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March 10, 2026 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 10 March 2026

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Scott

On the good news front it looks like normal traffic going through the Straits of Hormuz is at most a few weeks away:

Tankers to resume normal movement in Middle East in ‘a few weeks’ at worst, Energy sec says, ending oil surge

https://www.foxnews.com/us/tankers-resume-normal-movement-middle-east-few-weeks-worst-energy-sec-says-ending-oil-surge

So hopefully any spike in petrol prices is going to be short-lived?

And the explosion at the girls school in Iran was not caused by the Tomohawk missile in a much shown video. The missile struck the naval base nearby:

“So the Tomahawk didn’t hit the school, it hit the naval base. And the video indicates that at that point, the school had already been struck. By what? We don’t know, but the one thing we know for sure is that it wasn’t the Tomahawk. My guess is that the military investigation will conclude that the school was struck by an errant Iranian missile, but by that time the left-wing press will have firmly implanted the assumption that it was ours.”

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/03/lies-damned-lies-and-journalism.php

And this quote I think sums up the attitude we need to have when we consume anything from the mainstream media:

” Journalism as we once knew it has effectively ceased to exist. What we have now is a permanent war against the West, the United States, the Republican Party and the Trump administration. We are past the point where you can rely on anything you read in a newspaper, other than sports scores”
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March 10, 2026 8:08am
- lastmanstanding
  
  Of course the oil company bosses use any excuse to shaft their customers. Arseholes that they are.
  
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  March 10, 2026 9:21am
  - lastmanstanding
    
    Such support for unneccessary high oil prices. How strange.
    
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    March 10, 2026 12:00pm
- Simon
  
  Fox News. Ok. No wonder no one here knows that Iran are winning. US military defeat
  
  Good news is Trump can just declare victory and everyone here will believe it.
  
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  March 10, 2026 9:21am
  - Graeme Hall
    
    Must be a full moon tonight…
    
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    March 10, 2026 11:18am
    - grumpy
      
      He’s going back to watching TVNZ and will stay up all night waiting for RNZ morning program.
      
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      March 10, 2026 8:57pm
- trout
  
  Not even sports scores. The extreme amount of money spent on sports bets in the US is corrupting major sports competitions. The NBA has shrugged off evidence of match fixing and tennis has its problems. (Top line players losing to nobodys in early rounds of second tier tournaments).
  
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  March 10, 2026 9:27am
- RoboRob
  
  Global Oil prices dropped overnight down from over $100 down to ~$95.
  
  Re School bombing. TVNZ played a full clip from BBC this morning where they ‘verify’ that the school was blon up by a Tomahawk missile! The level of propoganda is high. I am sure that if there was a click disproving the school was bombed by the US it would have had zero TVNZ coverage. Any excuse to bash the Americans or Israel. But of course TVNZ did a study on itself and found no bias.
  
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  March 10, 2026 10:01am
  - nathie
    
    “TVNZ did a study on itself and found no bias”
    
    Their CEO admitted that the (left-leaning) ABC and the (left-leaning) SBS undertook the bias review of (left-leaning) TVNZ.
    
    Kinda like the NZ Police asking the Australian Police to undertake a review I suppose … imagine how that would be received by our (left-leaning) MSM?
    
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    March 10, 2026 10:10am
    - RoboRob
      
      They reviewed the quality of the reporting. They didn’t review what TVNZ chose to cover and what they don’t.
      
      An example of this would be …
      They report an increase in gang numbers, that was fine becuase it was factual.
      
      They chose not to report on overall crime being down significantly. However that wasn’t reported so didn’t count towards any potential bias.
      
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      March 10, 2026 11:33am
    - Jack5
      
      TVNZ’s bias reviewer …
      
      For anyone-else curious about the SBS, which obviously it isn’t the Royal Marines special forces unit, the Special Boat Service, or a bank in southern New Zealand.
      
      First, ABC is the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It’s the equivalent of Radio NZ and is also a State TV broadcaster.
      
      Wikipedia tells me ABC runs four national radio works, 54 local stations, and Australia’s outward-directed foreign radio. It also runs five TV channels.
      
      SBS is also State owned. It’s Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service, operator of TV and radio services, mainly multicultural. State funding is supplemented by advertising, which provides about a fifth of its income.
      
      Duck AI tells me: “SBS promotes multiculturalism in Australian media by showcasing diverse stories and voices from various cultural backgrounds, including First Nations communities.”
      
      So TVNZ was pretty much looking in a mirror.
      
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      March 10, 2026 11:43am
    - alphabeatrium
      
      Biased, not bias.
      
      Bias is a noun: “There is a bias in the X.” “The X shows selection bias.”
      Biased is the adjective: “The X is biased.” “The X produced a biased Y.”
      We can also use it as a verb: “The Y biases the X.”
      
      In this case: “… SBS undertook the biased review…”
      
      I keep seeing this misused, it drives me up the wall.
      
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      March 10, 2026 12:20pm
      - Jack5
        
        Alpha, climb down from the wall …
        
        The guy was a reviewer of bias, or of alleged bias.
        
        To describe the man, or TVNZ, as “biased” is a step beyond that.
        
        In “TVNZ’s bias reviewer,” the noun “bias” is a noun used as an adjective to the noun “reviewer”. That is, “bias” is used as an attributive noun. That’s okay in English.
        
        If NZ’s tertiary communications courses covered bias, the students might get an exam question on bias, which could be referred to as the bias question.
        
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        March 10, 2026 12:44pm
  - R
    
    TVNZ study?…a bit like asking the fox to report on the security of the chicken house!
    
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    March 10, 2026 10:13am
  - Drone
    
    Brent and Texas are $116 as at 10 March. I suspect price will be unstable for some time.
    
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    March 10, 2026 10:16am
    - Jack5
      
      As this is posted, West Texas Intermediate, an oil benchmark, as at $US85.75 a barrel, which is up 28.5 per cent in a month.
      
      To watch oil prices, this is a good site:
      https://oilprice.com/futures/wti/
      
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      March 10, 2026 12:29pm
  - Raphael
    
    I’ve seen people claiming that, without a doubt, it was an Iranian missile, and people claim that it was, without a doubt, a US missile.
    Both sides are using the same blurry video of the missile as “proof” of their claim
    
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    March 10, 2026 10:29am
    - Master Mariner
      
      Truth is the first casualty in all wars.
      
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      March 10, 2026 10:32am
    - RoboRob
      
      And does it really matter? The children are dead regardless. Innocent people die in wars. If it was the US you can be sure they didn’t do it on purpose. The media are looking for things to turn public opinion against the US.
      
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      March 10, 2026 11:36am
      - Ross Bayer
        
        RoboRob
        The US is doing a good job of turning public opinion without any help
        
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        March 10, 2026 2:42pm
  - Gussy
    
    BBC says the missile hit near the school:
    
    https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg548lyjnyo
    
    Not sure if they’ve updated their report, but they still seem to be blaming all the (Iranian reported) deaths on the US.
    
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    March 10, 2026 1:31pm
- Ross Bayer
  
  Scott, had a quick look at some of powerline blog posts, hardly an impartial source of information.
  Maybe this story is more propaganda and we are seeing a lot of stories telling us how DJ Trump and Netanyahu are simply rescuing the people of Iran
  
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  March 10, 2026 10:17am
  - Master Mariner
    
    Yep, Absolute crap. No basis of any truth whatsoever, Just sound bites.
    
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    March 10, 2026 10:43am
  - Scott
    
    Ross – disagree with you about Powerline. I urge you to have another look. I find it an invaluable source of news and reasoned analysis. Yes it is on the centre right. But they are neither Trump haters nor are they trump sycophants. Their analysis is very balanced and reasonable.
    I urge kiwiblog readers interested in the USA to give them a second look. 😊
    
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    March 10, 2026 10:52am
    - Gussy
      
      And those tomahawks must be pretty powerful.
      They can miss a school (according to NYT & BBC), yet kill scores of pupils (according to NYT & BBC).
      
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      March 10, 2026 3:46pm
- Master Mariner
  
  I hope your right there Scott but do not hold your enthusiasm for being correct.
  Straight of Hormuz opening depends on Iran. Unfortunately US has very little if any control on it being open any time soon regardless of who says what.
  
  ‘ALL OIL FLOW MAY STOP!’ Putin Holds Emergency Meeting Amid IRAN WAR, Issues Dire Warning
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcVseqlvm5c
  
  Russian energy coming to the Asian Pacific Region and stopping energy to mostly Europe.
  That means refineries which NZ sources there refined products.
  Worth a watch .
  
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  March 10, 2026 10:23am
  - Paulus
    
    Does not Hormuz carry some 24% of the World’s oil ?
    Venezuela one time Russian oil are a good partial replacement.
    
