About
Contact
Advertise

Facebook
Twitter

March 19, 2026 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 19 March 2026

Like this:

Like Loading…

Email
Facebook
Twitter
Comment200

Uncategorized
General Debate

Comments (200)

Login to comment or vote

NeverMindTheBollocks

It’s time to remove urban and suburban cycle lanes.

Recall that the initial reason for cycle lanes was that cars were being held up by slow cyclists. Now that speedy e-bikes and e-scooters are ubiquitous, there’s no need for separation – they can well keep up with traffic.

Doing so will make the road space available for all users, equally (that’s fair, eh); and it opens up the possibility of paid-for on-street parking – after all, Councils are crying out for addition sources of revenue.

Join the road equity revolution, brothers and sisters!
14 2
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 8:01am
- R
  
  The reasons for the cycle lanes was to obstruct traffic freeflow, in a misguided ideological belief that motorists would uses busses. Hence the eventual rise of Bus lanes, to pretend that busses are quicker to one’s destination, since two lanes of motorists were squeezed into one lane; with a empty cycle lane, and a empty bus lane for empty busses during most of the day. Auckland ,in particular is a excellent example of how ideologically programmed planers can create traffic congestion. This situation has taken about 50 years to impliment; but now provides employment for public servants, once competent management is put in place.
  
  10 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 1:51pm
Cassandra

The guiding philosopher for most serious journalists Jürgen Habermas has died in Germany at the age of 96.

Habermas saw the media as a “sounding board” that detects, amplifies, and processes societal problems, acting as a crucial link between the public and political systems. It should be a space for rational, critical debate that enabled the formation of a legitimate public opinion.

Instead, he argued, mass media has become dominated by commercial and political interests, turning public discourse into consumerist, manipulated “spectacle” rather than critical engagement.

One wonders to what extent any NZ journalist follows Habermas’ principles, or even if any have any idea who he was?

You only have to look at RNZ’s website to see – daily – examples of what Habermas lamented. Or watch One News or read Stuff. They are all examples of the appalling state that NZ’s media have descended to.
45 3
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 8:01am
- kowtow
  
  We’ve had a week of front page panicky “the fuel’s running out” stories , continues today .
  
  However , yesterday on hdpa ,was a very calm ,measured and rational sounding CEO of Channel Infrastructure , Rob Buchanan , ( largest importer) who steadfastly refused to be cornered by the host into making some headline grabbing statement of doom , which she was clearly repeatedly angling for .
  
  Essentially he said there’s other supply available .That’s how markets work.
  
  Where’s that headline !
  
  https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/audio/rob-buchanan-channel-infrastructure-ceo-addresses-concerns-over-fuel-shortage-as-middle-east-conflict-continues/
  
  16 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 9:00am
  - R
    
    There will be no headline explaining the alternative source option, which may be available. Such information does not suit the ideological agenda to create a sense of discrediting the present government. The aim for MSM, is the return of the PIJF, by a compliant marxist government
    
    7 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 1:59pm
- imalwaysright
  
  People have become used to having the news presented to them as editorials where the ‘good guys’ and the ‘bad guys’ are made obvious.
  
  If we went back to the Philip Sherry or Dougal Stevenson type of broadcast most people wouldn’t be able to process it.
  
  20 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 9:14am
- Dudley Quaffquaff
  
  Thing is, he lumps “commercial and political interests” together as if they were the same thing. They’re really not.
  
  He proposes some higher calling for journalists. Defined and with criteria set by whom? Who elected them? Who appointed them, and on what basis? How are they accountable, and to whom? What qualifications, what legitimacy do they have to decide what constitutes “rational debate” and to “form public opinion”? And how are they to feed themselves and their families if they’re aloof from and unconcerned about such commercial details as whether anybody is interested enough in their output to be willing to pay for it?
  
  “The world would be better if [insert any profession here] did their jobs better” is easy to say, and has the additional merit of being undoubtedly true. But as a piece of insight or a basis for a constructive way forward, it’s about as useful as tits on a bull
  
  5 3
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 9:42am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    It’s the Fourth Estate, innit.
    
    http://www.britannica.com/topic/Estates-General
    
    3 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 12:02pm
  - Cassandra
    
    It’s an edited extract. He does go further if you’d just take the time.
    
    4 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 12:27pm
- Wandering Star
  
  He sounds like a hopeless idealist. Mass media (and I distinguish “mass” from localised media) has always been harnessed to manufacture consent for policy that has already been decided at the highest level. You only have to observe that there is a category of “allowable” topics and opinions, outside of which every effort is made to denounce abd discredit.
  
  Obviously someone, somewhere is framing both the apparent genuine debate and thus what falls outside of this framework, and are doing so in a way that advances their interests, quite naturally. I’ve previously made the point that the rise of “democracy” coincided with the ability to control popular opinion via mass media.
  
  Nobody obtains control of the organs of mass media so they can allow any old opinion to form and be promulgated as a consequence of free discussion. They heavily curate all aspects, particularly so in the pre-internet era.
  
  3 12
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 10:25am
- mogg
  
  The Guardian newspaper has described the opening of a Jewish owned bakery in Archway London, as an act of ‘High Street Agression’. The bakery has since been vandalised with graffiti and broken windows.
  The Guardian has now edited its original article but not removed it.
  
  22 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 10:36am
  - Cassandra
    
    The Guardian makes no attempt to hide its leaning direction. And neither does The Telegraph. The UK has a big enough market to allow this. Almost nowhere else in the world is quite the same. And national broadcasters should not be biased!
    
    14 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 12:26pm
    - peterwn
      
      I wanted to subscribe to one UK based news source. The Telegraph (which would be my preference and is read allegedly by those who own the UK) is almost completely paywalled, the Guardian (its readers think they run the country) is not paywalled. So I will refer to the Guardian despite its left leaning stance and because I do that, I give them voluntary donations.
      
      3 3
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 1:49pm
      - kowtow
        
        The quote goes thus;
        
        ‘Don’t tell me about the press. I know exactly who reads the papers. The Daily Mirror is read by people who think they run the country; The Guardian is read by people who think they ought to run the country; The Times is read by the people who actually do run the country; the Daily Mail is read by the wives of the people who run the country; the Financial Times is read by people who own the country; the Morning Star is read by people who think the country ought to be run by another country, and the Daily Telegraph is read by people who think it is.’
        
        ps The DT is up for sale to a rich German .
        
        8 0
        Report
        March 19, 2026 2:20pm
      - peterwn
        
        kowtow – and readers of the Sun do not care who owns or runs the country as long as she has large [boobs] (I cannot bring myself to use the t word).
        
        3 0
        Report
        March 19, 2026 7:17pm
  - kowtow
    
    If I might be so bold .
    
    Repeatedly vandalised , is how the DT described it.
    
    There’s that diversity dividend again.
    
    4 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 3:45pm
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360951568/business-owner-leaves-new-zealand-and-19m-tax-bill

Here is yet ANOTHER example of how IRD lets companies get away without paying their dues until it is too late.

The law says: pay your taxes on time – PAYE after payday , GST every month.

IRD says: don’t bother with any of this, we’ll be in touch in a year or so.
38 0
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 8:04am
- ObligatoryMarxist
  
  The problem is that when they DO crack down and demand prompt payment, they get accused of snuffing our small businesses with ruthless bureaucracy. It’d be a good place to actually have some co-designed policy, get actual small business owners to engage and help find what the “reasonable middle ground” ought to be.
  
  4 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 8:20am
  - rouppe
    
    Every small business owner knows that:
    1. If you withhold paye from wages, you pay it to ird.
    2. If you collect gst from customers, you pay it to ird.
    
