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February 22, 2026 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 22 February 2026

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General Debate

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Scott

President Trump is sending 100 soldiers to Nigeria to train the army in counter terrorism operations. This is to help the Nigerian army protect the Christians who are being attacked by Jihadists. About 70 to 80% of all the Christians killed around the world for their faith are killed in Nigeria.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/02/us-forces-deployed-nigeria-response-christians-being-slaughtered/

Trump is the only one who cares about this. Trump is the only one who actually does something about this. I don’t care about mean tweets. This is important.
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February 22, 2026 8:12am
- Wandering Star
  
  Call me cynical, but I suspect this has more to do with the fact that Russia has established quite a presence in, and a relationship with, Nigeria in recent years.
  
  If Trump really wanted to help Christians and advance Christianity, he could do it in the country of which he is president and push to reintroduce Christian prayers in US schools, given that Christianity is the historic religion of the United States.
  
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  February 22, 2026 11:17am
  - Scott
    
    Wandering I agree you might be a tad cynical on this one –
    
    https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-energizes-conservative-christians-with-religious-policies-and-assaults-on-cultural-targets#:~:text=Trump%20has%20established%20faith%2Dfocused,are%20seeking%20nothing%20but%20power.%22
    
    Indeed his administration has done a great number of Faith based initiatives during his time in office and would be the most openly religious presidential administration I can remember.
    And of course he appointed evangelical Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel. 😎
    
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    February 22, 2026 1:05pm
    - Wandering Star
      
      “And of course he appointed evangelical Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel.”
      
      Of course he did, when you consider how philosemitic any of these Protestants sects tend to be. These people can’t have actually read the Bible, because if they had they’d see that in the New Testament “Israel” is now synonymous with Christians themselves, not with the perpetually warring ethnic tribe “Israel” as in the Old Testament.
      
      This is one of the main points of departure which makes the Jewish and Christian doctrines diametrically opposed; that, and the Jewish repudiation of Christ – a pretty fundamental disparity when you consider it.
      
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      February 22, 2026 1:45pm
      - Scott
        
        Wandering – no. Israel is still about the descendants of Abraham, the Jews. In the New Testament the vast majority of the people are of Jewish origin, including the apostles and Jesus himself.
        The Christian message is built on the foundations of the Old Testament, creation, the fall, Israel as God’s chosen people to the world and the prophecies of the Messiah which are throughout the Old Testament writings.
        
        So yes the Jews do not believe in Jesus though many do come to faith when they are outside of Israel and get exposed to Christian evangelists.
        
        However the New Testament prophecies that the Jews will come to faith once the right number of Gentiles have come in. So God still has a plan for Israel. God still has a plan for that nation and that people.
        
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        February 22, 2026 7:57pm
    - Gulag1917
      
      I doubt Mr Huckabee would do anything about what is contained in the link.
      
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      February 22, 2026 2:10pm
David Garrett

Another boring Sunday in the Kingdom – with apologies to Scott who thinks I should embrace 1860’s Methodism, and Nuku, who notes quite rightly that I choose to be here.
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February 22, 2026 8:26am
- Cassandra
  
  Go to the morning service, DG, the singing is wonderful. Wesley’s contribution to Christianity.
  
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  February 22, 2026 8:49am
  - David Garrett
    
    Cass: Yes, the singing is magnificent…what goes with it not so much
    
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    February 22, 2026 8:55am
    - Wandering Star
      
      Well, the former only came about because of the latter, so you should be thankful for that. They can’t really be separated.
      
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      February 22, 2026 12:33pm
  - Paulus
    
    I partly worked in the islands some years ago and was often there with company people and we would go to certain beaches and listen to the singing.
    Wonderful memories.
    
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    February 22, 2026 9:03am
    - pdm
      
      Same at the villages in Fiji.
      
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      February 22, 2026 9:21am
- Albie
  
  DG- I attempted to let you know this afternoon that my TDS comment was tongue in cheek, but for some reason only report and not reply options have been available.
  
