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November 21, 2025 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 21 November 2025

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General Debate

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Cassandra

I’ve argued many times on this platform that the only sensible defence policy for NZ is to work with allies to keep the sea lanes open and any conflict as far away as possible. Some sort of home guard/guerrilla force defending the home land is nonsense.

À propos of an oil-based economy (which is what we all have, it’s just that NZ’s is mostly imported) was this interesting report: “And the real issue is that New Zealanders could lose access to these life-saving medicines (including paracetamol, ibuprofen, amoxycillin, asthma medication and even aspirin) in the event of a global catastrophe or events such as a Northern Hemisphere nuclear war, a volcanic winter, a bioengineered pandemic, or a major solar storm, which could all contribute to a collapse in international trade and which in turn would lead to critical shortages of imported medicines.”

Without imports and exports to pay for them NZ will collapse. Which is why we need a proper navy (and as an old soldier I say that with some regret!). It still might not be enough of course (nuclear war!!) but in many circumstances it might just do the trick, which is survival. There might be a victor but there won’t be any winners.

Every country of any status in the world is taking this seriously, with constant announcements of major improvements in both equipment and manpower. Pretty quiet on this subject in Aotearoa. It’s not a topic of much interest to Kiwis.
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November 21, 2025 8:03am
- Wandering Star
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  Since you’re constantly advocating for the taxpayer spending billions on defence from threats you cannot articulate with any specificity and cogency, may I ask how much have you contributed so far to the “get NZ a proper navy” fund?
  
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  November 21, 2025 8:07am
  - Cassandra
    
    A lifetime in the Army and a terminal illness? Is that enough?
    
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    November 21, 2025 9:42am
    - Phronesis
      
      Cassandra – You will have noticed that Kiwiblog publishes guest posts. I would really encourage you to have a go at a post or a series of posts. Like many here you obviously have some interesting knowledge and experience that I’m sure most of us would appreciate to see more of.
      
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      November 21, 2025 12:17pm
    - Wandering Star
      
      How does your lifetime in the Army and your illness justify spending billions of taxpayer dollars “protecting” NZ from enemies we don’t have? I don’t see any connection.
      
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      November 21, 2025 1:55pm
      - Mike
        
        It’s just an opinion. There is nothing to suggest it is any less informed than your own. But if you want to pretend it’s a choice between no defense force and some kind of Taiwan or Finland then that’s on you.
        
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        November 21, 2025 3:28pm
      - Cassandra
        
        Wandering: I was answering your question. I have experience – my Army service – and motivation – my illness which resulted from that service. You really are not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
        
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        November 21, 2025 8:11pm
- Simon
  
  Where are you going to intern all the Chinese living here? Where are the camps? Surely more important than any navy is the ability to arrest and imprison all the Chinese? Maybe 200,000 plus people to be arrested and processed.
  
  This is what the war mongers have got to explain
  
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  November 21, 2025 8:10am
  - Taieri
    
    Where are you going to intern all the Chinese living here?
    ———–
    
    And cyclists. Don’t forget the cyclists…
    
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    November 21, 2025 12:26pm
- imalwaysright
  
  If the balloon goes up, the chances of any of our allies picking up the phone call from NZ is precisely zero.
  
  Instead of paying billions in premiums for some sort of Defense insurance policy arrangement we should be investing in our infrastructure and in a refinery or two.
  
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  November 21, 2025 8:25am
  - kowtow
    
    If NZ were cut off from supplies , trade etc the very people who are now so “concerned” about the planet /environment would be screaming for coal exploitation for its many many benefits .
    
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    November 21, 2025 9:13am
  - Bevan
    
    You just justified why NZ needs a strong defence force…
    
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    November 21, 2025 2:37pm
  - Burtland
    
    if the balloon goes up …
    trump will have one of his real estate buddies sell us out to the aggressor
    
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    November 22, 2025 7:39am
- rockape
  
  Just how long would any NZ naval force last against an opposition equiped with an airforce and cruise missiles or submarines or surface ships equiped with the same? As an old RAF man responsible for a bit of the NATO war plan. The best way to keep a navy at bay is with a land based strike wing. Ask the Falklands Task Force!
  
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  November 21, 2025 8:43am
  - Albie
    
    I don’t believe Cass was proposing our Navy going head to head against a superior opposing force.
    
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    November 21, 2025 8:54am
    - imalwaysright
      
      “…head to head against a superior opposing force.”
      
      Samoa?
      
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      November 21, 2025 9:10am
      - pdm
        
        Well ima there was a time when NZ would not want to take on the Fiji Army.
        
        Not sure how strong the Fiji Army is these days but with Rabuka, a former officer, as PM I suspect he would be rebuilding it if it was let go a bit.
        
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        November 21, 2025 9:39am
      - imalwaysright
        
        Sorry pdm, I was referring to the landmass of Samoa rather than their naval capability.
        
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        November 21, 2025 10:20am
      - imalwaysright
        
        Odd perception of the incompetence of the Navy and their staff…
        
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        November 21, 2025 6:13pm
  - virtualmark
    
    Historically the philosophy was:
    (a) The people we fear aren’t capable of sending a large military force as far as New Zealand, and
    (b) The people who are capable of sending a large military force as far as New Zealand (basically the US and Australia) are our allies.
    
    So … be friends with the people who could hurt you, and don’t worry too much about the enemies who can’t reach you.
    
    [Oh and (c) do you know how many Kiwis have guns and know how to use them? You would need a very large force to pacify the population.]
    
    But China is now a frenemy who is, or soon will be, capable of sending a large military force as far as New Zealand. They’re already at a level where they could blockade our sea access via their submarines and surface fleet. They’ll soon be a level where they can send strike aircraft and missiles to directly attack our land mass. They are however a long way from being a level where they could successfully invade.
    
    Anyway … our threat environment is changing and so we need to change in response. We broadly have a high quality defence force, it’s just half the size that we arguably need today and probably a quarter the size of what we might need in 10 years time.
    
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    November 21, 2025 4:33pm
    - julesnzuk
      
      The US are not our allies. Friends, but not allies. Also, no birds have guns nor can they use them. I’m not even sure that many NZers have guns, certainly not as many as you seem to think.
      
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      November 22, 2025 12:52am
- Albie
  
  Watched a TV series earlier this year called The Last Ship. It was entertaining, but reading your comment this morning reminded me when watching the show how valuable a well operated destroyer would be in some of the scenarios you described.
  That is where NZ needs to focus our resources, not the army or the airforce so much- ( i did serve in the RNZAF)
  
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  November 21, 2025 8:48am
- cmm
  
  It is virtually impossible to keep sea lanes open in the age of low cost short and intermediate range ballistic missiles.
  
  This rapidly becomes asymmetrical warfare – where the large asset players can largely do nothing.
  
  A missile battery in South Africa (or even Botswana or Zimbabwe) can completely shut down ships passing through the Cape of Good Hope passage around Africa).
  
  A missile battery in Chile/Argentina can do the same for the Drake Passage around South America.
  
  Just look at how the Houthis were able to shut down the Red Sea.
  
  Without these passages for logistical supply, it really does not matter what assets you have (aircraft carriers and such). Without logistical provisioning a carrier battle group is as good as dead within a week or two.
  
  The age of large naval assets giving power is as good as over.
  
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  November 21, 2025 8:52am
  - Ipanema69
    
    The history of warfare is littered with such statements.
    
    Prior to WW2 the view was that the bomber will always get through.
    
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    November 21, 2025 9:01am
    - NeverMindTheBollocks
      
      Which is exactly what the Yanks did to Japan in 1945 – thank you, Curtis LeMay.
      
      The B-29 was the second most expensive exercise of the war, after the Manhatten project. It’s a substantially bigger aeroplane than its contemporaries, and faster also. They invented cabin pressurisation, discovered and overcame the jet stream and came up with a functional bombsight. They also put napalm to use.
      
      As an aside, it’s no coincidence that the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon resembles that of the B-29.
      
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      November 21, 2025 12:28pm
      - BananaLlama
        
        I realise i am an anonymous commentator, but – Lemay was a blowhard.
        The Japanese Airforce had ran out of fuel. If anything, it was the U.S Submarine force that dealt the killing blow.
        If the same had happened to the U.K (U-Boats) his bombers would still be sitting on the tarmac waiting for fuel.
        Keeping supply lines open is critical which i think is the point.
        