    This guy had been around long enough to know that. He willfully did not pay.
    
    5 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 12:25pm
  - peterwn
    
    A reasonable middle ground is that the employers pay PAYE and associated deductions to IRD at the same time as employees are paid. After all, IRD does not allow employees to advise employers whether PAYE should be deducted straight away or sometime later. Employers should not be using IRD as a bank.
    
    4 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 1:54pm
    - Jack5
      
      Another case today – Auckland bakery in liquidation had upaid tax of more than half a million dollars.
      
      https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/auckland-cafe-luna-all-day-racks-up-alleged-620-000-tax-bill/
      
      4 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 5:01pm
- cmm (semi-retired edition)
  
  IRD has been dropping the ball here and it is only getting worse.
  
  The Minister for Revenue is dropping the ball by not giving them a tune up.
  
  They started to get a bit soft during Covid to allow businesses more cashflow, but that was not reeled in afterwards and has just growm. The IRD is now owed over $2bn (I believe in PAYE alone, and more in GST).
  
  The law does not matter unless it is applied. Time to start some prosecutions.
  A few CEOs in prison will straighten this out – pronto.
  
  30 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 8:23am
  - cmm (semi-retired edition)
    
    To get that in perspective:
    $2billion is about a whole week’s worth of PAYE from the entire NZ workforce.
    
    Once things have slid that far it is really hard to reel them back in.
    
    While it might take a year or two to correct what is broken, at least they should stop further bleeding. To do so would be simple:
    * Draw a line in the sand and start prosecuting future offenders.
    * Get all those in arrears onto strict repayment plans and prosecute all that fail to live up to them.
    
    15 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 9:13am
- Simon
  
  It’s not just IRD it’s all the other businesses who pay their tax as well who are creditors
  
  Good business model. Run a company into the ground, gut it and flee back overseas. Points system immigration
  
  If you going to have the third world move here, gut businesses, employees and IRD then there must have the same enforcement laws available in NZ and the third world country. Like NZ has with Australia.
  
  National party are utter garbage
  
  3 7
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 9:24am
  - peterwn
    
    What do third world countries do about it? – crappy prisons or the rotan?
    
    1 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 1:56pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    “National party are utter garbage”
    
    Yes I was waiting for that punch line. 😂
    
    0 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 21, 2026 5:36pm
- Ra Henare
  
  one point nine million. NOT 19 mill
  
  4 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 2:03pm
Tom Barker

I hope that with so many farflung military adventures on his plate, Trump doesn’t forget that he’s due to invade Greenland later this year. I realise it must be hard for such a busy warmonger to keep track of all his prior commitments.
13 13
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 8:13am
- Damocles11
  
  The “he’s the peace President, the Dems are the party of war” guys are now the “peace through war!” guys. It’s the latest mind-boggling flip flop; the cognitive dissonance within their heads must at levels not seen for many, many years – perhaps ever.
  
  4 5
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 12:53pm
- Ra Henare
  
  Methinks Greenland will be off the table along with other adventures, come November(Midterms)
  
  4 3
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 2:04pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Graham Adams on the Media campaign against Christopher Luxon:

https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2026/03/18/media-campaign-against-luxon-risks-backfiring/#more-47695
45 1
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 8:19am
- Jack5
  
  The media’s thanks to Christopher Luxon for protecting them from Melissa Lee.
  
  9 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 8:24am
- Cassandra
  
  A damning indictment and confirmation of my earlier comment. Greg Sheridan gets Ardern right: “As silly as a two-bob watch” when she claimed China’s push for hegemony in the Pacific shouldn’t be seen as a clash between “authoritarianism and democracy”. 
  
  He said there is no political leader in the world who “talks so much nonsense so consistently” and “gets such lavish, wonderful praise for it”.
  
  Amazing what you get for $55 million.
  
  50 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 8:45am
  - Wayne1749
    
    Not sure if there is any ‘clash’ between ‘authoritarianisn’ and ‘democracy’.
    It seems people from purportedly ‘democratic’ states want ‘authoritarian’ states to adopt democracy, but rarely the other way round.
    Never hear Russians or Chinese demand Australia or New Zealand become more ‘authoritarian’ lol
    
    So why not live and let live. We can have our ‘freedoms’ and LGBT and genderless toilets and gay parades etc, and on the other hand let ‘authoritarian’ countries do their stuff in their own countries. Both can coexist in this world.
    
    8 5
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 10:41am
    - NZer In Exile
      
      Accidentally up ticked you.
      You do realise most people in those authoritarian countries suffer right?
      
      2 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 9:35pm
- Boy Geoff
  
  Spare a thought for poor old Audrey Young, aye.
  
  In recent months she’s had to write a couple of articles in the desperate attempt to counter balance the bias (while at the same time trying to argue that there is no bias, or that it’s simply not as bad as those right wing bloggers make it out to be…).
  
  16 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 9:06am
- mogg
  
  The Nicola Willis interview with HDPA was absolutely ridiculous, with the host insisting that Willis repeat her words exactly to show her support for Luxon rather than saying that ‘he has the support of the whole caucus and that incudes me’.
  
  18 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 10:53am
  - imalwaysright
    
    Mogg
    Did Willis repeat herself?
    If so, that’s a problem.
    
    3 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 11:52am
  - kowtow
    
    HDPA is in with the pack chasing the Luxon is doomed myth.
    She has the temerity to slag off her colleagues chasing him at airports and yet can’t seem to help herself in search of a gotcha headline or scoop.
    
    Is she our very own Pte Frazer .
    
    6 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 11:55am
- Paulus
  
  Good article – have sent copies to a few wavering voters who like me were unsure, but getting more so now.
  What is the so called mentality of the media today and what do they expect 0ut of a change of Government at this time, especially with a so biased media.
  
  8 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 11:44am
Jack5

An NZ version of de-industrialising?

Has the Foodstuffs supermarket chain been partly to blame for the demise of Wattie’s?

This is raised in the Spinoff.

“A key, largely unreported turning point came in 2021, when Foodstuffs sharply cut Wattie’s frozen ranges in New World, Pak’nSave and Four Square, replacing them with its own Pams and Value house brands,” writes Catherine McGregor.

She notes multinationals closing their NZ operations earlier: Unilever in Petone in 2014, to Cadbury in Dunedin in 2018, to James Hardie in Penrose in 2020.

The article reports Foodstuffs and rival Woolworths already import canned and frozen vegetables for their house brands from China, South Africa, Thailand, and Italy.

Not noted in the article is political and media pressure on supermarkets to bring their prices down to levels closer to those of Australia — and sometimes even to those of the UK.

That’s impossible in this, the world’s most isolated country, with challenging internal distribution, NZ being a long, thin, mountainous archipelago, its roads and rail lines subject to flood and earthquake disruption.

However, is it intelligent that a country that economically survives on its agricultural and horticultural exports, kills local vegetable and fruit supplies for imports from cheaper labour countries – imports that are often subsidised?

https://thespinoff.co.nz/the-bulletin/16-03-2026/what-finally-broke-watties-and-what-it-means-for-the-supermarket-shelves
17 1
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 8:21am
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  All undoubtedly true. But, nz governments have also set up net zero targets, driven energy costs to some of the highest in the world, create scarcity for gas, fertiliser and CO2, raised minimum wages and increased a whole bunch of regulatory costs.
  
  Then we get all sad when the firms say, sorry, we can’t afford to base manufacturing in New Zealand.
  
  Ita almost that the politicians and the media simply deny cause and effect, or believe that “FEELZ” trumps all.
  