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  February 22, 2026 4:33pm
Cassandra

Prof James Allan, ex Otago law school, now in Brisbane:
“Year one of Trump finished with 4.4% GDP growth, 2.4% inflation, the lowest murder rate since somewhere around 1900 (and that is plainly due in part to deporting illegals and sending in the National Guard to cities like Memphis and Washington DC), a booming all-time stock market, and the most secure border in US history. But that’s not all folks. Trump has presided over a 10% fall in federal government jobs – around 40,000 such jobs gone. Meanwhile private sector jobs grew by 170,000. That is why US productivity growth is booming. So, in the US, government is shrinking, the private sector is growing and real wages are finally, and noticeably, outpacing inflation. (For comparison, Australia has record mass migration and 83% of all new jobs are non-market, taxpayer funded ones.)”

Allan is making the point that you’ve got to look at the whole package. He also laments that Australia’s Liberal Party is effectively a version of its Labor Party. Which is what many of us say about the Nats here.
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February 22, 2026 8:47am
- David Garrett
  
  Cass: I would be astounded if the murder rate is the lowest since 1900…and because the US is such a big country the rate will vary widely from place to place
  
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  February 22, 2026 8:54am
  - All_on_Red
    
    Its true
    But hey, remove 2-3000 criminals from the city and crime drops
    Who knew
    //
    Here you go
    https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2026/02/icymi-violent-crime-plummets-across-major-u-s-cities/
    
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    February 22, 2026 9:03am
    - David Garrett
      
      All on : That “source” appears to be the White House…not exactly objective.
      
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      February 22, 2026 9:19am
      - All_on_Red
        
        For goodness sake
        No wonder you dont know anything
        There are sources listed in the release
        But heres another for you
        https://www.axios.com/2026/01/22/murder-rate-century-low
        And cant you use Search engines?
        
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        February 22, 2026 10:04am
      - David Garrett
        
        All on: Yeah, I am not too bright, I concede that…but I CAN read: the second source you link to refers to murder rates in 35 large cities having dropped to likely what it was in 1900.
        
        Both of those qualifiers are significant – but both are quite possible. As an extremely bright person like you will know, the US is a country of 340 million with huge local differences. For example, rural Louisiana has about as much in common with small town New England as Taranaki does with the Northern territory – and I am not just talking about the physical geography.
        
        One interesting piece of data though: at 4 homicides per 100,000 of population per annum – the standard way of measuring crime stats – the homicide rate in the US is more than double what it is in NZ.
        
        Why is that I wonder? I would argue that it is their gun culture, and the ready availability of guns…but you are probably an “open carry” proponent – am I right?
        
        But then why am I trying to argue with an (anonymous) intellectual giant like you?
        
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        February 22, 2026 10:30am
      - Albie
        
        DG, you do need to get your TDS under control man!
        
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        February 22, 2026 10:31am
      - David Garrett
        
        Albie: I do not suffer from that imaginary condition…I do however have a degree in political science, and some experience – albeit brief – of politics in practice. Not of course at presidential level!
        
        I also have – unfortunately – more than a peripheral interest and experience of mental illness…Trump has been described as “a malignant narcissist” and “a compulsive liar” by people with formal qualifications, and I certainly don’t disagree with them.
        
        That said, it is hard to argue against some of his policies – border control for example. But overall I see him as an unstable and highly dangerous man.
        
        Let me ask you this: If, two years ago, someone had told you “If re-elected Trump will try to take over Greenland, by force if necessary” what would you have said??
        
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        February 22, 2026 11:05am
      - rouppe
        
        For goodness sake, David.
        
        Can you not accept that the murder rate has dropped significantly, under the Trump administration.
        
        Comparing it to NZ is specious.
        
        Let me ask you this: If, two years ago, someone had told you “If re-elected Trump will try to take over Greenland, by force if necessary” what would you have said?
        
        Except he hasn’t, has he. Just some words.
        
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        February 22, 2026 11:43am
      - David Garrett
        
        Albie: since you don’t wish to answer, I will answer for you – which of course you can override if you wish.
        
        If you had been told Trump would threaten to use military force to annex Greenland you would have called it utter nonsense, and accused the person saying it of suffering from the same imaginary “syndrome” you accuse me of having.
        