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    March 10, 2026 1:46pm
    - Master Mariner
      
      As previously stated, The SOH carries 80% of Asian fuel.
      As far as NZ concerned 80% refined fuel is sourced through these Straights.
      
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      March 10, 2026 2:25pm
- Taieri
  
  On the good news front it looks like normal traffic going through the Straits of Hormuz is at most a few weeks away
  ————
  
  There’s no marine traffic via Hormuz Strait at present. None, zilch, zero!
  
  https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:56.3/centery:26.4/zoom:9
  
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  March 10, 2026 10:39am
  - Master Mariner
    
    Exactly Taieri, I think it comes from Trumps sound bite to escort Tankers through the Straight.
    What he failed to mention / or totally did not understand, is the sheer distance 500nm and lack of escort ships the US has in the region.
    Biggest issue is the fact they will be sitting ducks whilst transiting.
    Really turning into a quagmire and I can not see any positive news anytime soon regarding this total miscalculation.
    
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    March 10, 2026 11:23am
  - NothingLeft
    
    ships are apparently still transiting but sensibly with transponders turned off to avoid being targeted by drones.
    
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    March 10, 2026 1:41pm
- Master Mariner
  
  This is more telling.
  
  https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/G7-Nations-Delay-Strategic-Oil-Reserve-Release-Decision.html
  
  You have got to ask yourself why ? Just maybe the Iran war will go for longer and the SOH will not open anytime soon? Not too mention Oil / Gas terminals already destroyed so far.
  
  They have over exceeded a point of no return.
  
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  March 10, 2026 10:48am
- Ian Boag
  
  There are roughly 1000 tanker transits (coming and going) every month in “normal” times. If the Iranians manage to sink or – even “just” seriously damage – one or two the result would still be chaos. The cost of insurance would go through the roof and tanker owners would be a bit reluctant to go there. Aside from the mess that a million tons of crude would make …
  
  20% of the world’s crude and LNG goes through the strait. Arguably – in closing it off – the Iranians would be cutting off their noses to spite their faces, but desperate folk take desperate measures.
  
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  March 10, 2026 11:30am
  - In Vino Veritas
    
    War risk coverage is a specific insurance and is always brutally expensive Ian. London based insurers are currently offering.
    
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    March 10, 2026 1:15pm
  - NothingLeft
    
    oil tankers cost a similar amount to what they can transport in a single trip. If cost of losing a few tankers out of 1000 transits in a month were spread over the cargo transported it would make almost no difference to the price.
    
    Keeping the gulf open is an obvious priority for US, China etc, and US + allies have assets to enforce it.
    
    Free shipping will soon be restored.
    
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    March 10, 2026 1:17pm
  - Paulus
    
    Insurance Compaies World Wide have special War Risks Insurance provisions.
    
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    March 10, 2026 1:47pm
  - CJames
    
    There are oil pipelines going across the peninsula that forms the SoH. They are supposed to be able to carry about 25% of the traffic through the Strait. I gather those pipelines are cranking up. If that is so, then a lot of the Iranian blackmail goes.
    
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    March 10, 2026 7:18pm
- Ross Bayer
  
  Scoot,
  might want to look at this link and consider your sources to be WRONG
  
  https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/global-force-good-us-navy-likely-slaughtered-150-schoolgirls-iran
  
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  March 10, 2026 12:09pm
  - Ghost
    
    the latest is Trump saying that Iran may have used a Tomahawk missile to attack the school. No Mr Trump, they do not have Tomahawks. What a friggin idiot he’s become
    
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    March 10, 2026 12:28pm
    - Don Beckett
      
      He stated that Tomahawk missiles are now generic, and several countries have them & make them.
      The jury is still out.
      
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      March 10, 2026 1:36pm
      - Ghost
        
        no, other countries do not make them, they are only made by RTX Corporation, they are purchased through the US by a couple of other countries. They are bought by the UK, Canada, Japan, Netherlands and Australia. Iran does not make them.
        
        U.S. military investigators have privately reached a “tentative assessment” that U.S. forces were responsible for the strike
        
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        March 10, 2026 1:52pm
    - NothingLeft
      
      Iran has been trading missiles with Russia for years. They’ve supplied lots used in Ukraine, and have in return been building out their own stocks with some Russian contributions. Notably some recent
      
      Russians Kalibr missiles are very similar to Tomahawks.
      
      Seems unlikely that US or Israel would have targeted a school – and both have pretty good intel, accuracy and equipment. Also seems unlikely that Iran would have false flagged such an attack, though not impossible in their insane world view given that they believe their dead go to paradise.
      
      But you can’t trust US, Iran or Israel to tell the truth, and all are motivated to lie.
      
      We probably won’t know the truth until or unless the regime falls and proper evidence can be collected via missile fragments.
      
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      March 10, 2026 2:46pm
      - Ghost
        
        Due to the shape of the nose they have already worked out it was ann American tomahawk. Last I read they have even worked out which US naval ship fired it.
        
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        March 10, 2026 3:57pm
- Ra Henare
  
  Thank you for my morning laugh Scott.
  
  You are still believing Foxnews White house propoganda machine?
  
  So how does a Cabinet memeber of Trumps team get to decide what is happening inthe straits of Hormuz.
  
  PS. Oil price spikes are generating lots of money for oil producers in the US. and therefore more tax dollars that will be needed to offset the billions lost to Tarrif refunds.
  
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  March 10, 2026 4:19pm
- Ra Henare
  
  I have been relying on ground,news as a neutral news summary.
  How wrong I was!!!!
  Today I used VPN to put me in Azerbaijan.
  
  Totally different news summary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
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  March 10, 2026 4:34pm
virtualmark

My prediction is that Trump will TACO with attacking Iran in the next few weeks. He can’t afford the political cost of rampant oil prices – once US pump prices start climbing the political reality will be impossible to manage. And he won’t want to bear the political cost of a pointless unwinnable “war” in the Middle East. Seems all but certain the GOP will lose the House in November, but if the Iran thing goes much longer then I suspect that will ensure they lose the Senate too.

So I expect he’ll stop it within the next 7-10 days, with some Trumpian claims about “victory” and “mission accomplished”.

Winners:
* Netanyahu, because he finally got the US to attack Iran, which he’s been trying to do for at least 10 years
* Russia, who are dependent on oil sales to fund their war with Ukraine
* Maybe the Democrats, because it’s another thing to hit Trump with in the midterms

Losers:
* Trump, because the political cost far outweighs any geopolitical benefit
* Trump, because the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi etc will now be less supportive of him in the future
* Israel, because they’ve overplayed their hand with the US, jamming Trump into a war that Obama and Biden had firmly said no to. The Dems are now less supportive of Israel, and enough Americans will believe a narrative that Israel forced the US into an Israel-Iran war. The political reality is that Israel needs to work with both American political parties … weakening the GOP while spurning the Dems will end up hurting Israel in the future.
* The Iranian people, because they’re no closer to freedom.

But everything should work out fine now that Iran has elected a new Supreme Leader whose father, wife, and son were all just blown up in US-Israeli airstrikes
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March 10, 2026 8:26am
- Positan
  
  What’s the brand of tea leaves that you’re reading?
  
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  March 10, 2026 9:22am
  - virtualmark
    
    Dilmah.
    
    But do you have rational responses to what I said? Alternative opinions? Or are you just here to fling poo?
    
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    March 10, 2026 10:21am
    - Positan
      
      Sorry mate, but with your “TACO” (Trump always chickens out”), you lost me in the first line.
      
      I’d agree that some of your prognostications carried a degree of possibility – BUT with Iran’s naval, air and ground force capabilities having been reduced to what they are now, it’s far too early in the game to make the assessments you have.
      
      Good on you, though, for the extensive effort that lay behind your submission. However, the point I sought to make was that at this stage, I don’t think you’ve read Trump or U.S. intent/capabilities exactly right. I’m also sorry you thought my comment was just “flinging poo.”
      
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      March 10, 2026 12:56pm
      - virtualmark
        
        Any threat that Iran poses to the US doesn’t rest on their military. There was never any doubt who would win in a straight military fight. But if Iran wanted to attack the US – and they must be a lot more motivated to do that now – then it’d be more likely to be some sort of terrorist-type attack. That doesn’t rest on their navy, air force or army.
        
        My “flinging poo” comment was too harsh. Apologies.
        
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        March 10, 2026 1:54pm
      - Ra Henare
        
        Positron.
        
        Dont know where you are getting your information.
        But to say
        ground force capabilities having been reduced
        
        Is “tell him hes dreaming” territory.
        