  7 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 12:19pm
- wgtn_dude
  
  While I gererally try and avoid the home brands as I believe it results in less long term consumer choice and product differentiation, I do note that the Woolworths home brand frozen corn is sourced from NZ growers. Perhaps those are the growers that Watties has chopped?
  
  4 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 1:12pm
Wayne L Sexton

National is currently trapped in a political “shit show” with no clear exit. If they pull the trigger on fuel restrictions too early and a sudden peace deal is brokered in the Middle East, they’ll be pilloried for overreacting and unnecessarily damaging the economy.

However, if they wait too long, they play right into the hands of classic Kiwi behavior. New Zealanders will do what they do best: attempt to “beat the system” by embarking on one massive, final Easter holiday right as the ship cancellations start to bite. By trying to avoid a panic, the government risks presiding over an even greater catastrophe—a dry country, a stranded public, and a total collapse of the fuel infrastructure.
8 0
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 8:29am
- rouppe
  
  Yes, I’m in the middle of a multi month south island caravan trip. I’m using at least 3 times the fuel I would have at home, traveling distance every three days towing a 3T caravan.
  
  Fuel restrictions would be a problem for me right now
  
  5 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 12:31pm
Pope Punctilious II

Didn’t the National Party promise there would be no co-governance of essential services, like water? What happened, Mr. Watts?
https://share.google/fGaJgKO3Fd0j3D5sv
15 1
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 8:36am
- septic skeptic
  
  Nope, you weren’t paying attention. Water clearly falls into the categories of resources and assets, not the provision of public services. As such it is very much open to co-governance as treaty partners under Luxon and National. Luxon has always been very clear that he is opposed to co-governance in the provision of PUBLIC SERVICES. It was slightly less clear (but still very obvious) that he was fully on board with the rest of he puapua.
  
  1 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 12:08pm
  - Pope Punctilious II
    
    Horse manure. Provision of water is a service. The Nats are backsliding, which is what we’ve come to expect from them.
    
    0 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 21, 2026 6:57pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

Shell Lane (The Terrace) bike rack report:

At 8.37am, just the four bikes today.

A cool, calm, dry morning in the Capital, ideal for cycling.

With fuel prices rocketing, you’d think it would be stacked. When even near-apocalypse doesn’t fill the rack, then nothing will justify this waste of ratepayer funds.
18 1
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 8:37am
- kowtow
  
  I have noticed a very definite drop in vehicular traffic around town.
  
  Fuel rationing already happening as market forces play out.
  
  4 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 11:58am
- AitchW
  
  Did WCC indulge in a Covid era spend up like Labour did when it spent 30 billion of Covid ring fenced cash on non Covid jollies?
  
  0 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 1:48pm
Souvlaki

Michael Laws makes valid points on the Hipkins imbroglio, again drawing attention to the double standards of the NZ media…worth the watch imo.

https://youtu.be/cII9bT7Wj-8?si=zQduXlGb68rT4De8
34 2
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 8:44am
- cmm (semi-retired edition)
  
  There’s a saying in sport: you’ve got to play the game on the field.
  
  We have always known that politics is played on a tilted field with bent linesmen. That’s reality. They are not going to change. No point in whining about it – just get on with the game.
  
  18 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 8:53am
  - kowtow
    
    ‘No point in whining about it – just get on with the game.’
    
    Surely that must include repeatedly pointing out how crooked the game is .
    
    9 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 9:03am
    - cmm (semi-retired edition)
      
      Well you can complain it is crooked, but complaining isn’t going to change the game on the field.
      
      You can squeal “not fair” as much as you want, but that does not win elections.
      
      4 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 12:22pm
  - artemisia
    
    Exactly cmm. And political playing fields are always potentially public and at major risk of tilting. Mr Hipkins knows this, he has been in politics a long time, and perceptions are pretty much everything.
    
    A smart operator will go several extra miles to make sure any tilt doesn’t derail their political career. That means rational and thoughtful consideration, followed by those extra miles.
    
    3 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 12:43pm
- imalwaysright
  
  Hipkins wants privacy, but he, like every other candidate, campaigns on policies and on his character.
  
  The public have the right to interrogate both.
  
  Policies can change, but character doesn’t, therefore the interrogation of the character is of greater importance.
  
  23 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 8:56am
- Im Right
  
  I’m still waiting on the ex newsreader, and woman champion, Alison Mau to back the ex wife?
  Or the usual vocal, in your face, ‘believe all women’ men haters to back Chippys ex wife?
  *Crickets*
  Now I cannot be certain here, but I believe I’m correct in assuming Mau/feminazies would be front page news condemning Luxon/Seymour had the shoe been on the other foot and it was their ex wife made the same allegations.
  Or am I wrong?
  
  27 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 9:08am
- lastmanstanding
  
  For years the Left have been demanding that women are listened to and women are believed. Remember the Me Too movement. Now when a woman accuses a Left man they accusse the woman of making it up and worse. Proof not that we needed it that the Left are just a bunch of two faced arseholes.
  
  41 3
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 9:15am
  - graham
    
    I noticed Julie Anne Genter (a former Minister for Women, by the way) chose to stand right alongside Chris Hipkins yesterday when he accepted a petition from Greenpeace. On TV One News she talked about “… trying to hurt people politically rather than hold people to account”.
    
    Pretty clear whose side she’s taking.
    
    26 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 11:01am
    - AitchW
      
      The same Greenpeace which, in its usual self righteous way, indulges in criminal damage by vandalising the PM’s electorate offices, yet somehow maintains its charity status? That Greenpeace?
      
      8 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 1:51pm
cmm (semi-retired edition)

A few years back Melissa Lee was a rising star. She was an absolute bulldog as a shadow minister and was holding feet to the fire. Many of us here couldn’t wait for her to get into power and start kicking backsides.

Then she got in and after about 6 months her career went sideways, she was stripped of ministerial portfolios and was backbenched.

It is true that not all skills are transferable. The bulldogging required for being an excellent shadow minister does not necessarily translate into being an effective minister. So maybe she was just not the person for the job.

But since then we’ve seen National going very softly-softly on pretty much everything (except maybe in education).

That leads me to wonder whether Melissa Lee was sidelined because she was too effective. Perhaps she got stuck in too hard and Luxon wanted her to pull back.

If that is so, then that’s a damn shame.
39 5
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 9:07am
- Im Right
  
  No different to Mallard CMM, he was Labours attack dog, let off the leash to attack opposition MPs that HC and Arden were annoyed with.
  I must admit I was surprised he got the Ireland ambassador role, guess he knew too much, where the bodies were buried so to speak and to upset him would lead to Labour having a huge headache in denying all the truths lol
  
  6 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 9:15am
  - cmm (semi-retired edition)
    
    I think Melissa Lee is very different to Mallard.
    
    Mallard just ripped everything to shred without stringing together a coherent thought. He would turn on his masters if it served him too.
    
    Melissa was putting the boot in but while she was a shadow minister she was also putting in effort to develop policy ideas.
    
    Unlike most MPs to seem to need at least 6 months to figure out what side is up, she hit the ground running.
    
    11 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 12:26pm
  - Paulus
    
    He got the job that he asked for, not to tell, because I understand he has family there.
    Is he coming back to New Zealand ?
    Hope not !
    
    3 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 1:49pm
- Cassandra
  
  National has been very disappointing to those of us who wanted a complete overhaul of the Maori favouritism. They talk big and act tiny. Presumably it’s deliberate. The principles fiasco was just the start. The special rights for Maoris boondoggle continues unabated. National has also been awful regarding defence policy. We really don’t have a navy yet there’s no plan. Again I assume they’re waiting til after the election so as to avoid offending lefties and Don Brash.
  
