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February 8, 2026 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 08 February 2026

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Chuck Bird

I have posted this 34 minute video previously. Some people think that any party that rejects climate change hysteria would lose votes. I disagree and would point to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party. She rejects the alarmism and is at a record high in the polling.

Climate Change Through a Different Scientific Lens

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVxStfbivgs
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February 8, 2026 8:10am
- peterwn
  
  In the old days, those who questioned Climate Change would be burned at the stake.
  
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  February 8, 2026 8:21am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Only when the witch was PM 😆👌
    
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    February 8, 2026 12:11pm
- CJames
  
  Is One Nation’s popularity due to support for the party’s policies, or is it just the voters are saying they hate the two main parties? I suspect it is very much the latter. Same reason why the populist parties are rising all over Western world.
  
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  February 8, 2026 8:43am
  - CJames
    
    Remember Starmer got a “landslide” not because people voted for him. The Conservative voters just didn’t vote. Starmer got less votes than Corbyn.
    The “winners” in elections from now on might be the ones that do the least to alienate voters rather than getting voter support for their policies. Voters have become almost as cynical as politicians are.
    
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    February 8, 2026 8:47am
    - mike
      
      Seems to work in the US. Neither party runs on broadly popular policies and the structure of politics and finance there makes it a practical impossibility for new parties to form.
      
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      February 8, 2026 8:56am
    - Simon
      
      “The “winners” in elections from now on might be the ones that do the least to alienate voters”
      
      Kinda true. People just don’t want be governed by the grossly stupid. Like the National party who thinks a mountain can be a person.
      
      People will at this point will just vote for those who come across as less stupid that the other group
      
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      February 8, 2026 8:58am
    - R
      
      ‘winners…..who do least….’ The Ardern govt, in reality, did and proposed policies that would do the least for her support demography, but she won the 2029 election. The MSM under the PIJF bribe promoted this pending disaster during 2020, and the country ended up in a bigger mess.
      Fortunately the PIJF bribery has expired, so eventually we may see factually accurate JOURNALISIM during the 2026 election period.
      
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      February 8, 2026 9:17am
      - Paulus
        
        PIJF is about to expire I understand but let’s wait and see !
        
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        February 8, 2026 3:10pm
      - Ghost
        
        the last role that was part of the last 2023 funding ended last month. PIJF is no more
        
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        February 8, 2026 3:17pm
      - Ra Henare
        
        My take is Ardern did well was purely because of Covid fear and ascribing the leader at the time(who happened to be Ardern) as the svaiour.
        
        Fully supported by immense propoganda from Gummint and Media(LOcal and International) and any emotional distruaght voter.
        
        I still come across tourists (Europeans) who when they find out I am Kiwi say how lucky we were to have Ardern and what a shame she has left the stage.
        They get a very robust rebutle/eductaion from yours truly
        
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        February 8, 2026 5:19pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        The PIJF may have ended, but this Government has awarded $1.6M to NZ on Air to continue a few of the
        PIJF initiatives.
        
        https://www.nzonair.govt.nz/news/nz-on-air-extends-funding-for-two-key-initiatives-with-16m-boost-for-journalism/
        
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        February 8, 2026 7:04pm
  - Chuck Bird
    
    It is both. However, climate alarmism is just one policy. Hanson also strongly believes there are only two sexes, male and female. She states what she thinks rather than waiting for polling and focus groups, like Luxon does here.
    
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    February 8, 2026 8:52am
    - Nikola Donatello
      
      What do you mean what she “believes” that there are two sexes? It makes as much sense as saying she “believes that the earth orbits the sun”.
      
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      February 8, 2026 10:16am
      - Notsofast
        
        The law commission recommends protection for non binary people.
        That implies they believe in a 3rd category.
        Pauline Hanson would stomp on that, but Luxon won’t.
        
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        February 8, 2026 10:52am
      - wsk12345
        
        And yet we have parties who, to use your analogy, believe that the sun orbits the earth. And people believe it.
        
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        February 8, 2026 12:04pm
    - Ra Henare
      
      Hanson has strong beliefs and principles.
      Cant say the same for NZ PM or ex PMs
      
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      February 8, 2026 10:23pm
  - Paulus
    
    But not from what we hear from our so called media in New Zealand !
    Our lead Party is by them is truly unpopular and would do all they could to replace it with the left wing who created the problems we have and will have for some years.
    
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    February 8, 2026 9:16am
  - mogg
    
    The two main parties in UK have proven themselves to be blatant liars especially on the big issues like immigration and secure borders. The Tories have a long history of saying the right thing to get into power then doing exactly the opposite.
    Kier today and gone tomorrow is following in the same footsteps, the UK voters are sick of listening to lying politicians.
    
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    February 8, 2026 9:56am
- Dougal10
  
  The Liberals are in disarray , the leaders are still clinging to the hope their policies could appeal to the inner city woke , while the non inner city urban parts of their party are walking away in disgust.
  
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  February 8, 2026 8:47am
- cmm
  
  That is what the MSM (pretty much all Greenies) would have you believe – after interviewing the people in their bubble and dismissing any dissenting views as science deniers.
  