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        February 22, 2026 11:51am
    - Wandering Star
      
      It’s possible that the murder rates are down, but if true, is that due to deporting Mexicans, when Black on Black murders are far and away the bulk of US murders, particularly shootings?
      
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      February 22, 2026 11:20am
      - NothingLeft
        
        Central and South American gangs like Venezuelan Tren de Aragua and El Salvadorian MS13 had become the core of much violence in US. Deporting them has an outsized impact.
        
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        February 22, 2026 12:55pm
      - Fender
        
        In response to DG. If it was down to gun numbers then sweden and surroundings would be way higher, its probably more to do with lower education, poorer towns , access to more illegal and oversubscribed prescription medication being used, maybe even a sense of being able to escape by crossing borders of states giving people a bit more perceived freedom from being caught
        
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        February 22, 2026 1:01pm
  - Cassandra
    
    I’m sure Allan did his homework, although I’m skeptical too – where did the figures come from? But his main point is the trend – the US is doing better in many respects under Trump.
    
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    February 22, 2026 9:05am
    - AitchW
      
      Yup. But because of incredibly violent protest from the left being breathlessly reported by very left leading media there is a very negative perception of Trump.
      Who controls the narrative controls the debate.
      
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      February 22, 2026 9:19am
    - Gulag1917
      
      Cost of living is higher than Australia.
      
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      February 22, 2026 10:39am
- All_on_Red
  
  ‘Real incomes – pay increases minus the rate of inflation – are also rising. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Feb. 13 that real average weekly earnings increased 1.9% from January 2025 to January 2026.’
  https://www.bls.gov/news.release/realer.nr0.htm
  ‘More than 75% of S&P 500 companies recorded year-over-year earnings growth in the fourth quarter of 2025 – the highest percentage in over four years’
  https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2026-02-06/share-of-companies-reporting-earnings-growth-hits-four-year-high
  ‘A key measure of inflation fell to nearly a five-year low last month as apartment rental price growth slowed and gas prices fell, offering some relief to Americans grappling with the sharp cost increases of the past five years.
  Inflation dropped to 2.4% in January compared with a year earlier, down from 2.7% in December’
  https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/inflation-measure-falls-to-nearly-five-year-low-as-gas-prices-fall-and-housing-costs-cool
  ‘America’s gross domestic product — the nation’s output of goods and services — rose at a 4.4% annual pace in the third quarter, the Commerce Department reported Thursday, up from 3.8% in the April-June quarter and from the 4.3% growth the department initially estimated. The economy hasn’t grown faster since third-quarter 2023.’
  https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/consumer-spending-pushes-u-s-economy-up-4-4-in-third-quarter-fastest-in-two-years
  
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  February 22, 2026 9:02am
- Ra Henare
  
  You forgot to mention the US Federal debt $38+ Trllion (and interest of $1.8 trillion PA, in 2026, 13.85% of federal outlays) ,and ongoing budget deficits.
  Annual Interest Costs to individual Americans, including children) is over $525o, ($100 a week) just to stand still !!!!
  ie no debt repayment and at the current rate that is increaseing fast, as budget defits of $4 trillion are added to the current debt over the next 2 years.
  
  But maybe the Professor being a lawyer doesnt follow economics??
  
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  February 22, 2026 9:06am
  - Wandering Star
    
    Exactly. The total national debt and debt-to-GDP figures demonstrate that the US is practically insolvent with zero chance of recovery, and has been for years, yet these idiotic pieces come out every so often to tell us how great America is doing. What’s more, people believe the rhetoric.
    
    Remember that Trump has recently ended his largely performative and mostly ineffectual “mass deportation” program because the US economy is so screwed that illegal immigrants are an economic cornerstone to the point that the economy would severely contract in the short term if anyone got serious about deportations, beyond empty rhetoric not backed by any political will.
    
    The reality is the Trump admin has achieved almost nothing of substance and has enacted almost no legislation, and now with a loss in the coming midterms looming the horizon due to popular disillusion with the admin, they aren’t going to achieve anything from here on in (except perhaps being impeached).
    
    What this ongoing delusion, which manifests in continued support for Trump, shows is how easily satisfied with utter mediocrity and broken campaign promises the diehard MAGA plebs are.
    