  36 4
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 9:23am
  - RoboRob
    
    Also woeful on energy. They (correctly) declared a crisis and then proceeded to take almost two years to implement a few minor rule changes in the electricity sector. Arguably the biggest change came from the finance minister when she allowed the gens to do capital raises.
    
    Also woeful on finances. After talking big about reducing size of government and debt they have proceeded to do F all around the size of government and borrowing has increased to significantly more then Labour.
    
    Looking at who holds the power in National I wonder if Lees demotion was less about performance and more about the left of Nationals hold on power. With all the senior ministers* apparently coming from the left of the party, was this just about keeping control?
    
    21 3
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 9:33am
    - Jack5
      
      CMM repeatedly criticises Melissa Lee as ineffective, but offers no evidence.
      
      Paul Goldsmith, her replacement, has done bugger all to turn off the Government cash pipeline to both the State owned media and the State-subsidised media.
      
      Goldsmith’s tinkered with the boards of directors of TVNZ and Radio NZ rather than reform them.
      
      What is the evidence of Melissa Lee’s alleged poor performance and replacement after seven months? Was she late for Cabinet meetings?
      
      Goldsmith on Red Radio’s Morning Report when he was appointed said for a democracy to run successfully, it was important to have a functioning, sustainable media.
      
      Goldsmith said the Government could not pay for everything, but it could make changes to make things easier for media companies.
      
      One way would be making legislative changes, he said, adding: “Part of the solution is to try and level the playing field as best we can between what you might describe as traditional providers and the streamers.”
      
      The Coalition, or at least National, didn’t want to tackle news media bias.
      
      10 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 10:34am
      - cmm (semi-retired edition)
        
        “CMM repeatedly criticises Melissa Lee as ineffective”
        
        Did you read what I wrote? She has been ineffective as a minister, but that is not necessarily a criticism of her.
        
        Sometimes people are ineffective because they have been trussed up by their own team.
        
        8 1
        Report
        March 19, 2026 12:29pm
- MCōs
  
  The world is full of critics who flounder when required to come up with something constructive
  You see it all the time with revolutionary leaders who lead uprisings to get rid of despised regimes, but insist on governing themselves when they don’t have the necessary governance skills.
  
  6 7
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 9:28am
  - imalwaysright
    
    Very true Mcos, that’s why theatre critics don’t act.
    
    5 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 9:37am
  - cmm (semi-retired edition)
    
    “The world is full of critics who flounder when required to come up with something constructive”
    
    Generally I would agree with you, but in the case of Melissa Lee I think we saw something different.
    
    When she posted here in KiwiBlog she was asking for ideas on how to build policies. That’s pretty constructive.
    
    Indeed, I would say she was being far more constructive than 90% of shadow ministers who just sit on their arses and complain until they get landed the job. Melissa was actually a year ahead of her peers in terms of actually getting stuck in while she was still shadow minister.
    
    20 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 9:43am
    - imalwaysright
      
      If you can find an interview with her and Sean Plunket a couple of years ago you may change your opinion.
      She came across as indecisive, unsure, and disinterested.
      What qualities are you citing?
      What is your evidence for citing she was ‘a year ahead’ ?
      
      1 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 12:09pm
      - Jack5
        
        Imalwaysright’s …theatre critics don’t act…
        
        But occasionally someone pops up like Graham Greene, the fine novelist and screenplay writer.
        Critic and artist.
        
        0 0
        Report
        March 19, 2026 11:26pm
- Bobba Fret
  
  I think she was too aggressive and effective for Luxon’s liking. He likes the more softly, softly approach and tries not to step on any toes.
  
  8 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 9:30am
- pdm
  
  `That leads me to wonder whether Melissa Lee was sidelined because she was too effective. Perhaps she got stuck in too hard and Luxon wanted her to pull back.’
  
  Time has proved tht you are probably right there cmm.
  
  Luxon is not a `kick arse’ man unless he is kicking the arses of his own team – Lee, Pugh, Bailey being three good examples.
  
  All being ream members he knows won’t kick back because he does not do confrontation.
  
  20 3
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 9:32am
  - RoboRob
    
    Not to forget her replacement, Goldsmith, has done precisely NOTHING in the portfolio*. His ONE and only policy was to continue Labours ‘Google Tax’ plan.
    
    He is hardly action man 🙂
    
    The same is likely true for the ‘treaty principles removal’ process. ~1.5 years to select a panel. A watered down processes that changed it from all legislation to ‘selected’ legislation. The panel said thr process would be complete in a few months, almost a 9 months ago.
    
    *His ‘plans’ to update the BSA are just that, plans. No actual action and with an election coming we likely wont see any changes this side of the election.
    
    20 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 9:38am
    - imalwaysright
      
      RR
      These would all be easy fixes, for a motivated government, but remember the excuse given for not legislating change- the Opposition would reverse the legislation when they get back in power!
      Hard to believe a Government even thinking such a thing nevermind using it as an excuse.
      
      7 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 9:54am
    - pdm
      
      Just as Hipkins and hypocrisy go together.
      
      So do Goldsmith and ditherer.
      
      19 2
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 9:58am
      - RoboRob
        
        I do wonder if NZF will screw the Nats over the treaty principles removal stuff. It seems clear the Nats dont want to do this stuff, especially before an election. Which is Nationals own fault as it could have been done in either of the previous two years.
        
        However this was an election promise and part of the coalition agreement. IF the Nats dont deliver on it, that would be a breach of the agreement and NZF could rightly highlight this as a vote getter during campaign time.
        
        8 0
        Report
        March 19, 2026 11:08am
      - septic skeptic
        
        RoboRob, NZF only ever use treaty/maorification/co-governance as a vote grabber. They have done virtually nothing on any of this over many years. I think their main concern is making sure they have control over some of the $$ being spent.
        
        1 1
        Report
        March 19, 2026 12:13pm
      - AitchW
        
        RR, perhaps Luxon has greenlit Peters’ electioneering on the same old racial dog whistles on the understanding that Peters will sign up to another Nat/Act/NZF coalition after the election.
        He’s likely to take votes off Labour as well as National.
        Is Luxon Machiavellian enough to pull that off?
        
        0 1
        Report
        March 19, 2026 1:55pm
      - RoboRob
        
        @Septic
        
        Yup. Thats my point. NZF could potentially go into this election saying…
        
        ‘We are the only party that cares about this. National blocked it, despite it being in the coalition agreement. If you want the treaty out of places it shouldn’t be you need to viote NZF, National wont do this for you’.
        
        This isn’t exactly rocket science and Winston already knows its a good vote winner for a small portion of the population. Winston only needs to talk about it to get the votes, not do anything about it.
        
        1 1
        Report
        March 19, 2026 3:24pm
      - RoboRob
        
        @AitchW
        
        Very clever. I dont think Luxon has the political nous for that type of thing.
        
        0 2
        Report
        March 19, 2026 3:27pm
      - Ghost
        
        its been removed from 4 pieces of legislation so far, and the others are under draft. The plan was to have it finished by the election. It is being done.
        
        1 1
        Report
        March 19, 2026 3:31pm
      - RoboRob
        
        @Ghost
        
        I assume the 4 pieces of legislation you refer to are ones where it was removed prior to his group being formed? When I last checked, last week, there was no updates on the work group or from the minister.
        
        Do you have inside information that it will be implemented prior to the election in ~7 mths time or are you just assuming because it is in the coalition docs it will be completed?
        