        Iranian Army active troops around 600,000.
        USA available ground troops around 100,000
        
        The problem being how long will it take to get said Ground troops to neigbouring countries. Then how to you get them to invade Iran.
        
        Look at Russia initaila invasion of Ukraine to see how that will work out!!! then add in Iransgeography and it indicates a long line of body bags beingflown back to the USA>
        Memories of Vietnam ????
        
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        March 10, 2026 4:45pm
  - leoj
    
    [Mod – drop the abuse and debate the topic]
    
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    March 10, 2026 11:13am
    - leoj
      
      [Mod – take a week off]
      
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      March 10, 2026 2:32pm
- Simon
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  Israel will be ok. US empire terrible blow. Iran will do well. Gulf Arab states finished, with the retreat of US
  
  Israel and Iran will be new significant powers in the Middle East.
  
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  March 10, 2026 9:24am
- virtualmark
  
  Should add one more loser to the list:
  * Don Jr, Eric & Ivanka … who will spend the rest of their lives looking over their shoulders for Iranian revenge strikes. Think Salman Rushdie.
  
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  March 10, 2026 9:28am
  - Local Miller
    
    Now this one may be right, but then it reflect the true nature of the Islamist regimes.
    
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    March 10, 2026 10:28am
- trout
  
  Methinks this ‘prediction’ is wishful thinking. The first part has already been found to be groundless. OIl dropped in price today to $85bl (from around $150bbl yesterday). The market readjusts. I note that that the redoubtable politician Chuck Schumer has demanded that Trump release oil reserves after consistently blocking a refill (at $29bbl)
  
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  March 10, 2026 9:39am
  - virtualmark
    
    Oil is down because CBS’s White House reporter came out with:
    
    “In a phone interview, President Trump told me the war could be over soon: “I think the war is very complete, pretty much. They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no Air Force.” He added that the U.S. is “very far” ahead of his initial 4-5 week estimated time frame.”
    
    https://finance.yahoo.com/news/oil-prices-fall-25-after-soaring-to-4-year-highs-as-trump-says-war-is-very-complete-224917378.html
    
    https://x.com/weijia/status/2031086856679412042
    
    TACO. Make a stupid decision. Create chaos. Run away. Repeat elsewhere.
    
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    March 10, 2026 9:53am
    - virtualmark
      
      And call me cynical but I’m pretty sure Trump called a tame journo an hour before the US markets closed so she would report his vague but promising comments so the markets would rally and erase the day’s drop.
      
      Later in the day, at the GOP conference, Trump was back to being more belligerent and open-ended.
      
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      March 10, 2026 12:47pm
  - Ra Henare
    
    One swallow doesnt make a summer.
    
    Market is highly touchy at the moment.
    One surge, or one drop is not a trend.
    
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    March 10, 2026 4:47pm
- RoboRob
  
  Your right about one thing, this will be over quickly. The US has zero intention of a prolonged war. The rest of it is just your hatred of Trump.
  
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  March 10, 2026 10:03am
  - virtualmark
    
    Robo … what is the US intention of this war? What is the objective? How will the US benefit from achieving that objective?
    
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    March 10, 2026 10:22am
    - Scott
      
      Virtual – one war aim is to hold their enemy, Iran, to account for years of anti American guerilla activity starting with the holding of American hostages at the American embassy. Then there is the supplying of Iraq during the American Iraq war. Then there is the financing and direction of their terrorist proxies in Yemen and Lebanon fighting against America and its ally Israel.
      
      Then there is the state of war that exists between Iran and America. Iran views Iran as the Great Satan, death to America is recited throughout Iranian classrooms each day.
      
      So this is holding Iran to account, making sure they can’t have nuclear weapons, destroying their ballistic missiles and military drones and war making capacity. And hopefully getting rid of the Ayatollas. But that’s up to the people of Iran. They will have the chance to have a better govt.
      
      The people of Iran are apparently very generous and hospitable and cultured. They have a chance to get rid of islamist oppression and move forward into a new day. That’s a good thing. 😊
      
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      March 10, 2026 11:00am
      - Graeme Hall
        
        Basically, from now on the USA will mow the lawn every time Iran pops up.
        
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        March 10, 2026 11:23am
      - virtualmark
        
        Then Scott …
        
        If the goal is to retaliate for guerrilla activity then don’t you think there might be better ways of doing that? Like asymmetrical warfare? Maybe arm the opposition groups in Iran? etc
        
        The mullahs may like their talk of “Great Satan” and “Death to America” but the feedback from everyday Iranians is that they don’t believe that – or perhaps at least didn’t until the US started bombing them. Do you think the US’ recent attacks on Iran will have stopped them thinking of the US as the Great Satan? Or reinforced that view?
        
        Iran was still years away from a workable nuclear bomb. Israel certainly felt under threat from Iran … but what plausible threat did Iran pose to the US? Please be specific.
        
        As for getting ride of the Ayatollahs … well, Trump managed to get rid of Ayatollah Khamein’i … only to have him replaced by Ayatollah Khamein’i. Genius move! 5D chess!
        
        It would be great to see the mullahs overthrown and Iran revert to being a more open liberal society. But how will the recent attacks achieve that? Again, please be specific.
        
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        March 10, 2026 12:43pm
      - Scott
        
        Virtual – my reply to your post:
        
        “If the goal is to retaliate for guerrilla activity then don’t you think there might be better ways of doing that? Like asymmetrical warfare? Maybe arm the opposition groups in Iran?”
        
        No there aren’t opposition groups that are viable because the regime killed them all. It is a tyrannical regime and opposition to the regime can and often did lead to execution.
        
        ” The mullahs may like their talk of “Great Satan” and “Death to America” but the feedback from everyday Iranians is that they don’t believe that – or perhaps at least didn’t until the US started bombing them. Do you think the US’ recent attacks on Iran will have stopped them thinking of the US as the Great Satan? Or reinforced that view?”
        
        No many of the Iranians welcomed US intervention. It is the help they were promised.
        However some of the population did believe America was the great Satan and they believed that before and they probably believe that now. Iran was the sworn enemy of the USA, it didn’t matter what the USA did. It’s part of the ideology of the regime. They need enemies. In this case Israel and America.
        
        “Iran was still years away from a workable nuclear bomb. Israel certainly felt under threat from Iran … but what plausible threat did Iran pose to the US? Please be specific.”
        
        You don’t know that. They were enriching uranium, they had ballistic missiles. They were arming the Houthis and Hizbollah, they were fighting America’s ally Israel. That’s specific. They were enemies of America’s ally and actively fighting them.
        And if they got a nuclear weapon and they did have ballistic missiles then who can doubt they would have used them?
        
        “As for getting rid of the Ayatollahs … well, Trump managed to get rid of Ayatollah Khamein’i … only to have him replaced by Ayatollah Khamein’i. Genius move! 5D chess!”
        
        Khomenei Jnr may not long be for this world. Getting rid of the Ayatollahs is a good thing. Iran has the chance to embrace new leadership and go in a much better direction.
        
        “It would be great to see the mullahs overthrown and Iran revert to being a more open liberal society. But how will the recent attacks achieve that? Again, please be specific”
        
        When the leadership is gone, when the tyranny is gone there is a vacuum. And maybe the Iranians can rise up and get new leadership, whether it be the son of the Shah or someone else? This gives them the chance to be free of islamist tyranny. That’s a good thing.
        
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        March 10, 2026 2:31pm
      - virtualmark
        
        Nah.
        
        There are opposition groups in Iran. Israel has been working with them for years (which is how Israel has such good intelligence on what’s happening in Iran). For example the Kurds, but there are many others (lots of ethnic groups in Iran). But they aren’t currently strong enough to take on the IRGC and Basij.
        
        An achievable goal would be to cause enough low-level pain and disruption in Iran that the regime there doesn’t have the bandwidth or the resources to meddle in other countries. You do that via stoking internal strife, not by bombing.
        
        Meanwhile, the non-Israeli non-US experts say that Iran was still several years away from a nuclear device, let alone a deliverable weapon. 60% enriched uranium is still far short of what’s needed for a device.
        
        And any Iranian missiles are way short of the range required to reach Europe let alone the United States. They can reach Israel – so Israel wants to stop that threat, can’t do it on its own, so has wanted to goad the US into attacking Iran for at least 10 years now. But that’s actually not the US’ problem and so previous Presidents have said no.
        
        Meanwhile, bombing from the air alone hasn’t achieved “regime change” anywhere. The only path to regime change would be boots on the ground. In a mountainous country two-and-a-half times the size of Texas, with a population of 90 million. That is well beyond the US’ capabilities or will, even if you had a motivated US population behind this.
        
