664585
Beyond the Noise, We Are Winning Fundamental Victories.
If you are on social media, or if you are watching the regime media, you might be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of bullSchiff coming from the left. Now, it’s all AstroTurf; the social media stuff is all consultant-driven, and the regime media is, well, the regime media. But the regime media is changing regimes before our eyes; it is just that no one sees it because they are distracted by the current fight. Larger trends and a newfound testicular fortitude among conservatives are forcing significant and permanent changes to the structure of the left’s most vital ally, with a powerful downstream effect.
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October 10, 2025 9:23am
Chuck Bird

Did anyone hear Sir Lockwood Smith? It seems he correctly thinks Brownlee is not doing his job, especially in regards dress standards.

Could Luxon not have a word privately with Brownly?
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October 10, 2025 9:50am
- pdm
  
  Chuck – Luxon maybe condones it.
  
  After all it is not in his nature to be confrontational.
  
  That is one reason why Co Governance reigns supreme in Councils and the Public Service.
  
  He will not do the hard yards.
  
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  October 10, 2025 10:02am
  - kiwimike
    
    PDM
    & the Maori Education Minister, which is why National will lose.
    
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    October 10, 2025 11:44am
- Ghost
  
  And do you have a link so we can see what was actually said
  
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  October 10, 2025 10:05am
  - Ghost
    
    Lockwood talks about the committee at the end to review what is working and what isn’t, the recommendation from the committee, that the power is in the hands of the members, etc
    
    https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/kerre-woodham-mornings/audio/sir-lockwood-smith-former-speaker-of-the-house-on-the-haka-disrupting-house-proceedings/
    
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    October 10, 2025 12:32pm
- RoboRob
  
  ‘Could Luxon not have a word privately with Brownly?’
  
  Absolutely, but does Luxon believe there is an issue? My guess is no, which is why Brownlie allows all this nonsense. Luxon doesn’t want to offend.
  
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  October 10, 2025 10:08am
  - Ghost
    
    I’m sure kiwibloggers are all writing the Standing Orders committee to express their displeasure about the dress code, so that next time it is discussed they know. Brownlee has already said that he’s had a lot of complaints about the dress code and that they will need to be discussed
    
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    October 10, 2025 10:52am
- MCōs
  
  Mr Brownlee allows himself to be tied up in knots; not only by TPM, but during QT by Winston, Seymour, McAnulty and Bishop. All these guys who have read standing orders for fun.
  
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  October 10, 2025 10:48am
- H. Upmann
  
  Brownlie and Luxon; not exactly the A Team when it comes to dishing out discipline, standards and decency….or pretty much anything at all really.
  
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  October 10, 2025 11:14am
- R
  
  Short of having a military style dress inspection at the entrance to the Chamber, there isn’t a lot that the Speaker can do about members low self respect and sartorial standards
  
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  October 10, 2025 11:58am
  - David Garrett
    
    R: What rubbish! In my time pthere was no need for “military style inspections” Everyone knew the rules and followed them – including the Maori Party as it then was
    
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    October 10, 2025 4:33pm
Hugh Jarse

Has anyone seen an acknowledgement or congratulations to Trump from Helen, John or Chloe of the good work that he has done with Hamas and Israel ?. I know it’s unlikely but thought I would ask.
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October 10, 2025 10:04am
- simpleton1
  
  It did make me wonder what HC position is looking to?
  
  Interview put out last night, 9th October 2025.
  https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/nights/audio/2019007764/helen-clark-on-gaza-peace-agreement
  
  A remarkable skill in repositioning herself.
  
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  October 10, 2025 12:00pm
- R
  
  It will be the first item on TV1 News tonight, take up about 15 mins of broadcast time, to demonstrate TV1’s unbiased approach to political comment
  
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  October 10, 2025 12:03pm
- Paulus
  
  It hasn’t happened yet – just talked about – I will believe it when it actually happens.
  
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  October 10, 2025 4:00pm
- sungsamning
  
  Don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen.
  
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  October 10, 2025 4:43pm
imalwaysright

Listening to Michael Laws on the Platform saying Rawiri Waititi shut down Ngarewa-Packer from answering a question from Maiki Sherman that he obviously didn’t like.
Waititi apparently physically forced Packer from the area.