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    February 22, 2026 11:29am
- Dudley Quaffquaff
  
  Job growth of 170,000?
  
  The figure for 2024 was 1.46 million.
  
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  February 22, 2026 9:08am
  - Dudley Quaffquaff
    
    And it was 2.7 million in 2023
    
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    February 22, 2026 10:57am
- David George
  
  The low inflation rate throws into doubt the idea that the trade tariffs are simply paid for by American consumers. It is probably happening to some extent but so far, at least the effect is minor.
  I certainly helps that America has a huge, diverse and dynamic economy.
  
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  February 22, 2026 9:50am
  - All_on_Red
    
    Exactly
    Price Elasticity has an influence
    Heres an article from 8/25
    ‘The Federal Reserve has a tariff problem—not with policy, but with theory. Its economists still model tariffs as if they’re automatic inflation machines: slap a duty on foreign goods, and prices go up. No nuance, no adjustment, no bargaining.
    
    A new academic paper, published by three trade economists using microdata from China, says the Fed has it wrong. Tariffs don’t just get passed along—they get absorbed. And when the absorbing happens on the exporter’s side of the Pacific, U.S. prices don’t rise the way the Fed expects. In some cases, they may even fall.
    
    The paper is titled “Revisiting the Pass-Through of U.S. Trade Policy: Evidence from Firm-Level Data” by Chong Xiang (Purdue), Wei Xiong (Princeton), and Yifan Zhang (Chinese University of Hong Kong). It uses Chinese customs records from the 2018–2019 trade war and finds that, contrary to the headline data, Chinese firms cut prices in response to Trump’s tariffs. The so-called “full pass-through” we see at the product level—where prices look flat until you add in the tariff—is just an illusion created by low-price firms exiting the U.S. market. Look within products, and surviving exporters are discounting to stay in the game.’
    https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2025/08/11/breitbart-business-digest-what-if-tariffs-lower-prices/
    It can only work because the US is such a large buyer, so large it can influence the world wide price of goods.
    
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    February 22, 2026 10:12am
    - Dudley Quaffquaff
      
      The NY Fed thinks otherwise.
      
      Costs from Trump’s tariffs paid mainly by US firms and consumers, NY Fed says https://share.google/Qv5p7Ue8vTm2JwPtp
      
      To the extent that the cost falls on the US economy, Trump is continuing to load costs onto the US economy. To the extent that the cost falls on the exporting economy, Trump is proving yet again that there is nothing to be gained for other countries, by trying to play nice with him. You still get shat on along with everybody else
      
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      February 22, 2026 10:23am
  - artemisia
    
    If tariffs mean people buy local that has to be good for the economy.
    
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    February 22, 2026 4:12pm
    - Ian Boag
      
      So long as “local” is up-to-snuff 🙂
      
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      February 22, 2026 6:49pm
      - Ian Boag
        
        And the “local” price is not off the planet ….
        
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        February 22, 2026 7:57pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Probably more likely to be up to snuff than cheap crap that falls apart or goes faulty after a matter of months, from you know where.
        
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        February 23, 2026 5:58pm
      - Ian Boag
        
        cheap crap that falls apart or goes faulty after a matter of months
        
        So find some expensive stuff. Buy it. Be happy.
        
        Can’t say I’ve bought anything much that matches your description. Some specific examples would be good.
        
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        February 23, 2026 6:36pm
- alwyn.a
  
  Thank God that the Federal Reserve stood up to the pressure from that senile old fool Donald.
  If they had done what he wanted Inflation would be rising rapidly and would already be much higher than the current figure.
  For the sake of the US economy I hope that Powell does not retire when his term as Chairman is up and that he keeps his seat until the expiry of his term on the Board in 2028.
  That, and a Supreme Court that seems to have developed a bit of a backbone, will help keep Trump from really screwing the economy.
  
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  February 22, 2026 10:50am
Ra Henare

Cambodia (Siem Reap) this time of year has an amazing set of festivals, parades, etc etc

From a 3 day kite festival, Giant Puppet Parades, of course Dragon and Lion Dancers for Lunar New year.