        So realistically “Iran nukes” and “regime change” and so on are shiny baubles you dangle in front of the gullible.
        
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        March 10, 2026 3:08pm
      - Ra Henare
        
        and of course we remember only last year teh Commander in Chief supporting Israel with Bunker Buster Bombs to destroy Irans nuclear facility.
        
        and of course his bluster after that.
        
        President Donald Trump said Iran’s key nuclear sites were “completely and fully obliterated.”
        He asserted that Iran’s nuclear program was “over”
        
        How did that work out????
        
        So believing any Trump statement re the Iran conflict will fall in to the BS and bluster category. IMHO
        
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        March 10, 2026 4:55pm
    - leoj
      
      No Mullahs means that Iranian sponsored terrorism will now cease. Every terror organization needed Iranian money but it will no longer flow.
      
      The Middle East will be more peaceful than ever without Iran stoking the fire.
      
      Trump has done what no previous President or world leader had the guts to do.
      
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      March 10, 2026 11:19am
    - Master Mariner
      
      What is the objective?
      I fail to understand myself.
      objective and unintended outcomes may be the result.
      
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      March 10, 2026 11:26am
      - trout
        
        Trump is playing global chess. It starts with the Venezuela heist, then putting the squeeze on Cuba, and now targetting Iran. The end game is to control global oil supplies; restrict Russion sales and limit China’s access. This could off course bring China into the game. Stock up on popcorn.
        
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        March 10, 2026 12:35pm
      - Master Mariner
        
        Fair comment Trout.
        US end game is control of the Western Hemisphere through domination.
        What is Israel’s end Game ? A Greater Israel and all it entails ? Dont tell me “too live in Peace and Harmony in Gods chosen land “.
        2 very different objectives.
        Mean time Russia is making moves in the Asian Pacific Region. This will only work with the continuation of war and closure of the Straight.
        
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        March 10, 2026 1:30pm
      - virtualmark
        
        trout,
        
        Back in the late-1930s Japan thought that the West, and primarily the USA, was threatening their access to essential resources. Such as oil from Malaya.
        
        Remind me, what happened next?
        
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        March 10, 2026 1:45pm
      - kowtow
        
        vm
        
        You left out the bit about how the Nips were destroying China .
        
        That’s why USA was imposing oil embargos .
        
        And remind me after Pearl Harbor what happened to Japan .
        
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        March 10, 2026 4:23pm
      - virtualmark
        
        kowtow,
        
        Remind me again about how much disruption and death the war with Japan caused.
        
        There’s a fine line between putting a bit of pressure on your strategic rival, and backing them so far into a corner they have no option but to strike. cf Versaille. But, to be fair, Trump is not a “fine line” type of person.
        
        That said, let’s say Trump is playing global chess and wants to use oil as a pressure point with China. If I’m China what are my options? Maybe:
        * Reduce Russia to a vassal state,
        * Which may require China to see Russia’s military heavily degraded,
        * Then take their oil, by force if necessary, but most likely cheaper to buy it at a heavily discounted price from a Russia I’ve now made dependent on me,
        * Noting that the western Siberia oil-fields aren’t that distant from the Russia-China border.
        
        So if I were China I might have a strategic interest in seeing Russia’s military bled dry in a war with Ukraine. Perhaps provide enough assistance to Russia to keep them in the game, but not so much to allow Russia to win.
        
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        March 10, 2026 5:52pm
  - Philview
    
    I read a couple of articles yesterday saying the US now has supply chain problems with missiles. It is hard to know the accuracy of anything we read these days but the suggestion is this will not go on long and the regime will be intact in terms of persecuting Iranians but will be badly damaged as a regional power.
    
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    March 10, 2026 10:41am
    - Ian Boag
      
      The missile thing is public domain stuff.
      System Current annual production Planned expansion
      Patriot PAC-3 ~600/year ~2,000/year
      THAAD interceptor ~96/year ~400/year
      
      Patriots cost about USD4m each (now there’s a pricey firework) so using them to shoot down USD50k drones doesn’t really work.
      
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      March 10, 2026 10:53am
      - imalwaysright
        
        “…using them to shoot down USD50k drones doesn’t really work.”
        
        Depends on the value of the drones target.
        
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        March 10, 2026 11:28am
    - NothingLeft
      
      The world has discovered that higher production volume lower cost missiles are the future. Ukraine has overnight become a major weapons supplier to the world with the stuff they have innovated out of desperation in their war.
      
      Their cheap anti-cruise missile drones are in high demand, as are their low-cost long range attack drones UAE has just made a billion dollar investment in Firepoint, a Ukrainian drone manufacturer. Firepoint have, or are developing equivalents to most US ground attack missile systems at a small fraction of the US prices, from small piston powered cruise missiles to large tomahawk equivlents and now medium range ballistic missiles that can only be stopped by more expensive patriots. They are already making ~70k drones a year to attack Russia with rapid production increases ongoing.
      
      US dominance of global military sales is coming to an end. Theit high-cost weapons systems may not make sense in the new quantity beats quality paradigm
      
      Ubiquitous low-cost medium-long range drones will make terrorism and drone blackmail perhaps insurmountable problems (as Houthis have already demonstrated). Eg the $1000 P1-sun (ukrainian ‘penis’ joke name) interceptor drones used to take down sevearl hundred Russian Shahed drones every night can easily take down a passenger jet.
      
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      March 10, 2026 1:32pm
- Charlotte Wells
  
  The new supreme leader.
  
  Only been in the job 1 day and already on sick leave.
  
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  March 10, 2026 10:58am
  - AitchW
    
    Hiding under the bed I imagine….
    
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    March 10, 2026 12:20pm
    - NothingLeft
      
      With IRGC reduced to a rabble all he has left to fight US with are Faith and Hope
      
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      March 10, 2026 1:37pm
    - Don Beckett
      
      Wounded in an Israeli air strike.
      
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      March 10, 2026 1:40pm
- rockape
  
  I think in two weeks Iran will lose its ability to fight other than small armed groups of fanatics. Then the straights will open, oil will flow and sell for 50 to 60 us a barrel. The Iranian people will rise up against what’s left if the IRGC . Then Trump will be a hero in the USA and win the mid-Terms. The stock market will rise and the Dow go above 50,000 and rise from then on at its historic rate of 10 to 12% pa.
  
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  March 10, 2026 12:33pm
  - Taieri
    
    “I think” is a figure of speech here, isn’t it…?
    
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    March 10, 2026 1:18pm
- Ra Henare
  
  Virtual A good rational summary in General.
  
  You will of course be downticked by the emotional Trump supporters.
  
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  March 10, 2026 4:21pm
[email protected]

Superannuation is back into the news. It is well past time to start raising the age when healthy people can start drawing superannuation payments. Every other year raise the age by one year till in ten years the age for super sits at 70 instead of 65.
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March 10, 2026 8:29am
- Ian Boag
  
  Last time – 60 to 65 I think it was just six months a year. A no-brainer …. there was no fuss as I recall
  
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  March 10, 2026 9:03am
- Gary Benner
  
  I would be happy for this if at the same time a program was instituted to reduce welfare for those able to work but make themselves “unemployed”, for those who start families without the means, and a cut to all welfare for anyone coming into the country.
  
  Superannuation is a pension, not welfare, and is part of an “agreement” with the citizens of this country. Any change is breaking that agreement, and must be made carefully and respectfully. Those paying tax now which pays for superannuation must recognise that all the facilities and infrastructure that they use now were paid for by the tax paid by previous generations, so no, superannuation is not welfare, and simply recognition of what was provided for by their elders.
  
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  March 10, 2026 9:13am
  - greybeard
    
    “Those paying tax now which pays for superannuation”: is this really true ?
    Is National Superannuation funded exclusively from personal income taxes, or is it funded from the overall Govt income stream?
    
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    March 10, 2026 9:19am
    - RoboRob
      
      The vast bulk of the governments funds come from income tax. The bulk of the rest of governments income is from assets bought using funds from income tax.
      
      I always view every $ spent by the government as coming from income tax (or borrowing paid back by income tax). Which means that everytime you want the government to spend more you also want them to take my in income tax.
      
      Re super. Yes, current tax payers are funding existing super recipients. People on NZ supoer funded previous super recipients when they were working. Lots of super systems work this way.
      
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      March 10, 2026 10:08am
      - Ian Boag
        
        Personal income tax ~40–45%
        GST (Goods & Services Tax) ~25–30%
        Company tax ~15%
        Other taxes (fuel excise, tobacco/alcohol duties, tariffs, etc.) ~7–10%
        
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        March 10, 2026 10:37am
      - RoboRob
        
        @Ian
        
        Thanks for proving my point. The bulk of the governments income is from taxes. Sure I said Income tax but I think It was pretty obvious I meant tax (rather then profits from assets). Income tax and GST come from the same source, us.
        