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        November 21, 2025 6:26pm
- lastmanstanding
  
  NZ Rugby is advertising for a Head of Inclusion and Safety. I suspect the job pays $200K to $250K Here is the advertisement.
  
  https://jobs.nzrugby.co.nz/job/Wellington-Head-of-Inclusion-&-Safeguarding-6011/1330145066/
  
  Read it and weep. I expect next the ABs will turn out to do the haka wearing eye shadow lip stick and ballet tights.
  
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  November 21, 2025 9:09am
  - Boy Geoff
    
    So you’re not going to shed a tear of pride when the first Aotearoan rugby player who uses they/them pronouns is selected…?
    
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    November 21, 2025 9:30am
    - RoboRob
      
      Nope, in the same way I dont care whether players are gay, as I am sure some are or have been. I care about the results on the field.
      
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      November 21, 2025 11:12am
  - I remember when
    
    The photo at the top says it all.
    
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    November 21, 2025 9:44am
    - Phronesis
      
      I’ve never played rugby in my life but I’d back myself against that lot in the photo.
      
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      November 21, 2025 12:22pm
      - Jethrod
        
        The fellow on the right looks like Red Conway.
        All Black #601
        
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        November 21, 2025 2:22pm
      - Steve Todd
        
        The fellow on the right looks like Red Conway.
        
        But isn’t. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Conway_(rugby_union).
        
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        November 21, 2025 5:25pm
      - NeverMindTheBollocks
        
        The fellow on the right looks like Red Conway
        ================
        
        He has a missing finger?
        
        They don’t make ‘em like that anymore.
        
        http://www.odt.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-black-amputee-dies
        
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        November 21, 2025 6:16pm
      - Jethrod
        
        Yes I know that! Huh! Red-haired….. just saying!
        He died a few years ago ….I knew that!
        So it couldn’t be him obsv
        
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        November 21, 2025 7:04pm
  - RoboRob
    
    We are already seeing the result of NZ rugbys DEI policies. The ABs results are the sporting equivalent of ‘get woke go broke’. In this case its ‘get woke go down to the opposition’.
    
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    November 21, 2025 10:07am
  - Taieri
    
    “The Head of Inclusion & Safeguarding reports into the Chief People, Safety and Wellbeing Officer and is part of the People, Safety and Wellbeing Leadership Team.
    
    In this role, you will serve the rugby community through the implementation of New Zealand Rugby’s (NZR) Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (ED&I) Plan, Pasifika Strategy and supporting action plan and Safeguarding priorities to ensure we create a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment across rugby.”
    
    What the hell is this outfit ?
    
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    November 21, 2025 12:28pm
    - RichardF
      
      I’ve been losing interest in rugby for several years. This dei nonsense looks like the icing on the cake. How long till the AB jersey has a rainbow badge and the players take a knee to ‘solve’ racism?
      
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      November 21, 2025 5:18pm
  - kowtow
    
    From the link ;
    
    “We embrace and respect each other’s values and we are so proud to be Rainbow Tick certified.”
    
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    November 21, 2025 12:41pm
    - NeverMindTheBollocks
      
      Are Rainbow ticks any less bitey than regular ticks?
      
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      November 21, 2025 6:17pm
  - MCōs
    
    Ma’a Nonu used to wear eye liner
    John Gallagher used to panty hose on cold days
    
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    November 21, 2025 1:03pm
    - Sponge
      
      I thought it was Allan Hewson that wore tights?
      
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      November 21, 2025 1:13pm
      - MCōs
        
        Both of them had skinny legs
        Notice they’re all Wellingtonians
        
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        November 21, 2025 1:34pm
      - Jethrod
        
        Nah ….. that was Andy Haden.
        
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        November 21, 2025 2:23pm
  - rouppe
    
    Looks like Tana Umaga was wrong.
    
    They are playing tiddly winks.
    
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    November 21, 2025 3:18pm
  - Local Miller
    
    I think NZ Rugby is very inequitable and their DEI program leaves much to be desired. Why don’t they have any woman (as in female at birth) on the All Blacks Team? //
    
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    November 21, 2025 5:10pm
- Taieri
  
  And the real issue is that New Zealanders could lose access
  —————-
  
  And in the meantime, the largest NZ city receives all its petrol/diesel via a single, aging pipeline. There’re no longer port facilities in Auckland allowing direct discharge of liquid fuels. The former tanker wharf at “Wynyard Quarter offers a wealth of experiences, from theatre showings and cultural events to art exhibitions and festive celebrations” instead. How nice…
  
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  November 21, 2025 9:35am
  - Master Mariner
    
    In addition, There is at any time probably no more than 10 days diesel reserves in the Country.
    
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    November 21, 2025 10:06am
  - virtualmark
    
    A sensible New Zealand government would prioritise energy independence … by promoting EVs and solar.
    
    [Ducks]
    
    Note that this would also avoid the approximately 8% of GDP we send overseas every year to purchase petrol and diesel.
    
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    November 21, 2025 4:36pm
- lastmanstanding
  
  Gods message to the climate zealots.
  
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/fire-breaks-out-at-cop30-pavilion-in-belem-no-injuries-reported/PZZ3K2SADBBQJFAVRAXEX4PR3I/
  
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  November 21, 2025 10:05am
- Paulus
  
  On every official World International Stage we are New Zealand still, not the other place.
  
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  November 21, 2025 2:09pm
- Ra Henare
  
  Dear Mod,
  My reply to Cassandra has gone from waiting moderation to disappeared.?????
  
  Have I been banned?
  
  [Mod – I cannot find any post from you in trash or spam. Try again]
  
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  November 21, 2025 3:06pm
  - Ra Henare
    
    Thanks for your reply
    
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    November 21, 2025 5:55pm
- Jake Dee
  
  It’s good to see we’re back debating this very important issue, but with respect Cassandra, you’re flat out wrong.
  The core of any military is its system of organization, any particular vehicles or equipment is always only going to be secondary to that.
  New Zealand is never going to have the resources to have a full time professional military large enough to be capable of dealing with a major crisis.
  Perhaps no nation is.
  The correct long term solution is what is now being called the “Whole of Society” (WoS) approach.
  That means a large Citizen’s Militia, Territorial Force, Gendarmery, call it what you will.
  A small cadre of full time professionals and a much larger force of civilian part timers doing regular training and cycling in and out of uniform as required.
  Hypothetical scenarios abound and fanciful ones are easy to cook up, but in the event of a major crisis how easy would it for the NZDF to put a force of armed men, plus engineers, medics, drivers, mechanics, pilots, mariners, cooks etc. onto a Pacific island 2,000km away and keep them there indefinitely without a wide WoS support network?
  How would you prefer that money be spent?
  
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  November 21, 2025 3:31pm
  - colinm
    
    How in the hell are you going to realize any of that? The citizenry is mostly disarmed. It will need a step change in thinking to actually have a guerrilla force armed with something more than pitchforks.
    
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    November 21, 2025 6:31pm
    - Jake Dee
      
      Are you talking to me?
      Is an engineer disarmed? Or a mechanic or a medic or a cook?
      Put them together with a man who has a weapon and they all become massively more powerful than any of them separately.
      Give a multi-million dollar weapon system to some sort of warrior without engineers medics mechanics and cooks, and what you will soon have is a pile of junk.
      But give a pile of old junk to a warrior who also has engineers mechanics medics and cooks with him working together, and you will soon get a serious fighting force.
      That’s the whole of society approach.
      You can’t buy a military off a shelf, it is a culture and a system of organization.
      
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      November 22, 2025 2:12am
    - Quail
      
      Colinm
      FYI,
      You are right.
      The Government,( cc Police ) are apparently trying hard to remove firearms ( plus ammunition) from any private hands.
      Trying to register firearms on line usually means a wait of 30 minutes plus on the telephone before any response from the authorities in charge.
      If you don’t (re)register your firearms then ,the only other option is to be classified as a criminal and followed up by a visit from police who will take the firearms and charge you with criminal offence.
      This is yet another case of rank bullying by an overpaid bureaucracy that has forgotten they are there to serve NZ and it’s people.
      
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      November 22, 2025 9:26pm
Simon

One of two economic high lights that Luxon was gushing about the other day was the expansion of welfare payments to ordinary families. Madness. National empty clueless husk of a political party. They are just harm at this point.
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November 21, 2025 8:04am
Positan

Back on the TV news last night, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke’s physical appearance since the time of her televised Bill-tearing exhibitionism last November has increased discernably.