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  February 8, 2026 9:17am
- Nikola Donatello
  
  Sorry that is faulty reasoning.
  
  One Nation’s rise is better understood as a general protest against the “two‑party duopoly” and anger and dismay with mainstream politics, with climate change rejection bundled together with other grievances rather than standing alone as the main cause.
  
  Imagine that tomorrow Chris Luxon announced that climate change was “hysteria” and we were withdrawing from all international efforts in climate change. The result would be a drop in National support to the low 20 percent range. They would crash out of government at the election.
  
  Why would National do such a thing? Right now they have left “net zero” in place while quietly dismantling the policies designed to get there. Why not just leave it alone?
  
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  February 8, 2026 10:13am
  - Chuck Bird
    
    Have a look at Oz. In 2019, Scmo held up a lump of coal prior to the election and said that was Australia’s future. He won that election. However, he took an alarmist position in 2022 and lost to Marist Albo.
    
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    February 8, 2026 10:29am
    - wsk12345
      
      Pwople here are, I think, way more indoctrinated by the climate cult. I have friends I would describe as smart, well educated, and centre right politically who believe that the world is ending.
      
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      February 8, 2026 12:06pm
      - Flossie
        
        Why do you think that wsk? I have family in several other countries and people I’ve met there seem just as indoctrinated.
        
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        February 8, 2026 3:16pm
      - wsk12345
        
        Flossie – the aussies i know seem less inclined to buy the BS. Or maybe that’s just the aussies i know. NZers seem to be compliant little sheep in comparison.
        
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        February 8, 2026 3:44pm
  - keepcalmcarryon
    
    This is the way of the eunuch.
    
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    February 8, 2026 12:45pm
- Michael Sommerville
  
  Professors Lindzen, Happer and Koonin are my go to experts. Here is a link to a document I use to counter the “believers”.
  
  https://co2coalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Lindzen-Happer-Koonin-Affidavit-30-Nov-2023-2.pdf
  
  I have printed it off and distribute it when asked.
  
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  February 8, 2026 11:46am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  I have noticed a marked change in people’s thoughts on climate change, the lefties at work are now suggesting weather changes is simply nature, people are starting to realise we are not under the sea as we were supposed to be by now.
  
  I have actually noticed a difference at St Clair beach, high tide use to see waves smashing against the wall and and splashing up onto the foot path, and in a storm it was landing and washing across the road, well this no longer happens, with a full moon maybe slight, but from what I have noticed the sea is not bashing off that wall the way it use to. The cycle is on the move back
  
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  February 8, 2026 12:17pm
Damocles11

Examples of ‘Extremist’ and ‘Sensible, Centrist’ political parties, according to all those New Zealanders who may prefer a ‘grand coalition’ of Labour and National to lock out the dangerous ‘extremists’.

ACT: Promotes fiscal responsibility, promotes equal rights for all citizens regardless of race, pro law and order, pro-immigration: EXTREMIST.
National: High government spending, Maorification, ongoing embedding of division by race, pro law and order, pro-immigration: SENSIBLE CENTRIST.
Labour: High government spending, Maorification, ongoing embedding of division by race, committed to increasing the public service, pro-immigration: SENSIBLE CENTRIST.
Greens: High government spending, Maorification, ongoing embedding of division by race, committed to increasing the public service, wealth taxes, Treaty claims on privately owned land, pro-immigration: EXTREMIST
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February 8, 2026 8:14am
- R
  
  Hardly call the present Labour opposition SENSIBLE, they certainly didn’t demonstrate, nor perform, as such during their last two terms
  
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  February 8, 2026 11:56am
  - Damocles11
    
    My comment has seemingly been taken literally by some. I would have thought the satire was obvious but anyway. The point is that some that are labelled extremist are pursuing sensible policies, while the ‘sensible’ parties are pursuing policies of reckless levels of government spending combined with divisive Maorification and social engineering. But since most people support either National or Labour we must conclude that this is what the public wants.
    
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    February 8, 2026 12:59pm
- judith8409121
  
  Just to clarify – Labour is to continue with the 2 tier apartheid-ing of New Zealand, the continual push that men can be women, the attack on private businesses, and the increase of taxes until anyone who wants to do anything must leave. These ideas are EXTREME – i guess your satire that these ideas are now taken as just fine is the problem.
  
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  February 8, 2026 1:13pm
Cassandra

According to the Telegraph Mariah Carey, at the opening of the Winter Olympics, announced that, as a reward for winning a medal, Filipino athletes have been promised free colonoscopies for life.

I think both the Filipino budget and their gastroenterologists are quite safe.
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February 8, 2026 8:23am
- kowtow
  
  Talking of the winter olympics , the “news” seems to celebrate how woke it all is.
  
  The Israelis were booed.
  The “Aotearoans” were so proud to have cloaks .
  American athletes ashamed of ICE ans some guy’s literally made the news for making a rather silly gesture by pissing in the snow.
  
  Other than perhaps yachting and dressage could there be any other sport that is more elitist and less “inclusive” than snow sports.
  