        My expectation is it would be political suicide to implement anything controversial this close to an election, so are you expecting no real changes from this process?
        
        0 1
        Report
        March 19, 2026 5:03pm
      - Ghost
        
        The minister has stated that they will be drafted and passed before the October 2026 election.
        
        1 0
        Report
        March 19, 2026 5:11pm
  - mogg
    
    Luxon’s big problem is lack of fluency in his speech,
    Nicola Willis is a far better performer in front of camera. When she was being interviewed by HDPA she was raring to go but did not put the boot in because she has been instructed to hold back. However she did not look or sound weak in the same way that Luxon does. Luxon’s wishy washy approach will lose National this election.
    
    3 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 3:17pm
- Raphael
  
  This is because I think National keeps wanting to avoid upsetting the voting bloc that will never vote for them.
  
  I don’t understand it because there will be ski resorts in hell before that group of voters will vote for anyone on the right of Lenin, so they will never vote for National, so why risk ticking off your base to appeal to them?
  
  17 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 10:40am
  - RoboRob
    
    Yes it can really only be one of two things, either they are getting terrible advice OR they really believe in the leftwing policy.
    
    I have heard from a number of commentators that Luxon apparently does NOT take advice from his team.
    
    8 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 11:09am
    - kowtow
      
      It can be both.
      
      1 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 3:48pm
- septic skeptic
  
  I think it’s certain that Lee wanted to tackle the issue of left-wing bias in the media but Luxon very much wanted to keep this in place. I can only speculate as to why, my guess is that he wants NZ to continue on a woke maorified path to co-governance and soft socialism – but believes that National are better managers than Labour.
  
  3 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 11:50am
- Bullion
  
  Melissa Lee was not doing a good job. She was slow and unresponsive to issues under her portfolio. Plus her rhetoric did not match reality which is possibly why she struggled when she actually had to do something.
  
  4 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 11:54am
  - Jack5
    
    Bullion’s … Melissa Lee was not doing a good job…
    
    And Goldsmith, her replacement, has done a good job? No way. No way at all.
    
    At least Melissa Lee saw the problem, and she had just seven months before she was axed for Goldsmith.
    
    National has done next to nothing on media bias and State support since Lee was replaced.
    
    What was the problem? Lee or the National team?
    
    0 0
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 11:32pm
slightlyrighty

This is what happens when you appoint sycophants instead of experts.

Tulsi Gabbard, the Trump appointed United States Director of National Intelligence said the following in Congress yesterday.

“It is not the Intelligence community’s responsibility to determine what is or is not an imminent threat.”

Really? I would have called it their entire reason for existence, but that’s just me.
12 4
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 9:07am
- septic skeptic
  
  No. I think their job is to gather intelligence, compile it and present it along with recommendations to the president for a final decision. I don’t think the system envisioned the president being a complete idiot who is happy to ignore advice and act in his personal interest. It isn’t set up well to deal with that. Short of impeachment by congress and senate and that process has been shown to be too much a vote along party lines.
  
  3 5
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 12:20pm
- rouppe
  
  Oh, I don’t know.
  
  The intelligence community is responsible for telling us that China is holding live fire exercises in the Tasman Sea.
  
  Is it their job, or MoDefence, or parliament, to determine if that is an imminent threat.
  
  1 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 12:38pm
lastmanstanding

What a bunch of weak pathetic surrender monkeys the West so called leaders are. Frightened of upsetting their Muslim populations they refuse to help get rid of the tryannical Iran regime that has slaugthered tens of thousands of its own citizens. They are the example that the Government is the enemy of the people.
45 14
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 9:17am
- cmm (semi-retired edition)
  
  Well that’s a problem when you’ve been inviting the sods in for the last few decades. You cannot deal with the threat at arms length.
  
  If a war gets re-framed as a religious was then you’re lighting a fuse in all the Western cities.
  
  The West has effectively created a condition where any significant military action could trigger a civil war at home.
  
  15 7
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 9:38am
  - cmm (semi-retired edition)
    
    During WW2 Japanese and Germans were interned.
    
    Perhaps Muslims should be interned during these conflicts too.
    
    14 7
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 10:16am
    - Yvette
      
      Why? Here the Islamic communities have signed a peace accord with “the Israelis” – the Jewish community.
      
      The New Zealand Harmony Accord, signed on July 22, 2025, at Government House, is a landmark agreement between Muslim and Jewish leaders to foster unity, reject hate, and combat rising islamophobia and antisemitism. Initiated with government support, it commits signatories to dialogue and mutual respect despite international tensions.
      
      5 4
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 10:42am
      - cmm (semi-retired edition)
        
        Signing a bit of paper to deceive the infidel.
        
        You are wholly duped if you think this a reflection of the “Muslim Connunity” as a whole.
        
        The document was signed by FIANZ who are mainly Sunni and have proclaimed themselves representative of all Muslims much to the displeasure of Shia.
        
        Imagine if the Pope was to sign on behalf of all Christians – there would be some pissy Protestants.
        
        “FIANZ was criticised, in a press release issued 22 July 2025, by twenty other organisations representing Muslims in New Zealand, and by eighteen Imams and Ulama, for having negotiated the terms of the Peace and Harmony Accord without consulting with them to address their concerns …”
        
        So we have at least 18 Imams out there running mosques that are opposed to what was written – to the extent of speaking out and making press releases.
        
        18 mosques’ work or radicals can cause a lot of damage.
        
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federation_of_Islamic_Associations_of_New_Zealand
        
        6 4
        Report
        March 19, 2026 12:42pm
      - NothingLeft
        
        Declarations by Muslims to infidels are absolutely worthless, the Quran tells them it is fine to lie to infidels (Taqqiya)
        
        1 1
        Report
        March 19, 2026 6:17pm
  - Yvette
    
    There is a barrier to where “the West has effectively created a condition where any significant military action could trigger a civil war at home” in that as much as the West supports an overthrow, how many in Iran itself know exactly what is “offered” or have any cohesion to actually take advantage of the opportunity?
    
    7 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 10:37am
    - cmm (semi-retired edition)
      
      Yup, that comment is certainly warranted.
      
      I was not playing any blame game or what-about-ism.
      
      We (the West) have destabilised many places, but in the past those any shitstorm has been in those countries and off our shores.
      
      All I am really pointing out is that things are now different. Now that we have imported Islam into the West, we can expect those Muslim elements (or at least some of them) to kick off within our borders too.
      
      7 2
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 12:46pm
  - septic skeptic
    
    cmm – re-framed as religious??? Go watch interviews with Huckabee and Hegseth. There have been complaints in the US military that troops are being told that God has acted through Trump to bring about this conflict in order to fulfill the prophecies and bring about the end of days. A few years ago I assumed that the American politicians cynically paid lip service to God and Christianity for political gain. Now, sadly, I am convinced many are true believers and zealots just as much as any radical muslim.
    
    2 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 12:26pm
  - ISeeRed
    
    Yep. 500,000 Muslims in Europe in 2000. 50m today. Europe is over. Allah über alles.
    
    3 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 1:13pm
- MCōs
  
  How do you propose this dreadful bunch of hardline cutthroats be deposed and what better system of governance would replace them?
  NZ is too small to do this on our own so I presume we’d be relying on someone else to do the grunt work
  Once Iran is sorted out do you want us to have another crack at Afghanistan? Maybe Myanmar?
  
  9 6
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 9:41am
  - cmm (semi-retired edition)
    
    Nope, just get rid of them from our shores. We don’t have to solve the world’s problems – just ours.
    