From the slim creature whose image went international on the day of her parliamentary melt-down, she appears to have added quite a few kilos.

Mark Mitchell too, has become far rounder of face and tummy than he was when he campaigned in 2023.

Talk about living fat on the hog – today, normal-weight MPs are getting harder to spot.

It’d be great to know that Bellamys provided a wider range of health-appropriate foods on its menus – and that far greater standards of eating-control were exercised by its patrons.
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November 21, 2025 8:04am
- AitchW
  
  MPs have always grown larger once elected. The lifestyle I suspect doesn’t lend itself to regular exercise and good diet.
  
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  November 21, 2025 9:13am
- Handyman
  
  The greater transformation of Maipi-Clarke is from a young angry activist to a mature well spoken leader.
  She wore conservative dress swapping oversize greenstone to simple necklace. She was articulate and restrained in her speech.
  This suggests she has taken a long view to be a serious advocate and future leader.
  Who would have predicted watching the haka performance that she would become the only sane member of the Maori party.
  
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  November 21, 2025 10:14am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Leader? How the hell is she any type of leader?
    
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    November 21, 2025 10:50am
    - newview
      
      What you are seeing G is an activist who can see herself as a leader given half a chance.
      
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      November 21, 2025 2:34pm
      - AitchW
        
        Is she jockeying for the leadership of the new Maori party?
        
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        November 21, 2025 3:59pm
  - imalwaysright
    
    I agree Handy.
    I’m no fan of racist parties but she came across very well.
    
    If I were National, NZF or Act, I would be offering her the chance to join.
    
    She’s a big danger if she learns how to project that charm beyond the Maori Party.
    
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    November 21, 2025 11:30am
  - rouppe
    
    She may well have realised she was set up by Rawiri.
    
    It was him that was supposed to do the haka, but at the last moment he got her to do it, and therefore she was censured by the Speaker, not Rawiri. How she feels about that I don’t know.
    
    But there may be some biding of time going on…
    
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    November 21, 2025 3:24pm
Poppax8

Steve (Sandpapergate) Smith captaining Australia in the Ashes cricket test series starting today in Perth.

Who remembers the televised tears when the cheaters were caught? Looking forward to more tears when England win the series!
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November 21, 2025 8:14am
- pdm
  
  poppa – I am not sure The Poms have the ability to consistently score enough runs over an Ashes series to beat the Aussie even with Hazelwood and Cummins out of the Aussie attack.
  
  Their bowlers may not be good enough to take 20 wickets in more than one or two tests either.
  
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  November 21, 2025 8:56am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    Fighting words, PDM! The Poms have a battery of quicks and can mix & match them to suit.
    
    Mind you, both teams are relying on old & decrepit bowlers. The winners may well be those with the best medical team. A lazy $10 says that the 5th Test attack won’t bear much resemblance to today’s selection.
    
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    November 21, 2025 12:38pm
    - MCōs
      
      I don’t know how Starc keeps going, but he keeps getting wickets.
      The Australian front line batters are inconsistent, but their lower order can hang around
      It’s interesting how a bunch of mainly no name South Africans easily beat India last week. The poms were pretty ordinary in the ODIs out here, if that means much.
      
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      November 21, 2025 1:50pm
    - Paulus
      
      I know this may not be the place but I and my friends wish to acknowledge the great cricket the New Zealand cricket team have inflicted upon us in recent days. I would never normally watched a full match like we have seen with results.
      There is some bloody good cricket played, and it is great to see what appears to be good friendly personal relationship with the West Indies team people.
      Not the usual from some other International Teams which will not be named.
      
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      November 21, 2025 2:16pm
      - Scott
        
        Paulus – totally agree. The NZ cricket team has played well and got the better of their opponents in some tight fought contests.
        
        Two things from me. I’m not sure why the games start so late? They start at 2pm and they’re still going after 10pm, the last one wrapped up at 10:45pm. Which is too late and most of the crowd has gone home by then. It’s a week night. I’d suggest starting the games earlier so they finish by say 9pm? The crowds would stay till the end and see the finish of a very absorbing contest.
        
        Secondly the crowds were not large in many cases, Auckland was very disappointing. It’s a shame because the cricket has been good. I’d encourage people in the area to rock up to the games and enjoy the atmosphere and cheer our boys on. 👍
        
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        November 21, 2025 5:30pm
- In Vino Veritas
  
  Oh please Poppax. Who cares? You probably don’t recall NZer Chris Pringle taking 7 for against Pakistan in Pakistan after cutting the ball up with a bottle top. And not only that, he made no secret of it. They were interfering with the ball, so he did as well. Just that they were better at it. The annoying thing was not that Smith and Warner were doing it, but those two threw a young bloke early in his career (Cam Bancroft) under a bus.
  
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  November 21, 2025 11:43am
- AitchW
  
  So much for a life ban. Aussie has no perspective when it comes to cricket, win by any means is the paradigm.
  Remember the chest beating and hair tearing when that guy was killed by a ball to the head? No more sledging, no more bouncers, how’s that going for ya?
  
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  November 21, 2025 12:18pm
  - MCōs
    
    Phil Hughes was a previous teammate of Brendon Mccullum who was NZ captain at the time.
    After that they played with a different attitude, cut out the sledging and won a lot more games.
    
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    November 21, 2025 3:23pm
Pope Punctilious II

Bryce Edwards savages TMP:
https://www.democracyproject.org.nz/p/democracy-briefing-why-te-pati-maori?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
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November 21, 2025 8:15am
- Ian
  
  A very interesting read. At the bottom, it said this article is for paid subscribers – has the link been provided without cognisance of that?
  
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  November 21, 2025 10:11am
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Na, I am not a paid subscriber (yet), but I get the daily roundup of media headlines from Bryce Edward’s and the unsubscriber opinion pieces.
    Subscribers get extra analysis and can make comments.
    
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    November 21, 2025 12:54pm
- kowtow
  
  “It is a “family business” funded by the taxpayer.”
  
  The real question is how the Establishment ever allowed this to happen.
  
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  November 21, 2025 12:56pm
  - Jake Dee
    
    Because it was eaten by The Establishment.
    This isn’t a Maori party run on Polynesian ideas and ideologies, this is a brown wing of the Western Professional Managerial Class. Like the rest of the class, it runs on patronage networks.
    TPM just has familial and racial patronage networks.
    
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    November 21, 2025 3:36pm
- Jake Dee
  
  I read that one and am broadly in agreement.
  TPM is a subset of the crisis of competence that’s right across the Western leadership class.
  This fits into my perspective that we are not seeing a “Maorification” of the New Zealand leadership class, it’s the reverse, the New Zealand branch of the Western Professional Managerial class has been putting on Brown-face.
  Bryce Edwards is deluding himself that a Maori party would ever or could ever be different.
  
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  November 21, 2025 3:40pm
- rouppe
  
  The latter part of that piece I agree with. The whole structure is a scam to take as much tax payer money as possible, and deliver as little as possible for it.
  
  But I have some disagreements with some earlier parts.
  
  For many people, the idea that this party could be part of the solution seems intuitive. Māori communities bear the sharpest edge of New Zealand’s broken markets: sky-high food costs, predatory lending, a failed housing system, the electricity duopoly, and health inequalities that no government has ever truly addressed. If any political force should be leading the pushback against elite power and market capture, it ought to be Te Pāti Māori.
  
  Those things are hurting all of us. If Maori do “bear the sharpest edge” it’s not because they are Maori. It’s because many (not all, looking at the people Bryce subsequently mentions) are poor. But anybody poor suffers, not just poor Maori. Making those things only about Maori is lazy.
  
  None of those things mentioned has a program or policy that disadvantages Maori. In fact, just looking at health, Maori have preferential access.
  
  Māori communities are disproportionately harmed by oligopoly, broken markets, and under-regulated lenders. These markets punish Māori households hardest.
  
  Oh bullshit. Not to mention that accessing some of those, particularly “under-regulated lenders” are a choice. What does “broken markets” mean, anyway.
  
  Then we get to the crux of the problem:
  
  He is simultaneously: 1) Party president, 2) Chief executive of the Waipareira Trust, and 3) Chief executive of the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency.
  
  The completely false premise that all of these entities, along with all the similar ones, are charities. They do hardly any charity work, as we can see by his description of The Waipareira Trust
  
  Net assets exceeding $104 million
  Over $75 million in cash reserves
  A 24% profit margin (higher than nearly all major commercial companies in the country)
  
  A charity doesn’t accumulate that much cash. It doesn’t have a profit margin. They’re supposed to be “not for profit”.
  