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        March 10, 2026 11:45am
    - mogg
      
      And where does the overall Govt income stream come from. All assets and income flows were put in place and owned by past and present tax payers.
      
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      March 10, 2026 11:20am
    - Paulus
      
      New Zealand Superannuation payments are Taxed !
      
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      March 10, 2026 1:53pm
  - wisteria
    
    Absoluteley agree. At least most of the people collecting superannuation have contributed with their taxes during their working life. The people being given welfare have not.
    
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    March 10, 2026 9:31am
- pdm
  
  Should have been done to 70 10/15 years ago.
  
  The drama and kick back would have been all over by now.
  
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  March 10, 2026 9:32am
  - Dudley Quaffquaff
    
    Bill English made a start on that, putting in place a very modest plan to raise the age very slowly to just 67, and he took the political heat for it (there actually wasn’t all that much). By the time Jacinda came to power it wasn’t an issue any more. She reversed the plan anyway, in what I see as the single most irresponsible and incomprehensibly stupid thing that she did. There was no political benefit and substantial economic downside. I guess it’s what Winston wanted, though
    
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    March 10, 2026 10:26am
    - Flossie
      
      Apparently we’re rushing over to live in Australia as everything is so much better there. Their age for receiving a pension is 67 so why the fuss about raising it here.
      
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      March 10, 2026 10:35am
      - Cassandra
        
        64 year olds are staying put.
        
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        March 10, 2026 11:25am
      - AitchW
        
        Cassandra, I’m a little younger than 64, and I’m staying put. I’m not convinced that Aussie is the land of milk and honey any more….
        Having said that were I 20 years younger and Labour were to form a 3 headed coalition after the election I’m pretty sure I’d be off like a rocket.
        
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        March 10, 2026 12:22pm
      - Gary Benner
        
        AitchW, it’s also the land of snakes and spiders that other things that can really hurt.
        
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        March 10, 2026 12:35pm
    - Ian Boag
      
      As I recall the English plan was to start doing something fairly gradual in about 20 years time. Projections of finances that far ahead are wishful thinking.
      
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      March 10, 2026 11:35am
      - Dudley Quaffquaff
        
        For certain, it wasn’t enough. But it got the difficult bit done, by starting the process and getting a ball rolling, or maybe lighting a gentle flame under the frog saucepan, which could then have been gradually built on.
        
        Jacinda put that back to zero, with neither rationale nor alternative in place.
        
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        March 10, 2026 1:06pm
    - RoboRob
      
      Oh, Jacinida did much worse stuff then reversing English’s super changes set decades into the future.
      
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      March 10, 2026 11:46am
- Bullion
  
  Should have started this 15 years ago when Lab proposed it,
  
  Under Labour’s policy, the age of entitlement would rise gradually, starting in 2020 and hitting age 67 by 2033
  
  https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/election-2011/89337/labour-plans-to-lift-superannuation-age-to-67
  
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  March 10, 2026 10:21am
- peterwn
  
  Tell the whole story noting that Winston will veto any age increase until his toes curl. Also I am sympathetic to the comment Andrew Little made some years ago that those who do intense manual work should still be able to retire at 65, since they would be ‘worn out’ then and would find it very difficult finding a ‘lighter’ job at that age (for example fast food joints are extremely unlikely to hire 65 year olds to flip burgers).
  
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  March 10, 2026 11:35am
  - AitchW
    
    Big can of worms there though. How do you define intense manual labour? Lots of jobs which include heavy lifting several times a day. Is that intense?
    
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    March 10, 2026 12:24pm
    - artemisia
      
      And how about women who bore several children and looked after them over the years. Could they qualify if worn out?
      
      Simpler for people unable to work for whatever reason to move to a benefit until super age is reached.
      
      4 2
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      March 10, 2026 7:57pm
      - Ghost
        
        How is their body worn out from raising children? Strange thing, my mother and father both worked while raising us, and continued to work until they retired.
        
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        March 10, 2026 8:09pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Sitting on your bum for 6-8hours/day for 40 years can bugger your health, too.
    
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    March 10, 2026 12:31pm
    - Flossie
      
      Absolutely correct Maggy. Plenty of health issues can arise from having to sit at a desk/computer all day.
      People do tend to underestimate the difficulties of having to use your brain all day too.
      
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      March 10, 2026 1:59pm
    - NothingLeft
      
      yeah, screws your cardiovascular, but I suspect generally better for your joints and back
      
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      March 10, 2026 5:09pm
  - Gary Benner
    
    It’s a complex situation, and any oversight will inevitably cost heaps, and be fraught with misuse. A fixed age for all, while broad, has the swings and roundabouts to make it work. Any intense health issue should be dealt with by a medical subsidy, as it would, should the individual be 50 say even.
    
    Having traversed the 70 age, I can say life does change at 65, and maybe some savings could be reached by opting for a deferral (for those inclined and able) to say 70 or even later, but get a higher payout per fortnight. I’m sure some accountant can come up with a plan that works to benefit us all better. Time to broaden the thought on this one.
    
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    March 10, 2026 12:43pm
  - Dudley Quaffquaff
    
    If you genuinely can’t manage any kind of work, there are (rightly) various forms of assistance available. If you can’t manage heavy manual work, seek other work. You have neither the obligation nor the right to remain the the same form of employment throughout your life.
    
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    March 10, 2026 1:09pm
    - peterwn
      
      But as I previously said, McDonalds are hardly likely to hire a 66 year old to flip hamburgers or even clean the toilets and an airline is hardly likely to hire them as stewards/hostesses. Things are grim for over 50’s trying to find a job.
      
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      March 10, 2026 2:08pm
- Ra Henare
  
  With increasing life expectancy 70 will not be high enough IMHO.
  
  Yes I am on super and think 75 should be the target (I am Adrian Moles age plus 65 and 3/4)
  
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  March 10, 2026 4:25pm
kowtow

Barrel of oil back under $100 overnight.

Great .

Looking forward to the 30% drop at the pump today….
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March 10, 2026 8:31am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  Just looked, west Texas $87 they said it peaked at $120, not sure the petrol price went up 30 cents, got some this morning looks like 12 cents from 2 weeks ago
  
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  March 10, 2026 9:40am
- MCōs
  
  Here’s some live information
  https://oilprice.com/oil-price-charts/#Brent-Crude
  Gone down since Trump inferred the war was concluded — whatever that means
  Was there ever a war in the first place?
  Trump said it wasn’t over until there was an unconditional surrender. Well, there’s no sign of that.
  
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  March 10, 2026 10:25am
  - MCōs
    
    Very disappointing news conference for anyone expecting real clarity from President Trump, which is par for the course
    https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/03/09/world/iran-war-israel-trump-oil?smid=nytcore-ios-share
    Brent crude now back up to $98
    
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    March 10, 2026 11:48am
    - kowtow
      
      For people who’re so quick to damn the man and all his works , he managed to jawbone the markets.
      
      Proves they pay attention to the crazy guy and act accordingly . So who is the crazy ?
      
      And if markets are always right then so must he be!
      
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      March 10, 2026 2:14pm
      - MCōs
        
        The President of the USA is the most influential figure in the world at any one time, whether any of us like it or not, and Trump in particular because he’s so unpredictable.
        Unlike anyone else he has at his disposal access to anything, even if it’s illegal
        
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        March 10, 2026 5:16pm
Cassandra

Khamenei’s successor, his son Mojtaba, is a clone. It shows that the Iranian regime intends to fight this war until its end.

According to the IDF “Darkness of the night is no obstacle to the efficacy of our missiles.” That is why, as a Telegraph source in Tel Aviv put it, “we will soon be reuniting the son with the father”.
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March 10, 2026 8:58am
- Gary Benner
  
  There is some suggestion that he is already “injured”, but it is even possible that their plan may be to project a “virtual” supreme leader, ie one that cannot be killed (because he already is).
  
  https://www.iranintl.com/en/202603093317
  
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  March 10, 2026 9:54am
  - Paulus
    
    Were not some of his family also eliminated with Father and Family ?
    But he will have a number of wives so he will be allright until ………….
    
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    March 10, 2026 1:59pm
    - Ghost
      
      he had one wife, she was killed the other day
      
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      March 10, 2026 2:01pm
- mogg
  
  Iran is fast running out of Ayatollahs.
  
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  March 10, 2026 11:23am
  - MCōs
    
    The new supreme leader isn’t an Ayatolla as required by the constitution. Neither was the last bloke when he became the big boss.
    However he was made one.
    A bit like Mr Tamaki suddenly became Bishop Brian, I suppose.
    