Temperatures are fine. No monsoon rains(Its the dry season) and apparently great package deals from Down under.

So if you are thinking of Visiting SE Asia. February is definitely good weather wise and entertainment wise. (Maybe Early February Vietnam typhoons unfortunately in Northern Vietnam)

I usually come back to the land of the long white, in March/April as it gets a tad hot and humid in the Kingdom of Wonder.
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February 22, 2026 8:54am
Chuck Bird

Should NZ kick out the Iranian Ambassador, like Australia did?
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February 22, 2026 8:56am
- surfing
  
  If NZ had principles, they’d also kickout the chinese and american ambassadors.
  
  Money talks though .
  
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  February 22, 2026 9:10am
- Wandering Star
  
  If we had any principles as to imposing political consequences for political violence, we’d kick out the Israeli ambassador first.
  
  I don’t care about Iran or Iran’s ambassador. Iran is solely an Israeli issue, no matter how much they try to convince us all that it’s also our business. I actually have no concerns at all if Iran is a threat to Israeli regional dominance, because I’ve no interest in ensuring Israeli regional dominance.
  
  In fact, the best way to bring about peace in the region would be for the US to align with the Arabs and Persians and put the Israelis back in their place in their little corner of the region.
  
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  February 22, 2026 12:06pm
Yvette

English Bill
If, as many MPs claim, the bill to establish English as an official language is a nonsense, will they oppose it, and why do they not pass it straight away so they can get on with the more important matters they sat they should be attending to – and discussing, in English?
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February 22, 2026 9:06am
- pdm
  
  Is it going to Select Committee?
  
  Seems a waste of time if it is.
  
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  February 22, 2026 10:45am
  - peterwn
    
    Parliament can unanimously give leave for it to bypass Select Committee. Opposition parties are unlikely to agree as they would want to stall as much legislation as possible in the lead up to the election.
    
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    February 22, 2026 1:07pm
  - Paulus
    
    Believe n0 !
    
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    February 22, 2026 1:32pm
- peterwn
  
  This is one of the prices of MMP where a minor party can crack the whip. A minor party puts up a such an item, a major party leader says ‘well, OK’ and moves on to next item.
  
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  February 22, 2026 1:05pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  English Bill. Bill English?
  
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  February 22, 2026 5:11pm
Paulus

No, not kick the Ambassador out as New Zealand can have, on behalf of others, the ear to the tragedy that is Iran.
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February 22, 2026 9:06am
- Philview
  
  What happened in Iran? Just being sarcastic but I would imagine many New Zealanders are unaware of the mass slaughter that has happened there as our media have been fairly low key in reporting it contrasting to their hyperbolic reporting of the ICE situation.
  
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  February 22, 2026 9:15am
  - pdm
    
    Phil – media cannot go to Golriz, their former ‘go to’ expert on Iran because she has lost all credibility.
    
    Obviously they have no one else.
    
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    February 22, 2026 10:48am
  - rouppe
    
    Reporting on the Gaza situation as well.
    
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    February 22, 2026 11:37am
  - Paulus
    
    Randy Andy sells more media !
    
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    February 22, 2026 1:33pm
  - Ra Henare
    
    Suggest you look at the breakdown of who got killed.
    In the early days over 100 policemen got killed. Which really stirred the pot.
    Subsequently more got killed.
    
    You also seem to omit the mass slaughter happening in Gaza.
    
    Many times worse than western media reports from Iran. Interesting that All western media pooh poohs Gaza reported deaths, but blidly accepts the western propoganda about Iranian deaths.
    
    I can not find, as yet, a reputable source of Iranian, protesters deaths.
    
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    February 22, 2026 4:26pm
- peterwn
  
  Keep close to your friends and closer to your enemies.
  
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  February 22, 2026 9:38am
- Chuck Bird
  
  The reason Aussie booted out the ambassador was that he was supporting violence towards Jews.
  
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  February 22, 2026 10:26am
- MCōs
  
  Over the years there has probably been good reasons to boot out ambassadors from dozens of different countries
  The preference is to call them in for a jolly good dressing down. Relations ebb and flow and in a couple of years it might be to our advantage to have these people still in place.
  