  All of those entities are a scam for cash.
  
  In my view the requirements to qualify as a charity are far too loose. “Do community good” is laughable. Especially when you qualify the community by race. Just add bad is familial (iwi) ties.
  
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  November 21, 2025 4:23pm
Sparrow

Apparently the police have announced they have enough evidence to lay manslaughter charges with regard to the Pike River disaster.
Why now after 15 years ?
Surely nothing to do with the recent publicity and the involvement of Winston!!
A phone call from the Beehive to Police HQ, surely not!
15 years what the f…have the police been doing?
Obviously if you are the little people and don’t come from a metropolis you don’t count.
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November 21, 2025 8:25am
- Yvette
  
  So, Sparrow, who will the Police charge?
  
  The Manager who had oversight of the entire mine?
  Him, again, for not appointing a Ventilation Manager?
  The mine’s designer who put the ventilation motor at the bottom of the ventilation shaft (possibly the only example in the world) rather than at the top?
  Those who removed a brass bush plate leaving a 20mm gap between methane-ladden air and the motor itself?
  Or the miners themselves (disrespectful as that may seem to those who died, but still a factor) who went each day into a known death trap lured by a $13,000 bonus?
  
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  November 21, 2025 9:07am
  - pdm
    
    Yvette – or.
    The Greens for opposing Open Cast mining at the site because of a few snails.- I think I am right on that.
    Andrew Little and his Union for letting the Mine Workers down by not insisting on and carrying out proper checks.
    
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    November 21, 2025 9:45am
    - Mike
      
      You are not right with either of those statements.
      
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      November 21, 2025 10:01am
      - RoboRob
        
        Links? It was well covered in the media….
        
        ‘ Pike River Mine was deliberately built with only one main tunnel entrance. This was not a typical design for coal mines, but it was required because of environmental and wildlife protection issues. The mine lies within the Paparoa National Park, home to rare species including native frogs, so strict conservation rules limited construction options’
        
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        November 21, 2025 10:15am
      - In Vino Veritas
        
        Littles Union who took money from their members, had a statement on their website telling their mining members that the Union would bring them home safely to their families every night. And the Union knew about the issues in the mine. And didn’t bring them home safely. And didn’t strike to have the issues sorted. So yes, Union culpable.
        
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        November 21, 2025 11:49am
      - Mike
        
        The terrain made open-cast mining prohibitively expensive.
        
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        November 21, 2025 12:01pm
      - Jethrod
        
        I beg to differ, there was no ventilation shaft installed because the then “crazies ” insisted that no shaft could be drilled as it would have ment native bush being destroyed to get a drilling rig into position to do it.
        
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        November 21, 2025 2:31pm
      - Ghost
        
        Royal Commission
        – Chapter 8 Ventilation
        
        2010
        
        Mine ventilation shaft still too unsafe to cap
        
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        November 21, 2025 2:47pm
  - keepcalmcarryon
    
    Or work safe for being absolutely useless?
    Mike Bush for being absolutely useless?
    How about all of them.
    
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    November 21, 2025 10:17am
  - Yvette
    
    A defence lawyer’s likely strategy …
    Reasonable doubt: “Where is the ignition source?”
    Alternative explanations: Natural methane pocket, electrical fault, frictional ignition, coal-dust flashover — all plausible, none conclusively provable.
    Passage of time: Lost evidence, witnesses, fading memory — erosion of fairness.
    
    Even WorkSafe, when it dropped the charges in 2013, noted that the evidential and practical hurdles made a trial nearly unwinnable. That same challenge remains today, only worsened by time.
    
    Causation isn’t a technicality here — it’s the heart of the matter.
    And the heart, in this case, lies behind a rockfall 2 km underground.
    _________
    
    Sonja Rockhouse, whose son Ben was among the 29 men who perished in the disaster, said ‘a photograph of an electrical cabinet door that was blown 100m to the mine surface has just come to light, but no-one can say where the actual item has gone.’
    “We have been told that it was put on a helicopter contracted by Pike River Coal and taken to the mine office. However, nobody can tell us what happened to it after that.”
    
    “It’s a possible ignition source – it could be the thing that caused the explosion, so it’s a vital piece of information,” said Ms Rockhouse.
    
    Following initial installation, the main fan was first operated on 4 October 2010, but sparks came from the fan shaft at the junction with the intake stopping through which it passed. To resolve the problem Pike removed a brass bush, which formed a seal between the drive shaft and the stopping. The effective removal of the bush may have permitted methane to leak through the seal if the fan was not operating.
    https://www.amsj.com.au/pike-river-mine-disaster-evidence-handling-a-disaster-in-itself/
    
    If it could be ascertained from the electrical cabinet door whether blast patterns featured more on one side than the other, the source of the ignition may have been partly apparent, but probably not conclusive?
    “Reasonable doubt” is written all over Pike River.
    
    The Australian Mine Safety Journal headline:
    Pike River mine disaster | Evidence handling a disaster in itself
    
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    November 21, 2025 12:06pm
- Ghost
  
  They have been working with the crown solicitor since 2023 to decide if charges would be laid, after gathering further evidence and interviews with experts
  
  https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/534198/police-and-crown-solicitor-working-to-determine-charges-over-pike-river-disaster
  
  I’m guessing you could quickly review the 33 million pages of operational documents
  
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  November 21, 2025 9:21am
  - Sparrow
    
    Since 2023. A bit late don’t you think?
    NZ has a terrible work safe record, which will only get worse under this Minister. This must be one of the most bizarre appointments. The MP for possibly the most affluent electorate in the country with work experience in the lobbying industry and seemingly from a privileged background. No wonder the Pike River wives did not gel with the Minister the other day. I doubt the Minister has ever visited a mine, a logging site, or a factory floor. Winston has picked up on this and will be showing up the arrogance of his coalition partners and their disdain for ordinary working kiwis.
    
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    November 21, 2025 10:52am
    - Ghost
      
      It’s a complicated case. A lot of work has gone into these prosecutions. Since 2022 10 more bore holes were drilled and imaged then re-sealed. The investigation alone has cost over $20 million.
      You obviously think you can do better than the police, so go join them and show them how much better you are.
      
      https://www.newcops.govt.nz/
      
      Be sure to let us know when you graduate.
      
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      November 21, 2025 11:13am
    - R
      
      Winston has seen an opportunity to politic. This is election year now
      
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      November 21, 2025 11:53am
    - AitchW
      
      Is it possible that the Labour government appointed senior Police management didn’t want to bite the hand that feeds by investigating Little’s role?
      
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      November 21, 2025 12:22pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Why did they not do anything in the long 6 years?
  
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  November 21, 2025 10:51am
- rangitoto
  
  There is good quality coal there. Start blasting the hill out of the way and dig.
  
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  November 21, 2025 11:00am
- Mod88
  
  Quite simply to take the heat off PNHQ and the McSkimming Scandal/Crimes. Oh Look over here!!
  
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  November 21, 2025 12:14pm
- Paulus
  
  We have often heard that a goodly number of the Pike River families want nothing more to do with it.
  Have they found some contributory evidence at last ?
  
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  November 21, 2025 2:19pm
Tauhei Notts

That Uber case.
My 25 year old mate tells me that he envisages, in about 2028, a surge in drink driving offences.
Why?
Because the demise of Uber following that outrageous court decision will remove the opportunity of a cheap ride home when pissed.
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November 21, 2025 8:25am
- MCōs
  
  That’s a pretty feeble excuse to drive drunk
  Btw
  It’s not the court decision that’s outrageous. It’s the law that needs to be amended, from my understanding.
  
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  November 21, 2025 9:33am
  - pdm
    
    Brooke van Velden is working on that as I understand it mcos.
    
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    November 21, 2025 9:47am
    - imalwaysright
      
      Heard her on the Platform outlining the four criteria for being a contractor.
      Very simple so it should work.
      Against her criteria, it is clear that Uber drivers are contractors.
      https://youtu.be/XgVdwLP233M?si=jNCbENHqNQFO0ARt
      
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      November 21, 2025 10:08am
  - leoj
    
    Judges need to be on the ballot.
    
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    November 21, 2025 9:58am
    - Ghost
      
      No. That would make the problem a lot worse.
      
      Do you really want labour, green and Māori party voters selecting judges?
      