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  February 8, 2026 9:06am
  - MCōs
    
    All top level sport is elitist by definition.
    Razor got the heave ho because the ABs weren’t performing at an elite level.
    
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    February 8, 2026 10:33am
    - kowtow
      
      No they ‘re not .
      
      Elite athletes at the top .Can come from any class . Pele for example.
      
      ‘Elitist’ starts with the rich . Those with access to snow sports , yacht clubs etc
      
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      February 8, 2026 3:41pm
  - Gravelroad
    
    Dressage is to horses what ice dancing is to skaters.
    Sometimes also done to music.
    You would have to ask the horses how elitist it is.
    
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    February 8, 2026 10:45am
  - Nobby2
    
    Kowtow, “The aotearoans were so proud to have cloaks” Well it was pretty cold over there so having a cloak made good sense. Meanwhile the New Zealanders were warmly dressed and just got on with the parade and then the events, so all good for NEW ZEALAND’S chances of winning a few medals.
    
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    February 8, 2026 11:28am
- imalwaysright
  
  Maybe it was for not winning a medal…
  
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  February 8, 2026 9:23am
Gravelroad

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360932652/its-personal-me-small-town-battling-save-its-only-indoor-pool
I get it that in today’s world, most people want their preferred public facilities to be just round the corner from where they live.
And rebuilt, maintained and paid for by the Council or Government via their rates and taxes.
But the nearest up-to-date indoor swimming pool for the family mentioned in the article is a punishing 15km drive away – far too far for them.
And the outdoor pool in their small town is “too cold”.
Many rural and city people travel more kms than that everyday to school, work and related activities.
And have no leisure facilities at all round the corner.
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February 8, 2026 8:49am
- mike
  
  These folk need to realize that 40 years of economic and demographic changes means that the town can’t afford the nice things it had in the 1980s.
  
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  February 8, 2026 8:59am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    Make that 50 years of bad economic decisions, by various governments opting to spend more than tax brings in. Shout out to those governments that at least tried to rein in foolish expenditure.
    
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    February 8, 2026 9:11am
    - Quail
      
      NMTB,
      And add in the additional resultant inflation that has stolen the savings of people who tried to look after themselves and redistributed their savings to those who did not bother
      The little red hen is now KFC !
      
      11 1
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      February 8, 2026 10:40am
    - Burtland
      
      modern wealth is now about high debt
      
      any governing party would be stupid to pay debt back – it creates austerity that will get you voted out. You instead need to run as close to the wind as possible with debt levels so your opposition have no opportunity to give it away again
      
      seems to be the current strategy
      
      at the same time you need to find new and inventive ways to provide more free stuff
      – circular financing of AI was a good one
      
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      February 8, 2026 1:18pm
  - waripori
    
    Sort of. The existing building was built by volunteers using portals recovered from the demolished Gear meat plant in Petone. It is just possible some niceties like geotech investigations were overlooked. Nonetheless is has stood up OK despite a grim appearance but the chlorine rich environment has not been kind to the steel. It is not possible to build things that way anymore. If todays rules had applied then the pool would have been unaffordable back then. Not saying todays rules are wrong, just a lot more expensive.
    
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    February 8, 2026 9:37am
  - Damocles11
    
    So because of mass immigration and because of the Lefts habit of spending most of the rates money on social engineering instead of core infrastructure, we can’t have great community facilities and necessary infrastructure anymore. Thanks for the explanation Mike.
    
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    February 8, 2026 9:42am
  - R
    
    Perhaps the URBAN sector needs to become more productive, and earn the salaries/wages that they are paid; OR lower their expectation of FREE facilitiesq
    
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    February 8, 2026 10:16am
  - Cassandra
    
    It probably wasn’t affordable even then. We’ve always put off paying into the future. But the problem is structural. Users don’t want to pay. They always want someone else to do it. “Tax the rich” is popular. Raising the minimum wage will be Labour policy, favoured by its sole brain, Craig Renney, ex northern England’s coal mines.
    
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    February 8, 2026 10:18am
    - In Vino Veritas
      
      Yeah Cass, tax the rich is always popular with the left. And “pay their fair share”. But try asking them who the rich people they refer to are and what number in terms of tax percentage of income is their fair share. None will answer because they have no clue. And worse, they have already decided to redefine income to include assets. Remember “economic income” and using the IRD to go on a fishing expedition? They have that term on their website “The New Zealand Labour Party focuses on boosting economic income for families”. So you can see a change coming a mile away.
      
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      February 8, 2026 10:34am
      - R
        
        I would be interested yo learn from Rennie, where, once they have TAXED the so called RICH into oblivion, will the money come from for the Socislist Labour NIRVANA? THERE WONT BE ANY CAPITAL IN THE COUNTRY, thus no employment !
        
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        February 8, 2026 12:00pm
      - In Vino Veritas
        
        R, what do you mean “once they have TAXED”? People with any money and or assets haven’t waited for Labour|Greens|Maori nutters to start taxing them. Ever since that fishing expedition with the IRD, plans have been and are being put in place. Generally, capital is mobile. And it will mobile away from high tax rates to low tax rates. If the Labour coalition of loons persist, it is inevitable that capital will flee and along with that will come in the significant reduction in income tax revenue (and GST etc) to the Government.
        