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    March 10, 2026 5:26pm
RoboRob

Christopher Luxon Under Pressure: What Happens Now?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kacAVC0FOPY

A very interesting podcast, but might be triggering to some. Duncan and two right wing commentators comment on the governments performance, MSM performance and Luxon.

Highlights the tricky situation that National has put themselves in.
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March 10, 2026 9:03am
- pdm
  
  Well worth a watch although I thought Garner himself was a bit over the top.
  
  Ani O’Brien and Jordan Williams were both excellent though.
  
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  March 10, 2026 9:35am
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    All 3 are siding with Act, TPU are so full of shit these days doing dirty work for act, this vulgarity started the minute Ruth Richardson entered the fray
    
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    March 10, 2026 9:48am
    - RoboRob
      
      So they didn’t make any valid points at all? Nothing you could take home at all G?
      
      But hey is just labeling them all as enemies helps you ignore the valid points raised, go for it. Obrian (at least) is no ACT sycophant. Duncan regularly criticises Seymour. Williams is promoting the polices of the TPU (reduced government size and spending), which Willis and Luxon have failed on.
      
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      March 10, 2026 11:51am
    - pdm
      
      G perhaps they can see where the progress for New Zealand is/would clearly come from – namely ACT.
      
      If it wasn’t constrained by National and NZFirst.
      
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      March 10, 2026 12:44pm
  - RoboRob
    
    Yeah, I agree. I often find Garner a bit ‘silly’. Really like Ani I`Brian, smart and measured commentary in all the stuff I have seen from her,
    
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    March 10, 2026 9:55am
  - R
    
    Garner is always over the top,..frustrated journalist. Jordan gets a bit excitable at times.
    
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    March 10, 2026 10:20am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  They have not put themselves anywhere, the vulgarity of take votes of Nats by all parties including act has done its dirty worst.
  
  Media are straight out full of shit and it continues today, some how media have Nats internals showing them on 32% last month, if anyone believes they have list 10% of their support in a month mostly to the greens then that’s their issue.
  
  Let’s not forget the make up of the coalition and the opposition parties actually only changed 1 seat, previous Curtis poll had 60/60 this poll has 59/61to the left, the only poll showing the opposition in front since early November, note there has been no leaked enteral polls since early November
  
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  March 10, 2026 9:46am
  - leoj
    
    If the latest poll helps Luxon develop a spine, it might be a good thing.
    
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    March 10, 2026 11:24am
    - AitchW
      
      If nothing else it will encourage him to be a bit more assertive with the media, I’d love to see him pour one or two of them straight back into their bottle.
      Pour encourage les autres, you understand…
      
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      March 10, 2026 12:27pm
  - RoboRob
    
    ‘Media are straight out full of shit and it continues today, some how media have Nats internals showing them on 32% last month, if anyone believes they have list 10% of their support in a month mostly to the greens then that’s their issue.’
    
    Luxon gave that info out. He said that his UK people took the Curia results and had him polling higher. Based on his statements people estimate his internal polling showed around 32%.
    
    There was no claim that he had dropped 10% in a month. The claim was National have dropped 10% since the last election, which in this poll is true. Other polls out last month showed them down 6-7%.
    
    Oh and the difference between 32% and 28% isn’t 10%. Its a little more then the margin of error on these polls. To reiterate the estimated 32% polling is Curia polling adjusted by people in the UK. The 28% is Curia polling without adjustments, just straight data.
    
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    March 10, 2026 11:57am
- peterwn
  
  ‘Tricky’ situation manufactured by the Media. The real tricky situation is if National chooses to replace Chris Luxon now, National’s election prospects would drop from ‘poor’ (if you believe the media) to ‘zilch’. Funny that the media do not report this aspect.
  
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  March 10, 2026 11:39am
  - RoboRob
    
    It was discussed extensively in the video as well as the poor options with regards to possible replacements.
    
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    March 10, 2026 11:59am
    - peterwn
      
      All that means absolutely nothing.
      The issue facing Caucus today is what is the best way forward to have the best chance of ‘winning’ the election. Hence changing the leader in current circumstances is a losing strategy and hence is not an option.
      Some members may be grumpy inside the Caucus room. That is fine as long as they confine their grumpiness to the Caucus room.
      
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      March 10, 2026 12:31pm
      - RoboRob
        
        The tricky situation I was referring to is, winning enough votes to govern. Winning enough votes so they dont lose talented MPs.
        
        The tricky situation is what can National do in the nxt 7-8 months to reverse the slide in their support. That may be selecting a new leader but most agree it is too late for that. So what do they do? Its a tricky situation, with little time to reverse course.
        
        They got themselves in this position becuase they failed to take note of the issues, that were obvious, by January 2025.
        
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        March 10, 2026 1:24pm
      - Paulus
        
        May I assume you know who you say that some members may be grumpy in the Caucus room
        Does Maiki tell you that, because she really knows everything ?
        And tells it with nasty venom too.
        Tova know all will be back shortly so both will have all the secrets !
        
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        March 10, 2026 2:05pm
    - peterwn
      
      RoboRob at 1.24pm
      “They got themselves in this position because they failed to take note of the issues, that were obvious, by January 2025”
      Two points here:
      1. That is a matter of personal opinion. Commenters will have their opinions on what a Government should do and what is ‘obvious’ and a Government not meeting these ‘opinions’ does not mean it is ‘wrong’.
      2. What happened the past does not mean a thing. The key thing is what the Caucus and its MP’s need to do between now and the election to win as many votes as possible.
      
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      March 10, 2026 5:18pm
imalwaysright

The cost of the Wellington Central library opening, $405,000, must have leaked.

Andy says it will now be scaled back…
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March 10, 2026 9:15am
- RoboRob
  
  $405k !!!!!!!
  
  What are they doing, gold crusted caviar?
  
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  March 10, 2026 10:11am
  - keepcalmcarryon
    
    Saffron dusted kale
    
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    March 10, 2026 10:18am
  - greybeard
    
    $5k for food etc
    $400k for maori stuff
    
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    March 10, 2026 10:37am
    - leoj
      
      You do know that it’s too late.
      
      The maori takeover is vitually complete, aided by the National Party.
      
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      March 10, 2026 11:26am
    - imalwaysright
      
      Have a look at artemisia’s link.
      You may not be far off…
      
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      March 10, 2026 11:39am
- artemisia
  
  Welly library opening – including a choir of 300. But wait there’s more, a lot more including a recording studio and 3D printers.
  
  https://wellington.govt.nz/news-and-events/events-and-festivals/te-matapihi-celebration
  
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  March 10, 2026 10:39am
- AitchW
  
  Correct me if I’m wrong, but it’s well overdue and way over budget. Nothing to celebrate there, is this just yet another excuse for local iwi to roll out a few kaumatua and kuia along with the obligatory waiata, powhiri and kapa haka mob?
  I wouldn’t object, only they will demand kai moana and koha…
  
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  March 10, 2026 12:31pm
Hugh Jarse

Second day of the week and not a word from Hipkins ?, has Helen finally wrested control out of his dead limp hands or is he resting up for the Covid Part Deux report ?
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March 10, 2026 9:33am
- G the giant from Dunedin
  
  He knows his dirty filthy bought and paid for media are doing his bidding, and can just sit back and take all the glory
  
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  March 10, 2026 9:49am
- RoboRob
  
  When your enemy is in trouble (Luxon) the best thing to do is shut up and leave the focus on them.
  
  Also, the COVID report is coming out today and reportedly will be absolutely damning of Hipkins actions.
  
  Two very good reasons for Hipkins to go off the grid. Poor timing for the Nats would would rather have had all the focus on Hipkins.
  
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  March 10, 2026 10:13am
  - Master Mariner
    
    Its been in the Governor Generals hands over 2 weeks. I wonder why so long ?
    Looking forward to reading it entirely.
    
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    March 10, 2026 1:35pm
    - Ghost
      
      you can read it now
      
      https://www.covid19lessons.royalcommission.nz/
      
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      March 10, 2026 1:38pm
- MCōs
  
  “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making mistakes “
  Napoleon apparently said that, but in the end he maybe should have taken his own advice
  
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  March 10, 2026 10:14am
- R
  
  Hipkins on morning TV today, with his usual weak cliche comments. So lifeless for an election year, BUT I guess when you election platform is a return to facilitating the implementation of te pua pua, and spendthrift welfare policies, there isn’t much to talk about.
  
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  March 10, 2026 10:24am
  - mogg
    
    Hipkins AKA, Mr platitude.
    
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    March 10, 2026 11:27am
- Paulus
  
  No – the phone line between Sydney and Hipkins is now made to work faster.
  