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      November 21, 2025 10:08am
      - Sparrow
        
        [Mod – debate the topic]
        
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        November 21, 2025 1:41pm
      - BananaLlama
        
        No. Judges are already too far left.
        
        If they were on the ballot, you would actually get some representation instead.
        
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        November 21, 2025 3:19pm
  - Tauhei Notts
    
    MCos, I called it an outrageous decision after I had ploughed my way through the 60 page judgement.
    Perfectly salient matters raised by Russell McVeagh for Uber were eerily dismissed by the judges as mere “window dressing”.
    The decision makes the expression “the sanctity of contract” a complete joke.
    
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    November 21, 2025 10:21am
    - Christopher Thomson
      
      *airily
      
      autocorrect?
      
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      November 21, 2025 12:01pm
      - kowtow
        
        Given that court’s new found faith in posthumous appeals and all things mysterious and/or spiritual , eerily is apt.
        
        I rest my case.
        
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        November 21, 2025 1:58pm
Ra Henare

For reference.
As at today 21st November. The Kiwi$ has fallen 19.3% against the USD in just 5 years.
5.5% in the last 12 months.

Would be interested to see a reference for
The fear mongering report you quote.

Your old soldier wanting a Navy is IMHO out of touch with the modern world.

Every country of any status in the world ie Mainly The Western Countries spending more on equipment and manpower??
Again, IMHO that is based on appeasing Trump and his demands that Countries spend more GDP on defence. (So that they can buy more US Military hardware & systems)

The Russia/Ukraine conflict has demonstrated how toothless Military shipping can be against missiles.

Any new major offensive conflicts will be conducted initially by space/air missiles, not by any shipping.
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November 21, 2025 8:27am
- Cassandra
  
  Singapore, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Vietnam, Australia, India. All rearming. PNG agreeing a defence pact with Australia.
  
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  November 21, 2025 9:48am
  - kowtow
    
    Germany re introducing conscription.
    
    Talking of affairs militaire ; the IDF invited quite a few friendly nations militaries to a wash up on their recent experiences .
    
    UK refused to attend .
    
    No “learnings” to be had ?Talk about woke.
    
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    November 21, 2025 11:58am
- imalwaysright
  
  I get the impression that Trump has done a deal with the military industrial complex to sign up the world to a payment plan in return for no more wars.
  The MIC still get their money without the need to create new conflicts to sell their gear.
  
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  November 21, 2025 10:14am
- R
  
  By DRONES!
  
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  November 21, 2025 11:55am
- Christopher Thomson
  
  “Every country of any status in the world ie Mainly The Western Countries spending more on equipment and manpower??”
  
  Pretty much all of them.
  
  For example; Poland’s defence spending is significantly increasing, making it NATO’s top spender as a percentage of GDP, which is projected to reach 4.8% in 2026
  . The country has allocated PLN 200 billion (EUR 46.8 billion) for defence in 2026
  
  “based on appeasing Trump and his demands that Countries spend more GDP on defence. (So that they can buy more US Military hardware & systems)”
  
  Wrong again. Trump has pointed out to them that the USA is not going to be spending money to fight for them so they can let their own military defence costs be spent on social welfare. Their defence isn’t Americas cost.
  
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  November 21, 2025 12:07pm
  - MCōs
    
    So if Taiwan is attacked they’re on there on?
    In fact Trump will wait a couple of years, invite the leader of Taiwan to the White House, tell him he’s a loser & he’s wasted his time if he won’t go along with Xi Jinping’s peace proposals
    
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    November 21, 2025 3:51pm
    - virtualmark
      
      Yes, realistically Taiwan is on its own. At least for the first week.
      
      I’m surprised that with the change in the USA’s security guarantees Taiwan (and Japan and South Korea) hasn’t re-started its nuclear bomb programme.
      
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      November 21, 2025 4:39pm
- virtualmark
  
  I don’t know that the higher defence spending is to appease Trump.
  
  I think it’s because countries can see:
  1) the world has become less certain geopolitically,
  2) the United States was both the most powerful military and economy and also prepared to use that strength to promote or defend Western values, but now is no longer the sole military/economic power and is no longer seen as being prepared to support other countries,
  3) that has allowed other powers, such as China and Russia, to use force to bully their neighbours without fear of the US taking an active stance,
  4) which means countries are having to think about arming up in order to deter those rogue bullies on their own, absent the US security guarantee.
  
  That’s a rational path in the world we now live in, and New Zealand should be following that same path too.
  
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  November 21, 2025 2:40pm
  - Jake Dee
    
    It’s probably useless to try and tease out cause and effect as to who was the aggressor and who was the defender, BUT the idea that the USA was ever the defender of Western values is absurd.
    Washington defends Washington’s interests, first last and always.
    they’re pragmatists and always have been, they’re not the keepers of some sacred flame. However in order to defend their pragmatic interests, it’s necessary to put about they story that they are.
    Everyone does it.
    
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    November 21, 2025 3:55pm
- Quail
  
  RH,
  Approximately 20% ?
  The RB has not met its targets! Or even come close.
  While the Exchange rate largely reflects yield of OCR and interest rates. There are other drivers and this is one of the smallest currencies in the OECD, one which has been manipulated by currency traders in the past.
  The shenanigans the Reserve bank has been through recently clearly failed to maintain NZD stability.
  This is the failure of yet another NZ bureaucracy !
  
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  November 21, 2025 5:32pm
  - Ra Henare
    
    Quail.
    Not sure where you get the idea that NZD is one of smallest(whatever that means) currency in OECD.
    
    NZD is the 10th most traded currency in the world!!!
    https://www.bankbazaar.com/currency-exchange/most-traded-currencies-in-the-world.html
    
    PS. In a previous life I used to trade USD-NZD
    
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    November 21, 2025 7:59pm
    - Quail
      
      Thanks Ra.
      Am aware of the trading of the NZD.
      Some years back some traders game was to influence the level of the currency overnight by deposits and benefiting by the movement in the exchange rate.
      Bread and butter stuff.
      The actual volume of the NZD made it vulnerable.
      
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      November 22, 2025 9:28am
- Quail
  
  RH,
  Approximately 20% ?
  The RB has not met its targets! Or even come close.
  While the Exchange rate largely reflects yield of OCR and interest rates. There are other drivers and this is one of the smallest currencies in the OECD, one which has been manipulated by currency traders in the past
  The shenanigans the Reserve bank has been through recently clearly failed to maintain NZD stability.
  This is the failure of yet another NZ bureaucracy !
  
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  November 21, 2025 8:12pm
nathie

Sad news, Mani, the bassist from the Stone Roses has passed away.

RIP Mani and for your contribution to the Manchester sound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD6Pq0bSMPo&list=RDwD6Pq0bSMPo&start_radio=1

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2025/11/20/gary-mani-mounfield-bassist-stone-roses-died-obituary/
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November 21, 2025 8:41am
- muzled
  
  waaa! 🙁
  
  I saw them play in akl 15? years ago.
  
  Despite them being my fav band I had no idea they were even playing until a friend rang up and asked if I wanted to go as she had a spare ticket.
  
  I couldn’t believe my luck as I thought I’d never get to see them live.
  
  They walked out and knocked out ‘I wanna be adored’.
  
  Epic concert!
  
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  November 21, 2025 9:10am
Chuck Bird

People are waking up to this climate hysteria.

Make climate policy more focused on human welfare

https://mailchi.mp/lomborg/newsletter-4727734?e=da3eadba9b
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November 21, 2025 8:45am
Scott

Karen Chhour announces the end of the prescription of puberty blockers for children. Good 👍

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DVFsRppmQ/
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November 21, 2025 8:45am
- Philview
  
  I found TVNZ’s report last night typically weighted against this Government. Multiple people interviewed were opposed and 1 for the Government policy. It would be interesting to have had a comment from a Labour MP on if they will reverse it.
  
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  November 21, 2025 9:23am
  - Scott
    
    Philview – spot on.
    This is a good example of a reasonably commonsense govt and what a difference they can make. Make no mistake, Labour and their cohorts are all in on all things trans. They are all a bunch of radicals.
    
    Luxon may be too moderate for some. But at least he has a modicum of commonsense. And Act under Seymour are going great guns. Wonderful to see. 😊
    
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    November 21, 2025 11:18am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    They won’t ask Labour about reversing it, as usual with Hipkins he will waffle on and say other we don’t know yet, we will work that out after the election.
    
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    November 21, 2025 11:25am
- Raphael
  
  The usual crowd are very upset that children won’t be able to make permanent, life-altering decisions.
  