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        February 8, 2026 2:21pm
  - cmm
    
    “the town can’t afford the nice things it had in the 1980s.”
    
    The main problem is that in the 1980s, a basic pool and changing shed, or maybe a basic swing and seesaw were considered “nice things”.
    
    Now the pool must be heated and have water slides etc. The slide and seesaw must have $50k of protective gear around them.
    
    We saw this when we lived out of town near Glentunnel.
    
    In the early 2000s kids would play for hours with nothing more than a rope swing off a tree by the river. People camped at the domain from a week before Christmas to a week after New Year.
    
    Now they all head home the day before Christmas so they can have internet for all their Christmas presents. The council removes any rope swings because they could be unsafe.
    
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    February 8, 2026 12:34pm
    - NeverMindTheBollocks
      
      Ironically, many kids today would still be happy with a rope swing, while many parents yearn for simpler times for their kids.
      
      H&S has a lot to answer for, along with the notion that nanny knows best.
      
      Of course, the price to pay would be a few more deaths and injuries among kids. In the days when families had 4 or 5 kids, and didn’t expect anything better, that was a risk that people could live with. After all, the parents themselves came from families of 9 or 10, where not all were expected to make it to adulthood. Now, when families have just 1 or 2 kids, they are not willing to live with that degree of risk.
      
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      February 8, 2026 1:03pm
      - Burtland
        
        they might be happy with a rope swing but they cant use them without killing themselves – there was one locally that the council removed for this reason
        
        unfortunately most kids sport has become the extreme sport of idiots – snow sport, skate boarding and cage fighting are highly promoted examples of the impossible
        
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        February 8, 2026 1:32pm
  - keepcalmcarryon
    
    But country peoples taxes are still paying for Auckland’s city rail link.
    Mike’s party even spent $50 million of everyone’s money not building Aucklanders a bike bridge, so you can shove your contempt for rural New Zealand where it fits.
    
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    February 8, 2026 12:50pm
- Taieri
  
  And have no leisure facilities at all round the corner
  ————–
  
  That’s a very poor argument. Taking it to its logical conclusion, should we get rid of all “local” facilities because “many rural and city people travel more kms than that…”?
  
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  February 8, 2026 9:41am
- In Vino Veritas
  
  The outdoor pool is too cold. Seriously? In summer? The local pool I swam in as a kid was filled from the local duck pond. Had slime around the sides and on the bottom. Not that you could stand on the bottom at the deep end, it was over 3m deep.
  
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  February 8, 2026 10:28am
  - gravedodger
    
    Our school Pool c1950s was filled from an open Race sourced from a local stream, no lifeguards, no chlorine, no deaths, the water began to go green dump it all out and refill from the water race, 24 hours later swimming again in brisk temperature water?
    
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    February 8, 2026 1:57pm
    - In Vino Veritas
      
      Yep dodger, no life guards! And no deaths because literally every kid could swim. The primary schools in the area all taught kids to swim.
      To be fair to our local pool, it was always green!
      
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      February 8, 2026 2:25pm
- newview
  
  GR I also didn’t see any actual numbers of those using the pool in the article. For rate payers money to be involved numbers using it would be needed and what people should be charged to cover costs.
  
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  February 8, 2026 10:39am
- MCōs
  
  I’ve been going to the Onehunga pool to exercise my crook leg. On a hot day last weekend the place was full of all ages, particularly young kids, having a great time.
  I’d have thought it was much better to take the kids there than let them blob out with a phone or tablet
  Quite a few could do with a bit of conditioning
  Judging by the picture in the article the Carterton pool is very basic and somewhat run down.
  Looking at Google Maps I can’t see much else in any of those Wairarapa towns
  
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  February 8, 2026 12:08pm
  - cmm
    
    What? Other than numerous swimming holes on the Ruamahanga (7km away) and Waiohine (4km away) rivers. Less than 15 minutes by bike.
    
    8km easy ride to the mountain bike park.
    Heaps of camping and tramping on your doorstep.
    
    Yup, absolutely nothing for kids to do in Carterton.
    
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    February 8, 2026 12:47pm
    - waripori
      
      Not surprisingly the Stuff article has not given a realistic view of the Carterton Pool situation. There are two pool complexes. The Council owned and operated outdoor pool is open all summer and not heated. No problems apart from being 100 years old. Very popular and free entry. The indoor pool owned by the swimming club is on land leased from the Council. It is used for swimming lessons, aquarobics and very successful all year round high level swimming training. Try that at night in July in the Wairarapa in an outdoor unheated pool. It is the only facility South of Masterton. Not all that far from Carterton to Masterton but a long way from Martinborough. With all due respect a swimming hole in the Waohine Gorge is not going to cut it.
      