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  March 10, 2026 2:07pm
TripeWryter

I was cooking tea last night and listening to Heather du Plessis-Allan and her Huddle discussing various matters.
One of her guests said that the Prime Minister needed to ‘build relationships’ with the media.
Oh, dear.
She was Trish Sherson, I think, a PR person. Or it might have been Josie Pagani.
Anyway. Doesn’t matter.
Here’s what I’ve found in life: you cannot ‘build relationships’ with people who don’t like you and who don’t want that relationship and are not interested in building it.
It’s a bit like marriage counselling to try to save the marriage. If the other party has no intention of changing course, of coming back home to the abandoned partner and their children, it’s a waste of time. You let them go and adjust to the new relationship.
It has long been evident that the Press Gallery hacks in particular don’t like Christopher Luxon.
I’d even say the women in particular loathe him.
They didn’t like his Christianity.
They don’t like that he is wealthy (unlike Sir John Key, who had the knack of somehow making you forget that, and he’s, as Thomas Coughlan helpfully told us the other day, far wealthier), and I’ve always felt, too, that they miss Jacinda.
The froth and excitement of Friday pretty much subsided by 5.20pm after the Prime Minister had appeared on the the du Plessis-Allan programme.
Yet the media hacks turned out in breathless force yesterday to doorstep Mr Luxon at Wellington Airport.
Jesus wept. (or he might not but never mind …)
There was an interesting moment there that Maiki and Jenna obviously missed in their excitement to try to extract something from him.
It was the airport worker – note: worker – who called out to him: ‘Keep up the good work, sir.’
Maiki Sherman and Jenna Lynch and whoever of the hacks were there missed the opportunity to go back and ask the man – note: a worker – WHY did he support the Prime Minister.
I would have like to have known.
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March 10, 2026 9:34am
- Gravelroad
  
  I look forward to the evening later this year when Maiki Sherman is obliged to report that the National Party has won enough votes to form a government.
  She will be distraught.
  Ms Sherman is a very poor excuse for a journalist.
  It is all very well to pick a side, support and promote it, in private.
  Another thing altogether to make it obvious publicly.
  That TVNZ can’t or won’t accept that they have open bias in their staff says that the management is unprofessional and incompetent.
  
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  March 10, 2026 10:00am
  - imalwaysright
    
    TVNZ still won’t release the report on whether they are biased.
    
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    March 10, 2026 10:11am
    - R
      
      Do they need to release any such report. They are biased!
      
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      March 10, 2026 3:20pm
  - ds
    
    What about ZB and Mike Hosking.
    
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    March 10, 2026 10:16am
    - amospicton
      
      ZB is a private company – they live and die according to whether their listener base likes what they hear. Stuff for example is struggling because they alienate too many people. TVNZ on the other hand is totally different. It’s publicly owned and needs to be scrupulously impartial. They aren’t.
      
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      March 10, 2026 10:43am
    - Gravelroad
      
      Mr Hosking generally deals in facts.
      Yes, he sometimes adds his opinion around the facts.
      Ms Sherman generally deals in personal opinion.
      And gives the facts a very wide berth.
      
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      March 10, 2026 10:44am
  - Blog-aholic
    
    Sherman is nothing more than an activist.
    
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    March 10, 2026 11:03am
  - Flossie
    
    I have previously complained to TVNZ that Ms Sherman is biased but they absolutely denied it.
    
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    March 10, 2026 11:20am
    - RoboRob
      
      Thats Ironic. I believe she publicly admitted it on TV when discussing TPM. She said she didn’t want to comment becuase of her ties to various people in TPM.
      
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      March 10, 2026 12:02pm
  - Paulus
    
    I simply put Sherman down as a vicious and nasty piece of work – no more !
    Perhaps as commented earlier it is probably her so called part Maori which she cannot move from.
    
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    March 10, 2026 2:17pm
- nathie
  
  “Maiki Sherman and Jenna Lynch”.
  
  Two perfect examples of why it is not worth watching the TV news nowadays …
  
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  March 10, 2026 10:03am
  - mogg
    
    Don’t you remember them chasing after Jacinda with microphones, asking why are you so unpopular.
    
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    March 10, 2026 11:30am
    - MCōs
      
      One remembers the media swarm chasing after Mr Luxon when he took over as Leader of the Nats
      There’s a fun photo in this article
      https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300469842/photo-essay-the-rise-and-fall-of-judith-collins-and-christopher-luxon
      
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      March 10, 2026 2:08pm
  - leoj
    
    What and who is TVNZ?
    
    4 3
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    March 10, 2026 11:30am
  - MCōs
    
    Well, don’t watch
    
    3 2
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    March 10, 2026 11:38am
    - graham
      
      Or do what I do – record it, then watch it a bit later for any interesting ACTUAL news and skip through the stuff that you know is going to be uninformative / pointless / infuriating / old news that actually happened 24 hours ago.
      
      We tend to get through the news pretty quickly – just skip through the chunks of it that we either read about online earlier (and in greater depth) or are obviously just a waste of perfectly good electricity. We didn’t start watching until around 6:30 last night, but we skipped through so much dross that we still caught up to the weather and had to switch to live view … hate it when that happens 😉
      
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      March 10, 2026 11:53am
- RoboRob
  
  The issue is that Luxon tried to build a relationship with the media. He treated them fairly and gave them his time. That was a huge mistake. He should have done what Winston and Seymour do, treat them as the enemy and publicly bash them when they say silly things. It works brilliantly for Winston and Seymour.
  
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  March 10, 2026 10:17am
  - keepcalmcarryon
    
    Or even better institute PIJF 2.0 which requires adherence to one person one vote, non discrimination and the rule of law.
    
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    March 10, 2026 10:21am
  - Im Right
    
    I agree Rob, the NZ MSM have been an arm of left wing parties for last couple of decades.
    They don’t do things blatently in your face bias, more like printing press release from say, the greens, with no questions nor analysis.
    When ACT, Nats or NZ1 issue a statement it’s not only dissected but a spin is put on it that is not there.
    Not unlike Bradbury over at the daily blog, ANY policy released by this government has a headline in his blog…’this will hurt maori’, ‘this will be worse for maori’ blah blah blah
    I guess taking Tamahere’s money, to keep his podcast afloat, Martyn now has a piper to pay, and TDB has transformed into a maori centric blog akin to the maori party.
    
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    March 10, 2026 10:27am
  - MCōs
    
    Is that why NZF and Act are 8% in the polls?
    
    3 8
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    March 10, 2026 10:29am
    - RoboRob
      
      National and Labour have decades of momentum. Both are leaking voters to the minor parties. There a 100s of thousands of voters who tick blue or red becuase thats when there parents did.
      
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      March 10, 2026 12:05pm
      - cmm (semi-retired edition)
        
        Yup, as they say down South…
        
        They’ve vote for a ewe tupped by a ram with blue raddle.
        
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        March 10, 2026 12:06pm
  - R
    
    Who respects Winston! and to a lesser degree Seymour; who seems to be ‘getting too big for his boots’, probably because subconsciously he knows that his populist approach to governance isn’t in the best interests of the country. He needs some policy substance!
    
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    March 10, 2026 10:31am
    - pdm
      
      R – Policy substance is ACT’s strength and they lead the way in this as far as the Coalition is concerned.
      
      Simon Court for one has played a huge part in the Fast Track and RMA legislation. It will not be him that left the bits that Federated Farmers and others are complaining about re the RMA.
      
      Brooke van Velden is sorting the Holidays ACT, carried the Pay Equity through the House and is probably the leading Minister in getting things done for the Coalition.
      
      ACT is punching well above its weight.
      
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      March 10, 2026 1:07pm
      - keepcalmcarryon
        
        Not in firearms reform which looks like the existing rules complete with register and could have been written by the hoplophobes at GCNZ, thanks to Nats and NZ First.
        “Agreeing to disagree” appears to be supposed to mean it’s ok to wriggle out of election promises.
        Powerful clause.
        
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        March 10, 2026 1:19pm
  - Raphael
    
    I think that was Luxon’s relative inexperience in the role. I think he genuinely expected the Media to be impartial and give him a fair chance.
    I don’t think he was expecting the Media from day one be trying to pull the government down.
    
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    March 10, 2026 10:52am
    - Flossie
      
      If that is what he thought then he obviously never used to watch NZ television news prior to becoming a politician!
      
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      March 10, 2026 11:22am
    - RoboRob
      
      Even if that is the case, he is a very slow learner.
      
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      March 10, 2026 12:05pm
- Bullion
  
  Ardern doesn’t relate to the messenger, the team of journalists who make up the parliamentary Press Gallery – they don’t know her.
  