  (and trotting out the usual “you’re literally killing people” arguments)
  
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  November 21, 2025 1:14pm
  - rouppe
    
    And access to the drugs is a “human right”. Or “denying the right to informed healthcare”.
    
    Informed? I don’t think so.
    
    Conveniently forgetting that no one can get any medicine they want just by demanding it.
    
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    November 21, 2025 3:38pm
- Jack5
  
  Scott’s post at 8.45 am: …. Karen Chhour announces the end of the prescription of puberty blockers for children …
  
  The announcement was by Health Minister Simeon Brown on Wednesday.
  
  This link has Brown spelling out the move and details on the new safeguards on puberty blockers:
  
  https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/new-safeguards-puberty-blocker-prescribing
  
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  November 21, 2025 1:31pm
  - Quail
    
    Great , keep it up ACT and KC!
    
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    November 21, 2025 5:41pm
- Scott
  
  We’ve even made headlines in the New York Post. For the right reasons!
  
  https://nypost.com/2025/11/20/world-news/new-zealand-bans-puberty-blockers-for-transgender-minors/?utm_source=chrome&utm_campaign=android_nyp
  
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  November 21, 2025 5:52pm
Mike

Trump learns about Sudan:

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would work to help end the war in Sudan after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked him to get involved in the matter. “We’ve already started working on that,” Trump said…a day after he met with Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler at the White House.
Trump told the gathering, which was attended by bin Salman and his delegation, that his administration began working on the issue half an hour after the crown prince made the request during Tuesday’s meeting.
“He mentioned Sudan yesterday, and he said, ‘Sir, you’re talking about a lot of wars, but there’s a place on Earth called Sudan, and it’s horrible what’s happening,'” Trump said.
“Tremendous atrocities are taking place in Sudan,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “It has become the most violent place on Earth and, likewise, the single biggest Humanitarian Crisis. Food, doctors, and everything else are desperately needed.”

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/trump-says-he-will-work-sudan-saudis-request-2025-11-19/
The Sudanese civil war is basically another proxy fight between more powerful countries The Sudanese Armed Forces are backed by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, while the Rapid Support Forces are supported by the UAE.
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November 21, 2025 8:46am
pb

US negotiating its own surrender terms with Russia at the moment, regarding the Ukraine folly.
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November 21, 2025 8:54am
- Philview
  
  Hi PB,
  
  Just checking if you are the same writer who was in discussion with Karl du Fresne this week. If so do you have your own substack or online portal of somekind?
  
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  November 21, 2025 9:13am
  - Positan
    
    If is is the same PB, I’d like to acknowledge his contribution as among the best and most material I’ve ever read.
    
    Never before have I noted a KdF comment stating, “I wish I’d written it myself.”
    
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    November 21, 2025 10:06am
- MCōs
  
  From the bits I’ve heard nobody is negotiating anything. Russia is just setting out a list of demands and Trump is agreeing.
  
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  November 21, 2025 9:45am
  - Mike
    
    TACO
    
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    November 21, 2025 10:04am
    - rouppe
      
      So you want the USA to engage in direct warfare with Russia?
      
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      November 21, 2025 3:40pm
      - Mike
        
        No. I just expect he will pressure Ukraine to accept Putin’s terms. The war will continue until Europe can support Ukraine without unreliable US assistance. At that stage, Putin will be deposed.
        
        1 2
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        November 21, 2025 5:24pm
  - Master Mariner
    
    To the Victor , Go the Spoils.
    Nothing more, Nothing Less.
    
    5 2
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    November 21, 2025 10:19am
- Eastlander
  
  Not going to happen. The terms aren’t good enough for the Russians and the Ukrainians’ situation isn’t nearly bad enough for them to agree either.
  
  9 1
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  November 21, 2025 10:10am
- virtualmark
  
  Russia and the US can talk all they like, but Ukraine has a vote in this too and there’s no way they would sign on to the deal as it’s been hinted at.
  
  My take is that Ukraine is steadily improving the volume and impact of strikes deep into Russian territory, and that that is starting to crack the Russian economy. I suspect that although Europe hasn’t had long-range missiles to give to Ukraine they have got expertise in how to develop them that has accelerated Ukraine’s domestic programme.
  
  Without the US both NATO and Ukraine have little real-time intelligence on mobile targets deep inside Russia. But you don’t need that if your plan is to keep hitting static infrastructure like oil refineries, oil storage tanks, ports, railyards etc.
  
  7 1
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  November 21, 2025 2:46pm
  - Jake Dee
    
    No.
    the situation for Ukraine is terrible and getting worse. Their casualties are horrific and there’s no fresh supplies of men weapons or money coming.
    A recent article in The Economist predicted that if Europe keeps the pressure up the Russian economy MIGHT be in serious trouble in 5 years, but that Kiev’s budget runs out of money next February.
    The current European rearmament might have their military production up to Russian levels in 10 years if everything goes smoothly.
    Ukraine is doomed.
    
    2 3
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    November 21, 2025 4:04pm
sungsamning

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/11/18/saudi-crown-prince-pledges-to-raise-u-s-investment-to-nearly-1-trillion/
Saudi Crown Prince Pledges to Raise U.S. Investment to Nearly $1 Trillion.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told President Donald Trump on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia will be upping its investment commitment in the U.S. to nearly $1 trillion, up from the $600 billion pledged in May.
6 3
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November 21, 2025 8:58am
- KKNZ2025
  
  “Things happen’ – Trump defends Saudi crown prince over Khashoggi killing”
  
  https://bbc.com/news/articles/cn0gdkwp2p9o
  
  6 2
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  November 21, 2025 11:15am
- virtualmark
  
  Saudi Crown Prince tongue bathes Trump by telling him Saudi Arabia will invest US$1 trillion in the US.
  
  But in the real world:
  * Saudi Arabia’s entire GDP is about US$2.5 trillion pa,
  * Their sovereign wealth fund “only” has about US$900b of assets and they won’t want to put all those eggs in an American basket,
  * their national finances run a deficit, and
  * they want to divert more money to everyday Saudis to stop them asking awkward questions about the Saudi royal family.
  
  But yes, MBS knows that Trump is an ignoramus and MBS knows just what to say to get Trump to do whatever MBS wants him to do.
  
  5 4
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  November 21, 2025 2:50pm
sungsamning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYvJqIY9W4g
The Pakistan-Afghanistan Conflict Restarts: What Next?
Regional tensions are escalating after terror attacks in Islamabad and New Delhi, and peace negotiations have failed between Pakistan and the Taliban. So in this video, we’ll update you on the situation and why Pakistan has no good options available.
5 2
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November 21, 2025 8:59am
- herb1
  
  Would that be the same Taliban that Pakistan shielded when the US was trying to wipe them out?
  
  7 1
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  November 21, 2025 9:29am
  - sungsamning
    
    Yes, it is. They don’t think much of lines on maps. Some tribal territories straddle both countries.
    
    2 0
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    November 21, 2025 3:12pm
- MCōs
  
  I saw Imran Khan interviewed on Al Jazeera before he was imprisoned explaining the Taliban situation and how their area of influence came over the border into Pakistan by quite a way, and always had.
  I’m guessing here, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of the problems don’t go back to colonial times when some well meaning Pom got a map out, drew some lines and said this is your bit, this is your bit . . . .
  The French did that in Cambodia. Drew a line and said this is the border and clashes flare up every few years because there are ancient buildings in Cambodia that are Thai.
  There was a small Khmer demonstration in Auckland the other day! My Thai wife is boycotting the local cafes, all owned by Cambodians. She thinks they might kill her!!! I think she’s a bit melodramatic
  
  5 3
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  November 21, 2025 10:17am
  - keepcalmcarryon
    
    Yes.
    But “colonial times “ is also bullshit, it’s trendy to hate on the last round of empire because the europeans were white -never mind the Chinese, Mongolians or Persians or all the others before them.
    If your Thai wife doesn’t like the “colonial” boundary best you don’t look at the Khmer empires imperial boundary – it would be pretty much Thailand and Malaysia as well as Cambodia .
    
    https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Khmer-empire/631560#:~:text=The%20Khmer%20empire%20was%20a,roads%2C%20canals%2C%20and%20bridges.
    
    9 2
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    November 21, 2025 10:33am
    - Christopher Thomson
      
      But only liberal whitey guilt is handing out the dosh.
      