    10 5
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 10:17am
    - MCōs
      
      Which dreadful bunch of hardline cutthroats on our shores?
      
      0 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 7:33pm
  - David George
    
    The resistance is being armed and organised, the regime henchmen and their weapons are being eliminated; they will be finally deposed by, and for, the 80 million Iranians that fear and loath them.
    Here is Prince Pahlavi’s plan for a post Islamist Iran along democratic lines:
    https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-889241
    
    7 3
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 10:47am
    - Ross Bayer
      
      Oh dear save us from the CIA talking points
      
      5 11
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 11:06am
      - kowtow
        
        I’d rather CIA/Mossad talking points than far left talking points in support of a genocidal ,terrorist theocratic dictatorship.
        
        6 2
        Report
        March 19, 2026 12:10pm
      - NothingLeft
        
        yes lets instead rely on the fonts of ideologically purity in the far-left captured MSM, that occasionally let a fact or two slip into their editorial propagandizing and narrative shaping. /s
        
        1 1
        Report
        March 19, 2026 6:25pm
    - MCōs
      
      Prince Pahlavi left Iran almost fifty years ago when he was about 19yo
      Installing foreign backed puppets rarely works.
      
      5 4
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 12:18pm
    - Wayne1749
      
      Dream on.
      
      1 4
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 1:30pm
- RoboRob
  
  The refusal to assist the US to open the straight of humez is pathetic.
  
  Sure you might disagree with the US starting this.
  Sure you might hate Trump.
  Sure you might feel sympathy for the intervention of a foreign power in Iran
  
  BUT
  
  You are allowing Iran to damage your country and hurt your people by taking over a piece of international water and acting as a pirate. Surely you could take action in that area for the benefit of your country and the rest of the ‘free’ world.
  
  25 10
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 9:43am
  - Master Mariner
    
    In a nutshell RoboRob, They fully understand any vessel transiting the SOH is a sitting duck regardless how many warships you throw at it.
    Impossible to convoy with Mines ( Not deployed) and fast attack boats as well as underwater drones which are invisiable ( This is what hit the Tanker recently, So the treat is real.
    Even with a “convoy” , No tankers will likely take the risk of being hit.
    Its not only SOH , It is about >500nm of Coast line to transit which is time restrained to escourt.
    Modern warfare has totally made SOH easy to close for the foreseeable future.
    Unfortunately no easy way out, Which should of been immediately apparent.
    The Big gamble on Regime change has failed with a now galvanised national identity.
    
    11 5
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 10:04am
    - Paulus
      
      Are not oil shipments via Hormuz being exempted for Chinese and Russian vessels payable in Iranian Rials.
      
      3 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 1:57pm
      - MCōs
        
        I read something to that effect, but it only accounts for about 5% of the previous quantity passing through the Strait.
        Having said that
        I read a lot of stuff on X, some of it pretty wild and there’s no knowing what is authentic without checking the authenticity
        Life’s too short to verify all the propaganda coming atcha.
        
        1 3
        Report
        March 19, 2026 2:31pm
  - nathie
    
    Absolutely, it is imperative for the world economy and NZ’s economy to have the Strait of Hormuz re-opened for shipping.
    
    If NZ is able to play a part then we must. Our economy and our future prosperity depends upon it.
    
    I heard Hipkins on the radio news yesterday saying NZ should not send a Frigate because … the UN isn’t involved.
    
    Which begs the question, WTF – why is the UN doing nothing? Why hasn’t the UN stipulated that the Strait of Hormuz needs to reopen, chastise Iran and ask for international help to have naval vessels safeguard international shipping passing through the Strait?
    
    Once upon a time the UN would actually do something useful instead of sitting back snouts in the trough doing sweet FA to maintain the “rules based order”. And Hipkins is ok with this?
    
    9 4
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 10:06am
    - Spoff
      
      “Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi clarified that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, but only for vessels not associated with Iran’s adversaries, specifically American and Israeli ships.”
      https://www.timesnownews.com/world/middle-east/iran-shares-strait-of-hormuz-update-any-country-can-pass-except-us-and-israel-article-153835583
      How dare they prohibit passage to those countries that launched an unprovoked war.
      Goodness me. What is the World coming to?
      
      5 4
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 12:43pm
      - Charlotte Wells
        
        Unprovoked war my arse. After 47 years of provocation they finally got a bitchslapping.
        
        3 2
        Report
        March 19, 2026 7:12pm
    - Paulus
      
      Because the UN has always done sweet FA anyway.
      
      5 1
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 1:58pm
    - AitchW
      
      Nathie, the UN is hopelessly compromised in anything to do with Islam. It actively supports Hamas.
      It’s a bad joke.
      
      5 2
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 1:59pm
    - septic skeptic
      
      What should the UN do? Maybe organize a coalition of the willing to try to force the US to cease its illegal war and return home? Or should the UN also forget about international law, thus consigning that concept to the dustbin of history? I guess what you really want if for the UN to say “well the war might have been illegal but now we can’t get oil through the strait let’s join the aggressors and try to take over Iran and install a puppet regime’.
      
      3 5
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 3:03pm
      - Paulus
        
        UN could not organise a piss up in a brewery !
        
        0 0
        Report
        March 20, 2026 11:10am
  - Taieri
    
    Surely you could take action in that area for the benefit of your country and the rest of the ‘free’ world.
    ————–
    
    First of all you don’t rant about it on the social media, with a different message every few hours, but negotiate the terms and conditions out of the public eye.
    
    From the practical point of view…it takes time to agree on the format of such action, i.e. the organizational structure – form of assistance, legal grounding and approvals, who is to take charge and to what extent, interaction between different participants, logistics and back up, availability and assembly of suitable components and manpower, time to deploy and so on.
    
    Now as to the piracy in the international waters – the Strait of Hormuz is 21 Nm in its narrowest part and is divided into territorial sea of Iran and Oman; any military incursion into part of such waters belonging to Iran would be considered an act of war by that country and would no doubt be actively resisted by various ragtags from what’s left of the Iranian military. Are potential participants prepared for the consequences of that?
    
    8 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 10:22am
    - Damocles11
      
      “You don’t rant about it on social media….(instead) negotiate the terms and conditions out of the public eye.”
      
      I think you just caused a few heads to explode.
      So you are instead of rage tweets and angry threats and bullying, some tact and diplomacy may produce better results? Definitely something to consider.
      
      4 2
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 1:00pm
    - NothingLeft
      
      Questions an actual Journo could ask Mr Hipkins next time he decides to hold court:
      -Do you support efforts to open the straits of hormuz militarily? If not what alternative do you propose?
      -Iran has fomented wars, including the lebanese civil war, syrian conflicts, houthis and Gaza conflict that have resulted in hundreds of thousands of needless deaths, they’ve financed terrorist activities, bombings and assassinations all over the world and destabilized the middle east for half a century with the the oft- stated aim of murdering ever man woman and child in Israel. Are you OK with just letting them continue threatening the world and it’s people as they have been, with their stated goal of establishing Islamic rule over all peoples?
      -Do you think the world will be safer or less safe when they get nuclear weapons – something they have been working on for decades with claimed near-weapons grade uranium is quantities sufficient to make 10 bombs with their Theologically founded aim of wiping Israel off the map.
      -Are you happy to sit by and watch as Iranian regime continue to murder 10’s of thousands of protestors, including judicially organized rape and execution for young women protestors – continuing their history of a half century of brutal repression, especially of women? Do you think Labour voters would agree?
      -Do you think Labour’s ending of oil and gas exploration in NZ and consequent increased reliance on imports might have been a bad move in hindsight?
      