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      February 8, 2026 6:08pm
Simon

Epstein isn’t going away comrades. That nasty criminal espionage operation run by Israel
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February 8, 2026 8:59am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Luxons probably hiding him in the cellar. Sarc
  
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  February 8, 2026 12:21pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

Yesterday, the SMH report of missing 4 year old Gus Lamont (ex Stuff) referred to the fact that he has or had two grandmothers, one of whom was formerly his grandfather. This has now been excised from the Stuff story; likewise from the Guardian version. The story also says that a suspect has been identified.

There’s worldwide interest in this story, and neither NZ nor the UK are bound by Australian court suppression orders (if, indeed, one has been ordered). Could it be that our media are self censoring because of sensitivity to the trans gender “community”?
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February 8, 2026 9:20am
imalwaysright

Not too long ago masculinity was something most people admired.
These days it has been renamed toxic masculinity and is expected to be despised.
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February 8, 2026 9:36am
- RichardX
  
  I hate to break it to you but an adjective, such as toxic, does not redefine or rename the word it is being applied to, it modifies it.
  
  Toxic masculinity is not the same as all masculinity, hence the adjective.
  
  Given that some males are more masculine than others, masculinity is a spectrum and one part of that spectrum, as espoused by the likes of Andrew Tate, is toxic.
  
  Can you provide a better definition for Tate’s misogynistic views on masculinity and how he perceives the roles of males and females?
  
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  February 8, 2026 1:32pm
  - imalwaysright
    
    I’ve got no idea what you are going on about.
    
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    February 8, 2026 2:50pm
    - RichardX
      
      Seriously?
      
      I am refuting your claim that masculinity “has been renamed toxic masculinity”
      
      Maybe you just didn’t understand what you wrote but I find that hard to believe.
      
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      February 8, 2026 3:14pm
      - wsk12345
        
        He’s right though. Being masculine now, being able to build or fix stuff, looking after your family. As well ans the less desirable anspects are now considered toxic. All masculinity – because (many) feminists don’t like it.
        
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        February 8, 2026 3:52pm
      - ISeeRed
        
        Toxic masculinity = not pandering to female entitlement and ego. And no one talks about “toxic femininity”. Funny that. Maybe there are just toxic people and there’s no need to gender it?
        
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        February 8, 2026 5:19pm
      - RichardX
        
        ISeeRed
        Toxic masculinity = not pandering to female entitlement and ego. And no one talks about “toxic femininity”. Funny that. Maybe there are just toxic people and there’s no need to gender it?
        
        February 8, 2026 5:19pm
        
        So by your definition, Toxic femininity = not pandering to male entitlement and ego.
        
        Maybe that is why no one is talking about it.
        
        But you are partly correct, arseholes are arseholes irrespective of gender.
        
        The issue is where the likes of Tate try to define masculinity as a particular set of traits that are toxic.
        
        Toxic masculinity is a phrase that can be misused by both sides of the arguement.
        
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        February 8, 2026 6:06pm
  - Damocles11
    
    Either comport yourself as the knuckledraggers and boofheads do, or suffer the consequences from a society that by-and-large demands conformity. That is unfortunately the problem and it is a broader one than ‘toxic masculinity’.
    
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    February 8, 2026 5:02pm
slightlyrighty

New polling in Texas shows Democratic candidate James Talarico would win in a head to head contest against current GOP front runner Ken Paxton, and within the margin of error in a head to head against the incumbent, John Cornyn.

Given that the new poll is actually GOP internal polling from The National Republican Senatorial Committee, there is now a real fear that Texas could flip in the mid terms. A fear that is exacerbated by the recent win by the Dems in the State Senate run off, representing a 31 point swing to the Dems from just 15 months ago.

In the senate race there is now a real possibility that the GOP will lose the House AND the Senate.

Withs states like Alaska and Texas in play, North Carolina (a Purple state) up for grabs with the GOP incumbent retiring, Ohio moving from leans Republican to Tossup, if the current trends continue, political tragics (yes…me as well) should find a lot to maintain our interest.
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February 8, 2026 9:55am
Swifty

More Harawira thuggery, and in front of kids at the park:

https://x.com/bloke_new/status/2020224533857538383?s=46
8 1
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February 8, 2026 10:02am
Chuck Bird

Did anyone hear Phil Geoff on TV this morning refer to Israel’s genocide in Gaza?

Labor’s anti-Israel stance under Marxist Albo led to Bondi.
14 9
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February 8, 2026 10:48am
Southern Raider

Just seen a deranged post from Sinead Boucher (owner of Stuff) in support of a The Post article where it’s claimed that by Luxon and the Govt putting official information on X they are effectively supporting child porn.

And this is the women who would like all social media shut down so Stuff can be the one source of truth.
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February 8, 2026 12:21pm
- In Vino Veritas
  
  Poor old Sinead SR. After all, her business uses the internet. And pornography was a major driver in its creation and expansion. Porno was an early and significant adopter, led to major technological advances and finally commercialisation of the internet. So poor old Sinead. Not only purveyor of deranged posts, but a hypocrite to boot.
  
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  February 8, 2026 2:33pm
cmm

We hear that NZ “punches above its weight”.

We also hear that NZ has a productivity crisis.

Can someone please explain how both of those can be true.