      4 2
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      November 21, 2025 12:17pm
  - Jack5
    
    Cossie blames French border setting more than a century ago for the present dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.
    
    That’s a bit of a red herring from Thailand, which wasn’t colonised by France or by anyone-else.
    
    This is a country-level Donnybrook. Factors in it include Cambodia’s slow recovery from the Covid epidemic.
    
    Chinese tourists are said to be frightened to return in numbers for fear of being kidnapped and enslaved in Cambodia’s vast Internet scamming centres.
    
    The BBC has a good background article on the Thai-Cambodian border dispute:
    
    https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg1gdgy2pyo
    
    2 1
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    November 21, 2025 1:59pm
    - Mike
      
      The current border was defined, ambiguously and from inadequate surveys, after the French colonization of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Thailand allied with Japan in WWII. The Vichy regime in French Indochina even fought a brief war against the Thais before the Japs made their two client states stop.
      
      2 3
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      November 21, 2025 3:53pm
    - Ra Henare
      
      I think you will find the main reason for the latest Thailand/Cambodia conflict has nothing really to do with a line on a map… thats just a look over there moment.
      
      But rather, the Then Thai Government headed by a young lady. Introduced a bill in to Parliament to create, effectively, legal casinos in Thailand.
      
      Hence removing BILLIONS of dollars from certain Cambodian Elites who cream it from Cambodian Casinos. Same Elites who get Billions to ignore the illegal SCAM compounds. Said Compunds having been identified bu International investigation.
      
      I find a lot of truth in this doco.
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6kbJ9wV5_k
      
      2 1
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      November 21, 2025 8:13pm
  - sungsamning
    
    You’re not wrong. Lines on maps didn’t always match reality.
    
    2 0
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    November 21, 2025 3:13pm
Scooter

Another example of our Justice system protecting the criminals.

https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/massey-reserve-homicide-teen-responsible-for-security-guard-ramandeep-singh-s-death-gets-permanent-suppression/
8 1
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November 21, 2025 9:30am
Philview

Winston Peters made the media very happy yesterday so that they can generate the Government is imploding stories. Also this provides another route to Government next year for Labour. My preferred Government next year based on current polling is a continuation of this Coalition Government. There are aspects of the National Party that I haven’t liked this term (sitting on a fence too often) but I just don’t trust Peters to lend him my vote.
21 2
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November 21, 2025 9:32am
- Nigel Kearney
  
  This is why ACT should have insisted on having the deputy PM position in the first half, not the second half. Now Winston has enjoyed the baubles of office, there is nothing to stop him throwing his toys. As he has done in the past.
  
  14 1
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  November 21, 2025 10:17am
  - RoboRob
    
    I am sure National and Seymour knew this when they agreed to it. The issue is that Winston had / has all the leverage. Act is only going to work with National, like the greens will only work with Labour. This means both those parties have limited bargaining power, which is often seen by the way Labour treats the Greens. NZF on the other hand has the most power of any party as they will work with either side.
    
    4 0
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    November 21, 2025 11:10am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    If he pulls the pin early, he will be decimated, early elections never go good for the instigator in this country.
    
    5 1
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    November 21, 2025 11:30am
    - sungsamning
      
      Yes, pulling the pin early would be a massive deal breaker.
      
      2 1
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      November 21, 2025 3:16pm
  - kowtow
    
    Yes B Soper made that point . But you see the wily old Peters is a master of manipulation. Been at it for decades, and still has just enough appeal to keep that snout in the trough .
    
    3 1
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    November 21, 2025 11:44am
- RoboRob
  
  I’m in for the current coalition but with more Act and NZF MPs to reduce Nationals influence.
  
  Labour / Greens or TPM would be a disaster.
  
  9 4
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  November 21, 2025 10:18am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Reduce Nats further then Peter’s has no choice but to go with a strong Labour poll, be careful what you wish for, he is making moves
    
    4 2
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    November 21, 2025 11:31am
    - RoboRob
      
      Two points
      
      1. Nationals polling / vote is its responsibility. It is a result of performance, policy and people.
      
      2. If NZF are on ~18% and the Nats are one ~25% (possible on current polling trends), would Winston want to be a minor player in a Labour coalition or a controlling player in a NZF, ACT, NAT coalition? He could be PM in such a scenario.
      
      5 1
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      November 21, 2025 1:59pm
  - sungsamning
    
    Yes, that’d work. Then maybe the administration could get into second gear.
    
    0 2
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    November 21, 2025 3:17pm
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Nats may well have sat on the fence with 2 coalition parties often in opposition directions.
  
  Peters is going to lose a lot of support to Nats, Seymour did one thing right this week, he told the public Peter’s is looking like going back with Labour greens and TPM.
  
  The Talbot poll showed NZF down 4% and Nats up 4% Peter’s will have reminded the voter of his shocking decision to go with Labour in 2017 against the will of the people
  
  9 1
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  November 21, 2025 11:29am
  - RoboRob
    
    It’s possible the Nats have blocked some wacky NZF or Act policy. However it is very clear that on a number of big issues where Act and NZF have had public positions in one direction and the government has refused to act, that it was National blocking the decision. In all of thoses cases the Act and NZF position has been the more ‘sensible’ right wing position.
    
    As a minor current example both ACT and NZF are puiblicly in favour of removing the BSA. Yet National are allowing them to persecute the platform. No action has been taken and the platform are wasting valuable time and money on lawyers instead of focusing on their business.
    
    Yes I know Goldsmith has law changes in the works (hows he going on his treaty removal stuff?), however the least he could do as minister is put a hold on the BSAs actions until the law changes are finished.
    
    p.s. Talbot mills is not worth the paper its printed on AND that is the same poll with LABOUR ahead of National!
    
    3 1
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    November 21, 2025 2:08pm
- MCōs
  
  Of course the media love that sort of controversy.
  It sells papers
  It’s no coincidence that in these tempestuous times the circulation of the big NZ dailies are all increasing
  I would suggest that even the ABs loss on the weekend sells more papers than another boring old win.
  
  4 1
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  November 21, 2025 12:43pm
Skippytony

https://www.thepress.co.nz/business/360884860/te-pae-delivers-millions-cant-pay-its-own-way
****sigh**** Te Pae the shiny new convention centre losing money on every event they hold.
Shocked. Shocked. Shocked.

Whats the bet next year the same will be true for the new stadium?
11 1
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November 21, 2025 9:39am
- mandk
  
  Do convention centres anywhere make money?
  
  I would have thought most of the financial benefits accrue to the wider economy: conference organisers, caterers, hotels, restaurants, shops, taxis, airports etc.
  
  8 1
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  November 21, 2025 10:09am
  - RoboRob
    
    No convention centers and stadiums almost never make money. The sham is that local politicians pretend that they can build them without on going financial support. There were many stories around how the new CHCH stadium would make money by being ….. ‘blah, blah,blah’.
    
    Sadly thats all just BS but some people always fall for it and the polis shouldn’t lie to us.
    
    9 0
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    November 21, 2025 10:22am
    - Taieri
      
      There were many stories around how the new CHCH stadium would make money
      ————
      
      Just as the not so new Dunedin Stadium does…
      
      6 0
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      November 21, 2025 10:42am
    - MCōs
      
      Instead of that money losing stadium in Christchurch and that convention centre down the road the council could have leased out the land for a money making tractor sales yard and a Costco
      All the farmers could bring mum into town to buy the groceries while they look at the John Deers
      
      5 3
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      November 21, 2025 10:46am
      - RoboRob
        
        Whats your point? I never said I opposed the convention center / stadium. I said the politians mislead people on these things.
        
        4 1
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        November 21, 2025 11:17am
      - RoboRob
        
        And yeah, a costco in Christchurch would be great. I would likely spend more time there then in the convention center 🙂
        
        5 1
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        November 21, 2025 11:17am
      - Christopher Thomson
        
        *John Deere’s.
        
        Overpriced, unfixable rubbish anyway.
        
        3 0
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        November 21, 2025 12:20pm
      - MCōs
        
        You can tell I have only a passing knowledge of rural life, but I have heard that young school kids get into fights over which brand of tractors their dads use!
        
        4 2
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        November 21, 2025 12:49pm
      - [email protected]
        
        We bought a John Deere ride-on lawn mower and the hydrostatic transmission died after only 400 hours of use. Apparently this happens a lot. Read that the D160 model with a four foot wide cut is not recommended for large properties (ours is 2 acres). Why buy a large wide cut ride-on if you have a small property? Will never buy another John Deere product.
        