      3 2
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 1:29pm
  - Wayne1749
    
    Iran acting like a ‘pirate’. You gaslighting?
    
    6 13
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 10:42am
  - Ross Bayer
    
    Robo
    while you and your friends where listening to the echo chamber I took some time to view the comments of three people two of them world renown professors discussing the real reason behind the war.
    These learned gentlemen, two who follow a religious belief that would be strongly supported by our host, are opposed to this war and they lay out the 300 year history of an unjust war in the making.
    Please take the time to listen to their wise words and accept that this catastrophic war will have implication for the entire world and is an unjustified a war of choice.
    
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evtMRyCWBo8
    
    This podcast articulates not only the corruption of the American political system but also details the path of religious groups across time but no mention of your rationale which is not supported
    
    5 13
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 11:05am
    - RoboRob
      
      You need to re read my post. I said ‘Sure you might disagree with the US starting this. ‘ &
      ‘Sure you might feel sympathy for the intervention of a foreign power in Iran’.
      
      I am not saying I agree with (or not) the US action. I am saying, a group of people are hurting your citizens. You, as a government, should be doing everything in your power to help your people. Opening the straight (if possible) seems to most obvious move as joining Iran to fight the US doesn’t seem a sound alternative.
      
      5 3
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 1:59pm
      - Hard Cheese
        
        “Opening the strait” is easy to say, but if the US Navy can’t do it with their ships, just adding more ships isn’t going to make any difference. Either tell the US that the first step in opening the strait is to get the fuck out of there, or refuse to help and let them slowly come to the same conclusion on their own.
        
        2 6
        Report
        March 19, 2026 2:44pm
- Damocles11
  
  I think “frightened of upsetting their Muslim populations” is a pretty shallow analysis regarding their reasons for not getting involved. They weren’t consulted or invited to participate in the first instance; there’s no doubt Trump sought a propaganda coup & the full credit, along with BN, for bringing down the Iranian regime. He was emboldened by his perceived success in Venezuela, and decided to proceed with the Iranian operation judging the risks of failure were not substantial. By involving traditional US allies in the way that he is doing, he is seeking to take the heat off himself and transfer it to others. And when I see posts like yours I can see that the tactic is working, and that Trumps righteous indignation towards NATO and allies is largely about messaging to his supporters.
  
  7 10
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 10:23am
  - MCōs
    
    Furthermore
    America/Israel have attacked Iran, killed a whole lot of leaders and civilians including a school full of kids. For what?
    The Iranians, unsurprisingly have retaliated and oil prices have gone up by 50% plus there is a blockade on shipping passing through the Strait of Hormuz and the previously prosperous & peaceful Gulf States are in turmoil.
    Nobody even seems to be able to genuinely articulate what the aim of this war is, what has been achieved and how it will end
    
    11 5
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 1:14pm
    - NothingLeft
      
      You care about the unfortunate deaths of some school kids but not 100x greater several hundred young Iranian dissidents being murdered every day by the Mad Mullahs.
      
      The goal is obviously to try and get rid of an evil death-cultist regime that is threatening the lives of 10’s of millions with their drive to get nuclear weapons (for which they have already developed missiles), and creating an ongoing regional military/security threat that is costing $100’s of billions a year to counter, expenditure that is suppressing development and making the lives of everyone in the region worse
      
      Many or most of the conflicts happening in the middle east are being stoked by Iran – a pattern that has persisted for a half century. They also support other evil assholes like Putin, China and North Korea that are equally screwing over their citizens
      
      A nice side effect is to put economic pressure on China and reduce their likelihood of invading Taiwan
      
      6 6
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 1:41pm
      - septic skeptic
        
        An even nicer side effect might be that all this is putting economic pressure on the US and reducing their likelihood of invading Cuba, Venezuela, Panama and Greenland. Not to mention Canada and Mexico.
        I guess from you describing China as “evil assholes” that you haven’t actually been there, right?
        
        5 6
        Report
        March 19, 2026 3:13pm
    - mogg
      
      Well one of their aims might have been to stop IRCG
      from executing another 40,000 innocent civilians by shooting them in the back of the head. Another reason might be to end Iran 47 year sponsorship of global terrorism.
      
      6 4
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 3:27pm
- mogg
  
  Some of them not surrender monkeys, Starmer’s problem is that most of his backbenchers are Pro-Pal
  and prepared to depose him if he doesn’t do their bidding, they are active supporters. The PRGC is still not being called a terrorist organisation by UK because the hard left Momentum won’t have it.
  
  11 6
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 11:01am
  - Wandering Star
    
    Starmer’s wife is Jewish, and his children are thus part Jewish. He can’t be as “Pro-Pal” you seem to assume.
    
    3 3
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 3:03pm
    - mogg
      
      Read my comment again.
      Where have you been, Starmer and Corbyn’s anti semitism has been officially recognised for several years now.
      
      4 4
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 3:33pm
      - Wandering Star
        
        A man with a Jewish wife and kids is very likely not an antisemite. It’s facts like this that destroy narratives based on nothing at all substantive, like “Starmer’s an antisemite.”
        
        1 1
        Report
        March 19, 2026 8:18pm
- Wayne1749
  
  There is no evidence the ‘tyrannical Iran regime’ has slaughtered ‘tens of thousands’
  
  Its a device used to get unthinking people to support invading and really ‘slaughtering’ huge numbers of people in foreign lands.
  
  2 8
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 1:29pm
- Ra Henare
  
  Its called politics. You need votes to stay in power.
  Emotional outbursts do not change the facts
  
  0 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 2:14pm
- Wandering Star
  
  It’s less about not wanting to upset their Muslims, its more about being wary of fighting another of Israel’s wars for the exclusive benefit of Israel, and for no conceivable benefit to themselves.
  
  They’ve seen how embarrassingly subservient and clearly subverted the US is in sending their men and women to die neutralizing another of Israel’s obstacles, for no obvious benefit to Americans at all. In fact, it hurting them, and the rest of us who watch on in a state of bewilderment.
  
  4 6
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 2:59pm
  - septic skeptic
    
    I know most on this site tend to shoot the messenger and only ask questions much, much later – but this post by WS is 100% on the mark.
    
    4 4
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 3:15pm
judith8409121

just gave some money funding towards the Lucy Rodgers case via the FSU – if more people want to do something to stop the overreach of the police and their politicisation I suggest that this is a way to help
https://www.fsu.nz/donation-pages/the-right-to-peacefully-protest-is-under-attack?_nlid=WrCXSBwm2t&_nhids=nc5Y9fkMUGRQZls
8 0
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 9:22am
cmm (semi-retired edition)

Greenpeace is blabbering on about NZ supplying war minerals for “Trump’s War”.

OK, we don’t expect much sense from Greenpeace, but what war minerals could they be talking about?

About the only mineral I am aware of that is vital to war making that comes out of NZ is vanadium.

Vanadium is used to harden steel and is vital for making tough steel products like gun barrels etc.

NZ is far from being a major vanadium producer and the majority of our exports go to China so are hardly contributing to “Trump’s War”.

The vast majority of vanadium (over 90%) is mined in BRICS countries and NZ is one of very few non-BRICS sources, but we seem to sell it all to China anyway. That said, the NZ contribution to the world market is small.