I mean, surely if we have a productivity crisis (ie. low productivity) then we are not punching above our weight.
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February 8, 2026 12:25pm
- marcw
  
  One of the reasons for our low productivity is because we literally, do not produce (and yes, there are countless exceptions). According to December 2025 MSD figures, “There were 427,236 people (or 13.2% of the working-age population) on a main benefit.” That’s more than one in seven of our eligible workers. And it doesn’t help when we vote for politicians who think declaring public holidays to celebrate mythical pagan observances is a way to improve the Country’s well being. An event so significant, that it’s name doesn’t even appear in our 2009 maori dictionary.
  
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  February 8, 2026 12:44pm
  - cmm
    
    Yup, of course numbers are averaged when we talk about a population and, like any population there will be some outliers in each direction.
    
    After all, women are generally shorter than men and we say “women are shorter and weaker than men”, even though there are outliers. We don’t take that statement to mean that every man is stronger than Val Adams or taller than Irene Van Dyk.
    
    We love this myth of NZ being the little country that can and it pops up in so many ways: “punching above our weight”, All Blacks, Kiwi Ingenuity, No 8 wire,…
    
    Yes, we have our outliers (Xero, Hamilton Jet, Rakon, Willie Apiata, Sir Edmond Hillary, …) but we seem to have a lot of people who basically freeload off this. It is basically stolen valour.
    
    9 2
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    February 8, 2026 12:59pm
  - Paulus
    
    And we have almost the highest in the accepted world Minimum wage and Labour want to increase it again, again, again.
    
    8 2
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    February 8, 2026 3:20pm
- Southern Raider
  
  As per my post the other day we also have a considerable and growth level of immigrants who are hear for the free western education and free health care, but contribute (outside of consumption taxes) zero taxable income for NZ eg net negative contributors and growing rapidly.
  
  Also how many immigrants had there kids educated here and then took off to Australia as soon as the passports came through.
  
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  February 8, 2026 1:24pm
  - ISeeRed
    
    You could say they are “southern raiders”. 😎
    
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    February 8, 2026 5:21pm
- Albie
  
  We punch above our weight in virtue signalling to the world, starting with our nuclear free brain fart, but that’s about it.
  
  10 2
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  February 8, 2026 1:37pm
  - kowtow
    
    Hang on . We liberated the blacks in South Africa .
    
    Now look how they prosper.
    
    1 2
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    February 8, 2026 4:06pm
- KH
  
  [ Mod – you already said that ]
  
  1 1
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  February 8, 2026 2:49pm
Fender

Canada exports 4.3M bpd to the US. Venezuela’s entire production is 23% of what Canada already ships.

The rebuild timeline is a decade minimum, likely longer. Rice University’s Monaldi says at least 10 years and $100+ billion in investment to get back to 4 million bpd. PDVSA itself says $58 billion just for pipelines that haven’t been updated in 50 years. That’s before you drill a single new well.

Here’s the part markets are missing: Trump doesn’t control the oil. The VP who hates the US is in charge. No stable pro-Western government means no foreign investment. Nobody’s pouring $100 billion into a country run by someone hostile to them. The whole supply increase story requires political stability that doesn’t exist.

Canadian infrastructure is already built and connected. Alberta to US Gulf Coast and Midwest refineries through established pipelines. Those refineries are configured for Canadian heavy crude after decades of optimization.

Even if Venezuela eventually gets production up in the 2030s, it’s the same heavy sour crude Canada produces. More heavy crude globally just validates continued investment in heavy crude refining infrastructure, which benefits Canada.”

Doug Casey and Chris MacIntosh issue a stark warning.

We’re not facing a recession. We’re entering a complete system reset—a collapse of the bond, equity, and currency markets all at once.

Venezuela has a huge problem. Expecting the country to pump over three million barrels per day and crash oil prices is something only in the head of idiot politicians. Thirty years of socialist mismanagement destroyed everything, and the infrastructure is, as they say in Australia, buggered!

PDVSA (Venezuela’s state oil company) went from a world-class operator to a complete disaster. Refineries are rusting. Pipelines are leaking. Equipment is ancient. The realistic cost to fix it runs from $100 to 180 billion over the next 10–15 years. Nobody has that kind of money, especially not for a country that has a history of asset seizures.

And oh, the idea that Trump is already “running” the country is absurd. Yanking Maduro out of bed and putting boots on the ground, dealing with militias and so forth are not at all the same thing.

Next, we have legal issues. For example, Exxon…

Venezuela owes $60 billion in unpaid arbitration awards. Exxon, ConocoPhillips, and others got their assets seized in 2007. They won in international court, but Venezuela never paid them. Now, Trump’s calling oil execs and telling them to “invest in Venezuela.” Their response is, logically, “Show us the rule of law first.”

Then we have the Chevron reality example…

Chevron’s the only major still there, operating under a special US license. According to them, the best case scenario with their current setup would be to add between 200,000 and 500,000 barrels per day. That brings Venezuela from 900,000 bpd to maybe 1.1 to 1.5 million bpd.

For reference, the US consumes over 20 million bpd, so this is negligible (and that’s their best case scenario).