Imagine if Luxon did that to Willis.
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October 10, 2025 10:19am
- Blog-aholic
  
  Waititi did handle her and she did not look happy at all. The question asked was about his dictatorial leadership and albeit he did not answer his actions spoke volumes.
  
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  October 10, 2025 10:49am
  - OlderChas
    
    Blog-aholic. I think the question to Ngarewa-Packer was actually about Tamahere’s dictatorial actions, not Waititi’s
    
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    October 10, 2025 1:38pm
- Libertarians are right
  
  That was last election when Packer was basically admitting that they committed election fraud right?
  
  13 1
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  October 10, 2025 11:38am
- R
  
  Would have been a ‘breaking news’ moment on TV1
  
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  October 10, 2025 12:00pm
imalwaysright

Here’s the Watiti video showing him manhandle Packer from the mic.
(Go to 3.30s )

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/te-pati-maori-mp-oriini-kaipara-to-give-maiden-speech-as-party-prepares-for-reset/5BRJB7FHUNE3HEHHGMQK4OAK24/
21 1
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October 10, 2025 10:36am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Wahine, know your place!!!
  
  28 1
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  October 10, 2025 10:54am
  - imalwaysright
    
    Ironically, the question that he balked at was about whether the Maori Party is a dictatorship.
    
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    October 10, 2025 11:02am
  - Swifty
    
    Look, listen and take heed!
    
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LS37SNYjg8w
    
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    October 10, 2025 1:10pm
- PurplePen
  
  Wow. Interestingly Packer used a lot of english and very little manglish in that interview.
  
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  October 10, 2025 10:58am
- Jethrod
  
  I wonder if Waititi got a punch when they got to the office?
  
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  October 10, 2025 11:00am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  If any public servant hauled another colleague around like that, they’d be heading for disciplinary proceedings.
  
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  October 10, 2025 11:02am
  - Gravelroad
    
    I watched the included video with the sound off.
    Ms Packer was dominated, subservient and looked very uncomfortable.
    No power sharing there evidently.
    Felt sorry for the woman being bullied by a man with tats, a hat, an ostentatious necklace , and nothing much else.
    At the ned of the “interview” another man wearing Maori insignia round his neck, came and stood by Ms Packer and tried to take charge.
    Very difficult to take these people seriously.
    
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    October 10, 2025 11:45am
    - muzled
      
      Marae rules.
      
      Women at the back and not allowed to speak…
      
      16 0
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      October 10, 2025 12:05pm
    - R
      
      Part of the TPM reset ?
      
      11 0
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      October 10, 2025 12:05pm
  - PurplePen
    
    Yes. Wasn’t there an MP that attracted a lot of negative press for grabbing someone’s elbow.
    
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    October 10, 2025 1:15pm
igm

Seems maoris can do as they please in New Zealand these days.
https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/crime/reality-tv-funeral-director-fiona-bakulich-released-from-prison-after-winning-sentence-reduction-on-auckland-high-court-appeal/
What an insult to the victims, once again initiated by our judiciary.
Those responsible for this embarrassment should be sacked.
15 2
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October 10, 2025 10:53am
- keepcalmcarryon
  
  That will be the two tier justice system you are noticing.
  
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  October 10, 2025 1:45pm
76_special

Finally did it – canceled my NZ Herald subscription. Opened it this morning to see the leading article on a poor kid with cancer who’s mum has resorted rongoā Māori (alternative medicine involved plant-based food and other practices, including prayer) and claims its healed her daughter. She was given 2 weeks to live on 20th Sept and is now up and about. No mention of the classic End-of-life-Rally.
While I really do feel for the family and would try anything to help my kids, it was an absolutely terrible piece of reporting and made me so angry, especially the ” Tino rangatiratanga over rongoā is guaranteed under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.”
FFS, the kid has cancer, will likely pass soon and the NZH couldn’t help themselves with the racist political point scoring.
So angry…
26 0
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October 10, 2025 11:02am
- Swifty
  
  Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.
  
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  October 10, 2025 1:07pm
I remember when

Nautilus:
“Hybrid species have long sparked our imaginations, from lion-tigers to minotaurs.
Now researchers have spotted a new example of a curious chimera, the grue jay,” a bird that blends a blue jay, which lives in temperate climates, and a green jay, which traditionally inhabits tropical climates.
We can expect more of these odd couplings as home ranges shift in a warming world – this creature is “a harbinger of our future under climate change.