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  February 22, 2026 7:35pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

The Palau government has struck a deal with the US whereby Palau (pop 17,500) will take up to 75 third-country deportees from the US, with the US to give Palau US$7,500,000 in return.

What’s really in it for Palau, apart from the cash? Why would you accept a bunch of immigrants, with whom you have no cultural links, possibly no common language, and who probably don’t want to be in Palau either? The chances of a random bunch of impoverished Africans, Latin Americans or Indians fitting into a Micronesian atoll group and society must be tiny.

It’s nuts, any which way you cut it.

http://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/587451/palau-court-denies-senate-bid-to-stop-us-deportee-deal
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February 22, 2026 9:14am
- artemisia
  
  The 75 will be expected to work and support themselves once initially set up in Palau. Seems there is a labour shortage there. So a chance for a new life, a new passport and maybe a new family. There are worse places.
  
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  February 22, 2026 4:52pm
Swifty

And it was all given away for votes and chicken tikka masala.

https://x.com/jim8oy66/status/2025195929624535284?s=46

“Diversity is our strength!”
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February 22, 2026 9:15am
- Swifty
  
  “It’s not England anymore, it’s just like Pakistan.”
  
  https://x.com/rothmus/status/2025334782058701267?s=46
  
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  February 22, 2026 12:55pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Alas, BBH blog is ending….

https://www.bassettbrashandhide.com/post/bassett-brash-and-hide-announcement
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February 22, 2026 9:18am
- pdm
  
  Shame – they had some good insightful stuff..
  
  Michael Bassett in particular is one of the best writers on Politics in the country.
  
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  February 22, 2026 9:23am
  - Cassandra
    
    He is, I think, 87 so I suspect he’s slowing down. A very interesting man with huge knowledge of NZ politics and the Labour Party.
    
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    February 22, 2026 9:41am
    - David Garrett
      
      Cass:I think Don is also 87 odd…and still a horn dog!
      
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      February 22, 2026 10:04am
      - Cassandra
        
        85. He’s aged quite a lot (he’s a neighbour). Still active and sharp but clearly older. As are we all!
        
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        February 22, 2026 10:27am
Im Right

And yet The Standard remains…..
With only about 8 or so regular posters who just agree with each other on every thread.
Labour must be paying Lynn Prentice well, as all he ever does is moan and complain and seems like he would rather just shut down the blog.
I think more people have been banned from the site than they actually have viewing the site!
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February 22, 2026 9:27am
TripeWryter

Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand have posted a paid-for quiz on Facebook this morning.

‘Test your knowledge on cultural understanding and inclusion in Aotearoa and explore the actions you can take to be more aware with this short quiz.’

Going by the first six responses the quiz might not be getting the answers the Muslim ladies might have been hoping for.
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February 22, 2026 9:47am
- imalwaysright
  
  “Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand”
  
  Another self appointed, self interested, pressure group that pretends to represent a minority upon whom they have conferred victimhood.
  
  15 2
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  February 22, 2026 11:41am
  - Paulus
    
    Who pays for this Council- the Taxpayer ?
    
    5 3
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    February 22, 2026 1:35pm
  - MCōs
    
    You’re not feeling threatened by them are you?
    All sorts of religions and other organizations have groups to look after their interests
    https://iwcnz.org.nz/our-mission/
    
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    February 22, 2026 5:18pm
    - imalwaysright
      
      Yes.
      
      1 1
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      February 22, 2026 8:43pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  “Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand”
  
  Just what NZ needs!
  
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  February 23, 2026 5:59pm
Simon

Recall the snarling clowns, National included of course, from Wellington who turned a lot of population, including numerous institutions & msm against the unjaxxed. This will happen again, next time it’s the Chinese

Nasty clowns.
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February 22, 2026 9:57am
- NZer In Exile
  
  Covid clownery could be forgiven at the outset as countries grappled to understand what was really going on. The extended pointless lockdowns inflicted (resulting in the enormous cost of shutting down economies) and the mandating of the fairly crappy vaccines (on generally healthy non-elderly people who were known to be at very low risk of dying from Covid) was where many govts lost their minds.
  