Then we have the Orinoco problem. You see, Venezuela’s oil is heavy crude from the Orinoco Belt. It’s thick, sulfurous, and costly to extract. Before it’s useful, it needs special refineries to process. At current oil prices, the margins are horrible.

Why would any company invest billions for 8–12% returns when they can get 15–20% in US shale? They wouldn’t.

Then we’ve something else which is humorous…

Trump keeps saying he wants $50 oil. But $50 oil destroys the investment case for Venezuelan production. You can’t spend $180 billion rebuilding infrastructure if oil prices are suppressed. The economics simply will not work.

So either oil stays at $50 and nobody invests in Venezuela. Or oil rises to $80 (or more) and Venezuela becomes viable, but they still require political certainty… and we’re a long way from that.

Trump can’t have both. So even IF someone could rebuild the infrastructure, Venezuela’s political situation is still a mess. Maduro’s gone. Fine, but now what? Nobody knows what the government will look like in a month, let alone 12 months. Major oil companies don’t invest billions into that level of uncertainty. They need 10-year stability guarantees. As of right now, Venezuela can’t provide that.

Meanwhile, Trump’s threatening to cut oil prices even as the US rig count is already falling.

Fifteen percent down in the last year. Woosh!

Shale producers are pulling back on new drilling. If the government artificially suppresses oil prices, pray tell, how we’re going to get the much needed additional capital investment Trump is so eager for oil execs to plough in. And by the way, this is not just in Venezuela. This is a global issue.

Low prices mean less investment, which means tighter supply later. It’s basic economics.

Trump’s $50 oil talk is exactly that: talk.

The gap between political promises and physical reality has never been wider. You can’t tweet oil fields into existence. You can’t executive order decades of infrastructure neglect away. And you definitely can’t rebuild a collapsed petro state while simultaneously crashing the price of its only export.

The well-respected energy firm Rystad poured similar cold water on the idea of Venezuelan oil.

“Based on our assessment and expected project timelines, it could take around 15 years to get back to 3 million bpd, so production can return to late 1990s levels by 2040 if the new investment cycle starts as early as 2026.”

Then there’s the not-insignificant fact that before any company deploys hundreds of millions or billions of dollars (which is what’s required), they won’t be doing so unless they can see stability and longevity of stability.

The US has a debt problem, and part of going after Venezuela may well be to build up additional collateral for the teetering debt markets.

The issue that the US government faces is that kidnapping a dude in his pajamas isn’t quite the same thing as “running” the country as Trump is promising.

Oil execs wonder what may happen in a few years time when the baton at the White House changes hands. Hands up, who wants to spend billions of dollars only to have the rules change on them?

The US may not actually get to “run Venezuela.” Will the Venezuelan government not seize assets again? It’s called risk premium, and when it comes to Venezuela, it’s sky high.

Then there’s the fact that it’s entirely possible nobody “runs Venezuela.” The place turns into a Libya, with warring factions all over the show, bugger all ability to enforce legal contracts.

Regarding Venezuelan oil, why go spend all that money and take such risk when you can just head down to known deposits, a more stable government, and better

[Perhaps you could indicate which parts of your post are copied from other authors.
eg, from https://internationalman.com/articles/venezuelas-oil-fantasy-meets-physical-reality/ – holy mod.]
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February 8, 2026 12:49pm
- cmm
  
  The point is not to get more oil out of Venezuela into the US economy in the short term. That would be pointless.
  
  Instead the major point(s) are:
  * Venezuela has the world’s largests oil reserves. Those might not be needed now, but they might be needed/wanted in the future.
  * Getting Venezuela back on its feet as a stable economy with a sane goovernment benefits the whole region. It certainly improves the US internal security situation.
  
  Effective local government can be built around a solid economy. The government is second to economy. Governments do not build successful economies anywhere in the world.
  
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  February 8, 2026 1:05pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  The only thing to be said for Venezuela is that ir makes Jacinda‘s reign in NZ look sane.
  
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  February 8, 2026 1:12pm
  - NothingLeft
    
    Venezuela serves as a useful modern lesson in the dangers of trying to vote yourself rich by letting socialists take control of govt. Not that tik-tok infused voters of the near-dominant ideocracy class are capable of maintaining the >30s concentration required to understand…
    
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    February 8, 2026 3:15pm
Swifty

If people freely choose to organise their lives along socialist principles, establishing workers’ cooperatives etc, who could argue against it?

But if it is imposed by government, is it still socialism or is has it actually at that point become fascism?

https://x.com/johnstossel/status/2020279406791729461?s=46
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February 8, 2026 1:07pm
- Southern Raider
  
  The issue is how much is really by individual choice. Almost all teachers, police, nurses etc join a union when they start employment because everyone else they work with has.
  
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  February 8, 2026 1:27pm
  - Christopher Thomson
    
    Police can’t be in a union. It’s banned.
    
    As it should be for every state employee that receives wages taken from the productive and usefully employed.
    
    6 2
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    February 8, 2026 3:52pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

The Guardian gleefully informs us that in Norway, just 7 new petrol powered cars were sold in January (98 diesel, 29 hybrid, 2,000+ EVs).