Another attempt to make something out of nothing.
They were probably always likely to mate if the opportunity arose.
7 0
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October 10, 2025 11:29am
Swifty

It’s a little known fact that, in addition to horse racing, Queen Elizabeth II had a great interest in professional wrestling and actually wrestled in a few bouts herself:

https://x.com/drclownphd/status/1976098034636177889?s=46
6 1
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October 10, 2025 11:36am
- Jethrod
  
  My reply to that is that this shouldn’t have been passed by the moderator. A real disservice to Her Majesty and a slight of major concern.
  So there.
  
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  October 10, 2025 5:27pm
  - Swifty
    
    For the record I think she was a wonderful monarch, unlikely ever to be surpassed in terms of her service to the nation and Commonwealth and a woman I greatly admired.
    
    But that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little gentle fun from time to time, in my view.
    
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    October 10, 2025 7:08pm
  - Ghost
    
    The queen had a good sense of humour, no doubt she would laugh at it too.
    
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    October 10, 2025 7:12pm
David Garrett

Our “justice” system is truly fucked:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360850151/former-tipene-funerals-undertakers-sentence-was-manifestly-excessiv

One of the fundamental rules of a civilized society – in fact of almost any society – is respect for the dead. It is only a couple of generations ago that men took off their hats when a funeral procession passed. I can remember traffic cops halting traffic and saluting the hearse to enable a funeral procession to pass unhindered. Now that only happens for scum gang members.

Far from being manifestly excessive, this disrespectful disgraceful fraudster ought to have been sent to jai for twice as long. Upset by her harsh treatment in jail? Poor petal should have thought of that before she took money to entomb the dead in zinc boxes (which largely prevents de-composition) and instead buried them in plastic bags – not even with the dignity of a wooden coffin.
22 3
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October 10, 2025 11:40am
- civil serpent
  
  “One of the fundamental rules of a civilized society – in fact of almost any society – is respect for the dead”.
  
  Oh, the irony.
  
  8 1
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  October 10, 2025 12:54pm
  - David Garrett
    
    Yeah, you got me…using a child’s name to obtain a bogey passport that was never used for any purpose is exactly morally the same as taking money for placing a deceased loved one in a sealed zinc box and placing same in a coffin, and then instead burying said deceased in a plastic bag.
    
    6 1
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    October 10, 2025 3:15pm
Swifty

A society’s greatest strength is unity and shared values:

https://x.com/dave24144975/status/1976351808931889269?s=46
5 0
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October 10, 2025 12:04pm
- Conservatarian
  
  Deport immediately.
  
  5 0
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  October 10, 2025 2:11pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Seems the media has been very coy about just who has received a barrage of death threats

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/575542/man-charged-after-string-of-death-threats-made-against-mp

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/gisborne-herald/news/police-arrest-gisborne-teen-accused-of-threatening-to-kill-mp/3VCGLUJUDZFDXJZXAFPIVEISVI/
7 0
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October 10, 2025 12:21pm
- Foxfour
  
  Seems that KB hasnt mentioned it either …. but if it was against an Government MP, banner headlines and blaming the left.
  
  2 6
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  October 10, 2025 1:14pm
  - Libertarians are right
    
    It was Benjamin Doyle. They’ve been running around telling everyone that they’ve been getting death threats so makes sense.
    
    6 0
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    October 10, 2025 1:25pm
    - Foxfour
      
      Most Green Mps get death threats as well, could be any of them
      
      1 4
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      October 10, 2025 4:52pm
      - MCōs
        
        I would suggest all MPs who put their heads above the ramparts get a barrage of hate mail.
        A woman in our whanau used to work on the radio and for her efforts she was subjected to a stream of abuse, particularly on Mondays for some reason. She wasn’t opinionated, but she is fluent in te reo, which riles up some of those who are.
        
        2 0
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        October 10, 2025 5:26pm
      - imalwaysright
        
        If the Greens were on KB they’d call a downtick a death threat.
        