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  February 23, 2026 6:08pm
surfing

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-transport-says-common-misunderstanding-about-what-is-and-isnt-a-driveway-in-the-city/LAM3MYGCARHNHJU63XXJQDEQYM/

Council say this car is parked on the footpath and will block wheel chair users.

Frankly, this is bollocks, check that ‘footpath’ — there is none, and , the ground is sloping and appears grassed either side of the driveway.

No way a wheel chair or even a pram user is going to use that ground, just as a wheel chair user would not wheel up Mt Cook.

This is another council employee, no common sense at all. Just like the council clown watering the trees during heavy rain.
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February 22, 2026 10:05am
- MCōs
  
  The photograph doesn’t show the whole picture
  There is a vehicle access across the grass berm and next to the berm is a footpath. The vehicle is too long to fit the way the chap has parked it and extends onto the footpath.
  He should have put the bloody thing in the garage.
  I’ve got no sympathy for the guy. I often see footpaths obstructed by entitled drivers who think they can do what they like.
  
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  February 22, 2026 12:39pm
  - OlderChas
    
    I’m with you there MCos. I have to use a mobility scooter to walk my dog these days and the number of obstructing vehicles is unreal. I have started taking photos of them for forwarding to police. Not sure if it will achieve anything though. Another problem is wheelie bins on narrow footpaths with no grass verge. Most owners put them as closes to the kerb as possible, but the truck seems to dump them back down right in the middle of the footpath.
    
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    February 22, 2026 2:58pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  Unreadable. Paywalled shizzle.
  
  0 1
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  February 23, 2026 6:10pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  Here’s the story from ZB (not paywalled).
  
  https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/auckland-transport-says-common-misunderstanding-about-what-is-and-isn-t-a-driveway-in-the-city/
  
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  February 23, 2026 6:16pm
rouppe

Disputes Tribunal orders university to repay $8000 in fees to student who failed course

I wonder whether a white woman would have had the same outcome.

…the student said she was obligated to attend multiple tangihanga, rather than it being a choice that she made, and that her work in Civil Defence was incredibly important and sometimes took her away from her studies.

To me, she went to too many things unrelated to her study, study at a very high level, requiring dedication and consistent effort.

But no, another one who gets special treatment.

The useless judge going on about how “pastoral care” wasn’t provided clearly enough, and that was enough to blame the university because she didn’t turn up.
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February 22, 2026 11:32am
- Notsofast
  
  I ask chatgpt what is a tangihanga:
  
  You said:
  What is a tangihanga
  
  ChatGPT said:
  “A tangihanga (often shortened to tangi) is a traditional Māori funeral ceremony in Aotearoa New Zealand.
  
  It is one of the most important cultural rituals in Māori life and centres on mourning the deceased, supporting the whānau (family), and affirming community ties.
  
  Key features of a tangihanga
  Held on a marae – usually at the deceased person’s ancestral meeting place.
  
  The tūpāpaku (body) lies in state, often for several days.
  
  Whaikōrero (formal speeches) are delivered by elders and representatives of visiting groups.
  
  Karanga (ceremonial calls) welcome mourners onto the marae.
  
  Waiata (songs) are sung to support speakers and express grief.
  
  Open grieving – crying and emotional expression are expected and respected.
  
  Communal support – food preparation and hospitality (manaakitanga) are central.
  
  Tangihanga are deeply rooted in tikanga (Māori customs and protocols) and emphasise connections between the living, the dead, and the ancestors.”
  
  So if attending several, not much time is left for study.
  
  This is a giant handbrake on (part) maori productivity.
  I bet plenty would rather work than waste time on all this. I know I would.
  The judge has made a disgraceful decision.
  
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  February 22, 2026 1:58pm
- MCōs
  
  The decision was by a dispute’s tribunal, not a judge
  
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  February 22, 2026 4:51pm
  - rouppe
    
    Ok Mr Nitpicker.
    
    The decision was NOT by a Disputes Tribunal, it was by an adjudicator AT a Disputes Tribunal Hearing.
    