        2 1
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        November 21, 2025 12:57pm
- Paulus
  
  What and where is this funny name place is Te Pae please?
  
  3 1
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  November 21, 2025 2:29pm
  - Mike
    
    In the middle of Ōtautahi.
    
    5 3
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    November 21, 2025 2:40pm
    - julesnzuk
      
      Where’s that?
      
      2 0
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      November 22, 2025 1:12am
Ghost

I guess climate activists are correct, the world is burning…..

Fire breaks out at Cop30 pavilion in Belem

Well, their world
14 1
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November 21, 2025 9:49am
- keepcalmcarryon
  
  Boiling, it’s boiling.
  
  6 3
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  November 21, 2025 10:35am
- imalwaysright
  
  Kiri got knocked back by Greta…
  
  6 1
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  November 21, 2025 10:36am
- Bevan
  
  Maybe it’s a sign that the land needs to be given to Māori
  
  5 1
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  November 21, 2025 10:55am
- PeterTrentham
  
  Where is Col von Stauffenberg when you need him?
  
  4 1
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  November 21, 2025 11:10am
- kowtow
  
  Did you see Oz sent a delegation of just under 500 people to it.
  
  Seems they had wanted to blow $2 billion hosting one in Adelaide .
  
  newsflash it’sjust been ‘awarded” to Turkey .
  
  Looks like these UN fests are the new Olympics when it comes to pollies wasting taxpayers’ hardearned .
  
  11 2
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  November 21, 2025 11:42am
  - Paulus
    
    We are told that some 50,000 people are/were at Belem, included within that some many hundreds of attendee support women, and they now are supporters who follow all the many huge worldwide conferences as most attendees are on some taxpayer.
    And we worry about the results from the Epstein files ?
    
    6 3
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    November 21, 2025 2:37pm
    - kowtow
      
      I take it “support woman” is a euphemism for prostitute .
      Given the progressive nature of the era we’re in there must also be legions of ‘support men’ and indeed ‘support binnaries” or some such.
      
      6 2
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      November 21, 2025 3:18pm
      - NeverMindTheBollocks
        
        I was going to insert a Jevon McSkimming joke here, but a small residue of decency made me stop.
        
        2 0
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        November 21, 2025 6:34pm
- Ghost
  
  I guess I’m the only one that didn’t go to cop30.
  
  A New Zealand disability advocate caught up in the fire at the annual COP climate meeting in Brazil says she and her group were left to fend for themselves.
  
  Article
  
  9 1
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  November 21, 2025 12:36pm
- Notsofast
  
  There must be a number to describe by how much CO2 in the atmosphere is less because of the COP gigs.
  Chatgpt would eat this.
  Loves this kind of question.
  
  3 1
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  November 21, 2025 1:10pm
leoj

Canadian Grenell (?), major shareholder in The Herald, should sell.
Nothing has changed at the newspaper. They are just as leftist as before.
Leftism is too engrained there. Needs a complete clean-out.
14 3
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November 21, 2025 10:03am
- keepcalmcarryon
  
  Wonder if it will ever recover reputation from being busted having AI writing editorials?
  
  6 1
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  November 21, 2025 10:37am
I remember when

“From the scorch marks on the pou Te Ririo”

Is this the kernel of a new Maori legend and addition to the spiritual journey?
While the Tongariro fire burnt all around it, the pou was protected by the Maori gods and those who have gone before.
Left virtually untouched while everything in the vicinity perished.
However, while the term scorched may have been technically correct, did it adequately described the damage to the pou.
Was scorched the description you would have given to the damage the pou suffered?
Will the passage of time allow the story to continue to grow, so that at a later date the pou is completely untouched by the fire and a miracle occurs?
5 1
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November 21, 2025 10:10am
- keepcalmcarryon
  
  Well Maori certainly scorched a few a few pou when they burned 40 percent of the country before the English turned up.
  Is fire bad now?
  
  14 1
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  November 21, 2025 10:40am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  I think it was just tussock around the pou, which if it’s anything like other such monuments is made of treated pine. The fire locally would have burned quickly and not have been particularly hot, so it would have passed by before the timber reached ignition point.
  
  Miracles can have explanations, doncha know.
  
  2 1
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  November 21, 2025 12:47pm
- Paulus
  
  I know what a Poo, is so where is this one – is it like a dunny ?
  
  2 4
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  November 21, 2025 2:39pm
  - Mike
    
    No.
    
    3 2
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    November 21, 2025 2:41pm
Chuck Bird

The details of Dr Will Happer’s tour are now out.

Scroll down to the bottom to see them.

https://methane-accord.co.nz/

I will be going to the first in Hamilton on Friday, December 5.
2 3
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November 21, 2025 11:11am
- kowtow
  
  Thanks for posting.
  
  2 1
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  November 21, 2025 11:37am
  - Chuck Bird
    
    Which one do you plan on going to?
    
    1 2
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    November 21, 2025 1:23pm
- Chuck Bird
  
  Dr Happer’s qualifications.
  
  https://co2coalition.org/teammember/william-happer/
  
  1 2
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  November 21, 2025 11:49am
imalwaysright

Someone sent me money through PayPal.
It left their account instantly but it takes 7 days to reach my account.
This is the same PayPal who froze the accounts of people who aren’t ‘nice’,i.e. politically correct.
5 2
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November 21, 2025 2:14pm
- rouppe
  
  I wouldn’t use that method anymore.
  
  I have a Wise card. Each wallet has a swift/Iban deposit number, you can be paid in whatever currency you like.
  
  2 0
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  November 21, 2025 3:51pm
- Steve Todd
  
  I note that PayPal was co-founded by Peter Thiel, who subsequently became a naturalised New Zealand citizen after spending a few days here (and an unknown amount of money), courtesy of Nathan Guy.
  
  2 2
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  November 21, 2025 5:07pm
  - Mike
    
    We should sell NZ citizenship by open tender to more billionaires, provided they buy property in Kaikohe, Huntly, Taihape or Westport.
    
    1 2
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    November 21, 2025 5:31pm
Swifty

I see Michael Wood’s lust for power and for control over other people’s lives continues unabated:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/michael-wood-confirms-political-return-the-front-page/Q65AAFR2U5HSTCQC5UIZTITKQU/

I ask too, when lefties scream and wail about lobbyist revolving doors and ministers immediately becoming lobbyists subsequent to leaving politics, do they ever hold Wood up as the absolute poster boy for this, or do they just target National MPs?

Unionist ➡️ MP ➡️ Minister ➡️ Unionist ➡️ Back to MP

I thought Labour disapproved of this sort of thing, or is it ok when the left does it?
8 2
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November 21, 2025 4:32pm
- greybeard
  
  1. There must be lots more money in being an MP than a union leader and he has big debts
  2. He sees a chance of ousting Hipkins and becoming the leader
  
  7 2
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  November 21, 2025 5:25pm
  - Swifty
    
    His ego is too big to remain just a union bovver boy.
    
    To be fair though, maybe his public humiliation has made a better man of him.
    
    We shall see.
    
    2 2
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    November 21, 2025 6:10pm
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    Yeah, and surely he can’t lose Mt Rascal again.
    
    I mean, lightning doesn’t strike twice, right?
    
    2 1
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    November 21, 2025 6:36pm
Swifty

The Taupo eruptions:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Fiq9TSKiWaw&pp=ugUHEgVlbi1HQtIHCQkLCgGHKiGM7w%3D%3D

We’re all gone die!
1 2
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November 21, 2025 6:07pm
- greybeard
  
  I haven’t watched this video but for a long time have thought that another Taupo eruption would be something to be expected, and feared, more than the big earthquake in the South Island. In geological terms Tarawera was only a few moments ago, and the whole region is very much alive.
  
  1 0
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  November 21, 2025 9:42pm
Callum

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360895459/man-who-applied-almost-8000-jobs-had-been-prison-us
Posted late on a Friday to disappear quite quickly I suspect. 🤣
0 0
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November 21, 2025 10:18pm
sirknz

This will probably drop of the front page of Stuff rather quickly but the guy that had applied for 8000 jobs and was blaming his lack of employment on convictions 30 years ago has a few more skeletons in his closet such as a conviction for kidnapping and car-jacking in Florida in 2003 and returned to NZ after being released in 2023.

Nice of them to do some thorough fact checking…

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360895459/man-who-applied-almost-8000-jobs-had-been-prison-us
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November 21, 2025 11:09pm

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