        5 0
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        October 10, 2025 5:54pm
BeaB

How can Corin Dann be the new RNZ business editor? Every morning he tells us he is ‘confused’ about something. He thinks interviews are a ‘contest of ideas’. He has a very basic binary view of the world – if it’s not black it must be white. His speech is what we used to call ‘common’ .
We must have the dumbest state radio in the world.
11 1
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October 10, 2025 1:20pm
- Libertarians are right
  
  Isn’t he the guy that once declared on TV and without any proof whatsoever that the Greens were looking at going into a coalition with National in the hope that the Green voters would jump ship to Labour?
  
  7 0
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  October 10, 2025 1:54pm
- imalwaysright
  
  He has been sacked sideways.
  
  5 0
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  October 10, 2025 2:27pm
- Paulus
  
  It’s nothing new for Corin Dann to be confused.
  I have always taken that if you did the opposite of what you think he said, you would be allright.
  
  6 0
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  October 10, 2025 4:04pm
- R
  
  RNZ concert programs are great, could dump the rest of RNZ
  
  1 0
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  October 10, 2025 8:07pm
Swifty

Who will replace Corin Dann on Morning Report?

Place your bets.
5 0
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October 10, 2025 2:07pm
- BeaB
  
  It won’t be good
  
  6 1
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  October 10, 2025 4:26pm
  - imalwaysright
    
    The Return of the Tova perhaps…
    
    3 0
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    October 10, 2025 5:56pm
Ra Henare

So what does government regulation/law really achieve?
I am looking at the effect of dropping the drink drive limit to 0.04 in 2014.

How many lives have been saved.
Government Reports cherry pick numbers and crow about 45% reduction.

Lets look at some facts based on deaths per 100,000kms drive, (Number of deaths per year is highly variable and not a good metric in my view)

So lets look at some real numbers deaths per 100,000 kms

2013 1.89
2014 2.85
2015 2.30
2016 2.16
2017 2.61
2018 2.57
2019 2.34
2020 1.9
2021 1.75 Saved by covid lockdowns
2022 2.25 so back to normal.

On this data, admittedly not using deaths of those between .04 and .08 levels

It would appear not to have worked, especially as roads have generally become safer along with cars safety features.
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October 10, 2025 3:37pm
- Foxfour
  
  Not .04
  ” limit is 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood (50mg/100ml), or 250 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath (250mcg/L) for those 20 and older
  
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  October 10, 2025 4:55pm
  - Dougal10
    
    I guess math is not your strong subject.
    
    5 0
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    October 10, 2025 5:48pm
  - Ra Henare
    
    I stand corrected.
    
    blood alcohol limit from 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood to 50 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood.
    
    The argument remains the same.
    
    0 0
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    October 11, 2025 3:58am
Swifty

The left generally, and Maori specifically, are held to a completely different standard of behaviour in this country:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=k5INjAb1Plc&pp=ugUHEgVlbi1HQg%3D%3D

They are the elites, and our news media is complicit in enabling this new paradigm.
7 0
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October 10, 2025 4:29pm
AitchW

Is the poll on Maori wards binding?
5 1
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October 10, 2025 4:43pm
- Ghost
  
  Yes
  
  Article
  
  There were 42 councils that established Māori wards without a referendum, who must now hold a binding poll after a law change last year.
  
  The Local Government (Māori Wards) Amendment Act requires councils that brought in Māori wards without polling residents to either hold a binding poll at the 2025 local government election or remove Māori seats from this year’s election entirely.
  
  7 0
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  October 10, 2025 5:12pm
- kowtow
  
  What , if anything ,will be done about the South island , appointed to council committees without reference to anyone but unelected ngai tahu tribal elites “representatives” placed on council committees with full voting rights.
  
  4 2
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  October 10, 2025 5:56pm
  - R
    
    This local body councils corruption needs to be removed in one quick slice
    
    4 0
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    October 10, 2025 8:02pm
Ghost

Another one bites the dust.

The Green Party’s director of communications, Louis Day, has resigned just weeks after its now-former chief of staff, Eliza Prestidge-Oldfield, made the same decision.

Article
8 0
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October 10, 2025 6:23pm
- graham
  
  “It’s not easy being green” … or open, honest and transparent it seems.
  
  5 0
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  October 10, 2025 7:58pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Now there’s a job that Tory can do, standing on her head.
  
  1 0
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  October 10, 2025 10:09pm
Ghost

And we have a winner

The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded Friday to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
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October 10, 2025 10:16pm

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