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    February 22, 2026 5:01pm
    - MCōs
      
      Thanks for the clarification
      
      1 1
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      February 22, 2026 7:15pm
AitchW

18v Makita Li ion battery flashing alternate red lights.
Has anyone had any luck repaying this by replacing the PCB, or do I just bite the bullet and spend $268 on a new battery?
3 0
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February 22, 2026 12:36pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  Upon searching, most links around this suggest the battery is too hot or too cold.
  
  “Bring the battery into a climate-controlled environment. The “sweet spot” for charging is between 50°F and 80°F (10°C–27°C). Give the battery at least 30 minutes to stabilize before attempting another charge.”
  
  If it hasn’t been charged for over 6 months it could be toast.
  
  https://www.techigears.com/article/decoding-makita-charger-lights-how-to-fix-battery-problems-1768217349
  
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  February 23, 2026 6:40pm
vand

What an odd decision- the university should appeal to the District Court- lazy or failing students will relish a refund of of fees.
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February 22, 2026 1:00pm
- rouppe
  
  It’s not that easy, as a dispute tribunal is not a district court decision.
  
  https://communitylaw.org.nz/community-law-manual/chapter-6-the-disputes-tribunal/challenging-a-disputes-tribunal-decision/appeals-to-the-district-court/
  
  The grounds are fairly prescriptive, and don’t include “I disagree”.
  
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  February 22, 2026 2:58pm
Swifty

Truth in advertising – NZ Green Party edition:

https://x.com/matuakahurangi/status/2025359158523187542?s=46
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February 22, 2026 2:07pm
Fender

$199 at mitre10 price matched at Bunnings gets it for 168$
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February 22, 2026 3:21pm
Observer of Life

Just drove past Green Lane East (AKL) and saw a building with the name “Kokariki Hospital”. Anyone know what this is, off the top of your head?
(Yes, I can do a search, but I’m just interested to know if ANYONE has a clue at first observation).
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February 22, 2026 3:44pm
- Jack5
  
  Are you suggestingGreen Lane Hospital been renamed “Kokariki” — Maori for “Green”? Or is it just for one building?
  
  I thought the name change was from “Green Lane Hospital” to “Green Lane Medical Centre”.
  
  We might follow this diversion to whether pre-colony Maori language distinguished between the colours green and blue.
  
  This is from the specialist web site linked to below:
  
  “Languages acquire colour words in a predictable sequence. Black and white come first, then red, then yellow or green, then blue. This pattern holds true across cultures and time periods, suggesting a deep connection between human perception and language development. Blue, being one of the last colours to receive a name, is still absent in some languages today.”
  
  Russian and Japanese are among languages that go further than English and differ between two blues:
  
  https://dicmat.com/whoa/languages-color-perception
  
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  February 22, 2026 9:02pm
  - Tauhei Notts
    
    I thought that “kakariki” being the word for the native parakeet was the Maori word for green, just as Kowhai is the Maori word for yellow.
    
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    February 22, 2026 10:24pm
  - Observer of Life
    
    Better late than never reply…
    I was purely wondering what the Kokariki Hospital is! I’ve never heard this name ever before.
    
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    February 23, 2026 8:33pm
- Sir Henry Morgan
  
  Haven’t a clue.
  
  I’ve learned its best not to ask. You get abused for being “racist”.
  
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  February 22, 2026 9:50pm
rouppe

How incredibly stupid is this?

New York City on Saturday put out a call for emergency snow shovelers ahead of a powerful nor’easter bomb cyclone, requiring workers to submit multiple forms of identification — contrasting the city’s election policy for most voters.

Mandami requires id for a snow shovel, but objects to it for voting.

Incredible.
9 2
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February 22, 2026 4:59pm
Swifty

Here’s something for Don B and others:

https://x.com/robbertleusink/status/2025193550519108082?s=46

We’ve got the Catholics to thank for Japanese tempura.

I didn’t know that.
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February 22, 2026 6:57pm
Jack5

Maorification of the NZ Army, Navy and Air Force will be a controversial topic over the next week or two.

To learn first what the defence forces are suggesting:

https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/assets/Uploads/DocumentLibrary/NZDF-Kia-Eke-Maori-Strategic-Framework.pdf
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February 22, 2026 9:43pm

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