  All of her predecessors got to know the parliamentary media by inviting them to their ninth floor Beehive office, at least a couple of times a year. It puts a human face on the public performer.
  
  Ardern has done it once, a few months after becoming the Prime Minister.
  …
  Compare Ardern to the last populist Prime Minister, John Key. The National leader liked to be liked and he was because he was self-deprecating, posing for selfies with students on University campuses, falling off stages and mincing along catwalks. He was a serious politician, but his antics demonstrated to his supporters he wasn’t above them.
  
  https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/opinion/barry-soper-media-shy-jacinda-ardern-turns-her-back-on-hoskings-tough-questions/
  
  Maybe something Luxon could take on board.
  
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  March 10, 2026 10:43am
  - keepcalmcarryon
    
    Less mincing on catwalks and more liking the treaty principles bill actually.
    
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    March 10, 2026 1:22pm
- kowtow
  
  Listened to HDPA last night too.
  
  Started the show with her “editorial” excoriating the msm for going after Luxon , stirring leadership stuff ,being immature etc
  
  then she later had Nicola Willis on and said ‘Why don’t you unequivocally back Luxon” , they then had a small barney and Willis put her back in her box.
  
  Point is HDPA is as bad as the rest of them.
  
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  March 10, 2026 11:35am
  - RoboRob
    
    HDPA has some balance.
    
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    March 10, 2026 12:07pm
    - kowtow
      
      Her broadcast yesterday was distinctly schizophrenic.
      
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      March 10, 2026 12:33pm
  - AitchW
    
    No, she’s pretty balanced I reckon. She’s had a few good cracks at this government over the last couple of years.
    She’s funny too!
    
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    March 10, 2026 12:33pm
- peterwn
  
  “Yet the media hacks turned out in breathless force yesterday to doorstep Mr Luxon at Wellington Airport.”
  Only in NZ could that happen. In other countries the PM’s limo would drive through to airside and pick up the PM there.
  
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  March 10, 2026 11:45am
BeaB

Maliki Sherman made a fool of herself last night on TVNZ news. Reminded me of Paddy Gower.
RNZ keeps referring to a ‘horror’ poll but the margin of error could have seen the numbers reversed for National and Labour. Both are low as we don’t really like either of them but Hipkins has a proven record of appalling incompetence while Luxon lacks charisma and political courage but is an effective manager with an impressive team. Just look at the dismal Labour line-up, if you can bear to.
And we saw where stardust gets us.
I’d like some more muscular policy from National but they still have my vote when Winston First and horrible Hipkins are the alternative.
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March 10, 2026 10:14am
- Philview
  
  I regard Chris Luxon as having done a sound job as PM on the international stage as he worked hard in that area. He has managed the Coalition Government well. I see the Coalition Government as competent. There haven’t been many MPs making mistakes compared to the issues Labour had. The media say lots of negative stuff about the economy but it just doesn’t feels as bad as 2022/2023
  They aren’t perfect but are a lot better than the alternative.
  
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  March 10, 2026 10:50am
- Jack5
  
  The Leftist NZ Herald continues its attack on National today, knowing that if Luxon can be deposed as Prime Minister, then this year’s election is in the bag for Labour-Greens-Maori Party.
  
  The Herald reporter singles out Tama Potaka, Minister for Conservation and Crown-Maori relations. This is from the report:
  
  “Asked if he wished to be the leader, he repeatedly said he had ‘no intention’ to run for the top job.
  
  “But despite being asked several times, he didn’t rule out an eventual bid.”
  
  Refused to rule out? Several times?
  
  Sounds as though the reporter resorted to the broken-record technique, widely propagated in cheap paperbacks on how to boost your self-confidence.
  
  I wonder what Mr Potaka was finally saying under his breath to the reporter.
  
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  March 10, 2026 12:07pm
  - Bobba Fret
    
    Yes I heard that. As far as I am concerned, saying you have “no intention’ to run for the top job is ruling yourself out!
    The reporter should be blacklisted or something if they are altering facts.
    
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    March 10, 2026 2:12pm
imalwaysright

National have lost 25% of their support since the election.

To just get back to that level they have to increase their current support by 33%.

That’s not going to happen.
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March 10, 2026 11:15am
- peterwn
  
  How much of that 25% lost support went to Labour/ Greens? Very little probably. Chris Luxon will be working very hard to keep Winston on side, and hence Labour/Greens/TMP would find it very hard to cobble together a stable governing coalition even if they theoretically have the numbers.
  
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  March 10, 2026 11:50am
  - cmm (semi-retired edition)
    
    If you’re looking for stability then there is really only one option that makes sense: a Labour/National coalition.
    
    As far as policy goes, they are closer to eachother than they are to anyone else.
    
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    March 10, 2026 12:05pm
    - peterwn
      
      Won’t happen. Forget it.
      
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      March 10, 2026 12:32pm
      - kowtow
        
        Stranger things have happened.
        
        Across Europe the so called left/right combine to keep the so called far right out .
        
        What they’re really about though is keeping their snouts in the trough.
        
        It could very easily happen here too.
        
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        March 10, 2026 12:42pm
    - greybeard
      
      Wash out your mouth !
      Repeat these names out loud and think again:
      Hipkins
      Sepuloni
      WOODS
      JACKSON
      Andersen
      Tinetti
      Twyford
      O’Connor
      HALBERT
      
      I think that should be sufficient to bring you to your senses.
      
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      March 10, 2026 2:16pm
- cmm (semi-retired edition)
  
  All it would have needed is to do what they said they would do.
  
  Instead they have lurched left trying to go for votes outside their grasp.
  
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  March 10, 2026 12:03pm
  - imalwaysright
    
    “All it would have needed is to do what they said they would do.”
    
    Most of what they promised and haven’t delivered were things that don’t cost much or would even have saved a lot of money, so there is no financial excuse.
    
    Ocham’s razor says they lied to us.
    
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    March 10, 2026 12:51pm
Ghost

royal commissions report released

https://www.covid19lessons.royalcommission.nz/
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March 10, 2026 1:40pm
Ghost

a refresh is needed

Shane Reti has decided to retire at the upcoming election.

The former health minister served as deputy leader of the National Party under Judith Collins and acted as interim leader after she stood down. He is the current minister for science and innovation, universities, statistics and Pacific Peoples.

Article
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March 10, 2026 1:56pm
- Clyde
  
  Was a good performer while opposition spokesperson on health, but really not up to it, and has failed in his role as Minister for Universities. Hope he enjoys being back in front of patients because I think that is where his talents lie.
  
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  March 10, 2026 2:02pm
  - Bobba Fret
    
    I thought he was perfect for the minister of health position, but yes, he was a bit disappointing. Having the high qualifications doesn’t always work out.
    
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    March 10, 2026 2:08pm
    - Jack5
      
      Reti impressed when he toured hospitals and rode ambulances through the night at the beginning of his Health term.
      
      He had the medical background, but our governments kick the health-system can down the road. Reti didn’t fit that strategy. You’re supposed to kick the can, not pick it up.
      
      The Coalition has a Ministerial health team of four: Simeon Brown, Matt Doocey, David Seymour, and Casey Costello.
      
      Brown came out of Commercial Finance at the Bank of New Zealand. Not a bad background if you’re the one who has to boot the financial can.
      
      Doocey is the wellness guy, whose mental health strategy seems to be, well prevent it.
      
      Costello may be in the team to keep NZ First in any line of blame.
      
      ACT’s Seymour is for a mixed public and private health system, which is what we’ve got.
      
      NZ dreams it can have a Scandinavian-scale health and welfare system without Scandinavian-scale taxation. Impossible.
      
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      March 10, 2026 3:19pm
      - MCōs
        
        I was in Denmark some years ago and was staggered at the amount of tax the people I stayed with we paying
        They seemed to accept their lot so I suppose there was a good public service system.
        
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        March 10, 2026 4:24pm
      - rouppe
        
        Don’t forget the Scandinavian style oil royalties.
        
        4 1
        Report
        March 10, 2026 6:32pm
Ghost

Hmmm, what events are coming up I wonder

Iran has potentially sent out “an operational trigger” to activate “sleeper assets” across the globe as the war with the U.S. and Israel escalates, according to a report.

The U.S. has intercepted encrypted communications believed to have originated in Iran that were sent out following the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a U.S.-Israeli attack on February 28, ABC News reported, citing a federal alert sent to law enforcement agencies.

Article

Soccer world cup isn’t until July
5 2
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March 10, 2026 6:45pm
pb

Diesel gone from $1.65 to $2.05. Not happy. I bet Russia is. EU will soon begging for a lift from Putin
1 2
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March 10, 2026 8:42pm

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