Not mentioned in the article are the enormous government subsidies for EVs, including taxes on fossil fuels, EV exemption from car purchase taxes, and other discounts on road tolls.

The irony, of course, is that the subsidies all come from royalties on Norway’s fossil fuel industry.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/06/only-seven-petrol-powered-cars-sold-in-norway-in-january
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February 8, 2026 1:37pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

Adrian Rurawhe thinks the Tamihere Party will be smashed down to a single seat at the next election.

I think Adrian’s being pessimistic.

http://www.1news.co.nz/2026/02/08/rurawhe-te-pati-maori-faces-election-wipeout-lucky-to-keep-one-seat/
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February 8, 2026 2:12pm
- Swifty
  
  This is good for National, if it reduces or eliminates the overhang.
  
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  February 8, 2026 3:58pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

A bad day at the office.

A South Korean cryptocurrency exchange accidentally gave away more than $40b of bitcoin to its customers.

Instead of giving customers 2,000 won ($1.37), it gave them each 2,000 bitcoin.

Whoops!

http://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz6y62nzjxxo
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February 8, 2026 2:18pm
Swifty

Mining requirements to meet Net Zero by 2025.

https://x.com/electroversenet/status/2020301560488526168?s=46

Does that sound about right?
4 2
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February 8, 2026 2:35pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Yeah, well, that assumes that the world’s population stays about the same.
  
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  February 8, 2026 4:07pm
KH

New Zealand does not punch above it’s weight. To say so is like whistling in the dark to keep the boogieman away.
4 2
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February 8, 2026 3:01pm
Swifty

Who knew men can be lesbians?

https://x.com/gaynotqueer1/status/2020105763406950456?s=46

Not me.
5 2
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February 8, 2026 3:56pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  So let me see. He’s a man who thinks he’s a woman who likes women.
  
  Surely, it would have just been simpler to stay as a man.
  
  3 1
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  February 8, 2026 7:34pm
NothingLeft

So much crazy stuff coming out of Epstein files, (this is going to keep on coming up for years given salaciousness);

-‘pizzagate’ John Podesta pedophile ring conspiracy seems to have more epstein files corroboration, clearly coded messages about deliveries of pizza and hotdogs for $10’s of thousands of dollars. Drugs, prostitutes or children? Interesting that the Washington pizzaria in question had a logo reminiscent of triangular man-boy-love logo, and gay boyfriend of owner of pizzaria ran ‘Media Matters’ democrat propaganda operation (feeds daily talking points to left wing MSM).

-something weird going on with talk about ‘jerky’, suggestions it might be some extreme nuttery like cannibalism (doesn’t seem very credible – but I can believe that powerful/rich could get sufficiently excited by idea of doing something so pointlessly criminal as a flex of their Narcissism )
-and now an ex girlfriend claiming to have inside scoop on cult doing human sacrifice with Epstein involved to gather kompromat.

Some of it will be real, a lot not.

Superficial quick-fire coverage from Asmongold:
https://youtu.be/A9xDNipXoes?t=1751
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February 8, 2026 4:28pm
Tom Barker

Trump claims he didn’t know about the racist video posted on his social media. This is an assertion we should presumably take seriously but not literally.
1 4
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February 8, 2026 5:01pm
Swifty

A new tune from that 80s band A Flock of Seagulls:

https://x.com/paratroopbrady/status/2020293977015218401?s=46

Quite good.
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February 8, 2026 5:13pm
Swifty

Trump responds to the outrage over the ape/Obama meme:

https://x.com/grey4626/status/2020136873880867107?s=46
4 1
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February 8, 2026 5:27pm
- Christopher Thomson
  
  Manafactured faux-outrage.
  
  Let’s move on to the next MSM bullshit story.
  
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  February 8, 2026 7:19pm
rouppe

Demonstrators at the Olympics in Italy turn violent, requiring tear gas and water cannons.

American ice agents are not involved in this fracas.

So the common elements are:
* Environmental protestors
* anti ICE protestors
* violence

Maybe it isn’t Trumps fault after all.
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February 8, 2026 6:20pm
Gravelroad

What has gone wrong with the All Blacks 7’s team?
They have just been beaten by Fiji 35-0 in another lacklustre display.
Admittedly, they had a player red carded halfway through the first half, but really, did that make much difference?
They are ordinary- lacking ball skills, tackling ability and don’t have anyone that can actually run fast.
I reckon the NZ women’s team would beat them.
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February 8, 2026 6:35pm
- Gravelroad
  
  NZ All Blacks 7’s men just got beaten by Australia aided by a yellow card to the kiwis.
  Must be time to sack the coach ……..
  
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  February 8, 2026 9:25pm
  - Hugh Jarse
    
    Jamie’s the answer !
    
    1 0
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    February 8, 2026 11:06pm
- Tauhei Notts
  
  What naughtiness did that Sevens’ player do that warranted a red card?
  
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  February 8, 2026 9:31pm
  - Gravelroad
    
    Spear type tackle.
    
    3 0
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    February 8, 2026 9:34pm

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