So is there any substance to what Greenpeace is claiming or are they just lying? Again.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360953077/prime-ministers-office-targeted-greenpeace-protest-over-iran-war
26 1
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 9:34am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Yes, it’s our vanadium that’s upsetting Greenpeace…
  but not stuff that’s been currently mined….
  
  https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/story/critical-minerals-military-outpost/
  
  13 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 9:41am
- NothingLeft
  
  Their business model involves ginning up the passionate but ignorant fools that support them with invented dramas and outrages. Pretty safe bet to always assume they are twisting reality to the point that it is indistinguishable from lying. Not that their armies of tik-tok air heads care, the adults who never grew up, it’s all about the *sniff* big emotions they experience believing they have a righteous cause to replace the emptiness born of uselessness that they otherwise feel.
  
  8 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 10:34am
- judith8409121
  
  greenpeace are a bunch of grifters that play up to get an income stream. I have never heard anything useful from this group but bitch, moan, winge and lie. Its amazing that anyone funds them or listens to them
  
  8 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 2:42pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Unfortunately there is now a large cohort of kids brainwashed into anarcho-communist thinking and they easily fall for this stuff.
    
    2 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 9:25pm
Master Mariner

Mean while 17 US security agencies stated that Iran was not seeking Nuclear Missiles and Director of National security stated one day before Trump that this was true.
So what changed so quickly. The Worlds Energy / Food / Security is waiting on the Israeli/US/Iran war to finish.
Will it ?
Now they are targeting Oil infrastructure in Qatar , Ras Laffan and KSA Ras Tanura and Iranian Oil & Gas infrastructure. Worlds biggest Oil and Gas Terminals.

I personally do not see how this can end any time soon. Whats nest Desalination plants ?

Surely thew knew how easy to close the Straight of Hormuz?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlfPCZqXIz0
‘Were You Asked To Brief On Hormuz…’: Mark Kelly Presses Tulsi Gabbard, Ratcliffe On Iran War

Worth a watch !
4 5
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 9:58am
- Charlotte Wells
  
  Were any of those security agencies employers of the intelligence specialists that vowed and declared the Hunter Biden laptop was Russian disinformation?
  
  2 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 7:17pm
cmm (semi-retired edition)

The killing of two women by a cow elephant was put down to misadventure. I think that is a fair call. There are huge risks when dealing with unpredictable multi-ton wild animals armed with big spiky things.

There is no way I would feel comfortable on foot within 100 metres of a cow elephant with a calf – let alone the 50 metres they were at. An elephant is bloody unpredictable, especially a cow with calf. They can move pretty fast too. 50 metres is about 4 seconds away. Keeping downwind will help, but wind has a horrible habit of swirling in the bush and things can change quickly.

Yes, those guides are good and they know their stuff. But they are also under huge pressure to give the clients close up views of the wildlife. People don’t want to take photos from 200 metres away. As a result, people end up taking risks and must accept the consequences.

Africa does not have an undo button.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/new-zealand-tourist-trampled-by-elephant-on-zambia-walking-safari-died-by-misadventure-coroner/WSKTQI4FZ5CW5OQPYFEOAHVRU4/
13 0
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 10:13am
- Ehlana
  
  Isn’t taking pictures from a distance what telephoto lenses are for?
  I’m guessing they, and the cameras required, are more expensive than a cell phone, but considering the cost of a safari to Africa, surely worth it?
  
  8 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 10:41am
- MCōs
  
  It’s not just elephants
  When you live in NZ you might not realize just how comparatively safe our countryside is out there.
  
  11 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 11:39am
  - cmm (semi-retired edition)
    
    MCos, yes, certainly, it is not just elephants. Hippo are worse. It is a miracle anyone makes it past 6 months in Africa, but there are enough of them so clearly they are winning the numbers game.
    
    But almost all animals in Africa will avoid you if they can. Generally they will only attack if cornered or surprised or otherwise feel threatened.
    
    This is the main reason people approach wild animals from downwind – to be able to sneak in close. You’d be lucky to get closer than 300 to 400 metres from upwind.
    
    Had these people approached from upwind the elephants would have known they were there and would have cleared off long before getting into viewing distance – let alone conflict. However people want to get in close for that exciting tourist experience so approach from downwind. If the wind shifts/swirls and they are suddenly detected from close in then the elephants (particularly cows with calves) see that as a threat and are more likely to attack. On elephants (on both male and female) those tusks are not fashion accessories.
    
    This exercise seems to have been a massive waste of overloaded coronal resources. The Coroner cannot make any useful findings from this.
    
    Maybe they could suggest distributing pamphlets to cow elephants telling them that the nice white ladies just want to take selfies?
    
    3 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 1:02pm
- Charlotte Wells
  
  Ordinary domecstic cows with a calf at foot can be just as dangerous.
  
  Recall the story from a year or so ago about the woman walking her dog in Auckland and having to karate-chop a mothering cow to keep it away from her precious foofoo dog.
  
  To a cow any dog is a predator.
  
  The real tragedy is that the cow and calf were destroyed.
  
  3 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 7:20pm
Nikola Donatello

I see that the election campaign is on.

“This week, Kinnane’s $102 shop got him a couple of bits of reduced-to-clear meat, a loaf of bread, some pet food, a container of potato salad, two litres of milk and some oven bags.”

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360952827/i-dont-have-lunch-any-more-food-prices-bite-pensioner-left-33-cents-after-weekly-shop

Yes this guy maybe doing it tough. But those food items don’t add up to $102.

One person can feed themselves reasonably well on $100 per week. That is $15 per day. No it is not luxury. But it is not poverty.

An example. He can make a pile of potato salad for very little. Yet this article implies that he is buying those crazy overpriced plastic containers of made up salads.
24 2
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 10:19am
- Taieri
  
  One person can feed themselves reasonably well on $100 per week
  —————–
  
  Indeed. As described in:
  
  https://piccadillybooks.co.nz/p/new-zealand-living-off-the-smell-of-an-oily-rag-in-new-zealand-2008-ed–2
  
  I hope you will never have to live according to the prescriptions of this book yourself.
  
  9 6
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 10:28am
  - cmm (semi-retired edition)
    
    Oh please. You can live rather well on $100 of groceries per person per week.
    
    “Smell of an oily rag” would be less than half that.
    
    11 3
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 1:08pm
    - Taieri
      
      You can live rather well on $100 of groceries per person per week
      ————-
      
      All I can say is that I admire your frugality, particularly the “well” bit.
      
      4 4
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 2:43pm
      - NothingLeft
        
        $5‐10 a week can get you all the calories you need from flour, rice, potatoes, oasta or oats. Leaving $10 a day for more entertaining foods. More than enough for meat fruit veges etc. Frozen vege in particular is cheap and nutritionally equal to fresh with no waste
        
        4 0
        Report
        March 19, 2026 5:19pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    For most people even cheaper if one goes keto (or there abouts). You’ll probably feel better and live a lot longer too.
    
    1 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 7:50pm
- artemisia
  
  “Some pet food” could mean anything. Did the writer ask?
  
  6 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 11:12am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    The photo includes a dog, that looked rather like an expensive brand, not some mutt from the pound.
    
    2 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 12:13pm
- Flossie
  
  Why would a person with such limited access to food require any oven bags?
  
  14 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 12:22pm
- MCōs
  
  I always think someone is pretty brave exposing their lifestyle choices to be picked over by experts
  
  1 7
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 1:53pm
- kowtow
  
  Kinnane is an Irish surname.
  
  He should be growing dem tatters.
  
  3 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 2:23pm
  - MCōs
    
    My name is Irish too.
    My great grandfather emigrated out here because of the potato famine. He had the same name as myself as did his father and one of his sons, who died as a toddler. A grandson also had the same name!
    Didn’t have much imagination in those days.
    We ate a lot of potatoes.
    Mum, who was English, knew exactly when to plant them so they’d be perfect at Christmas year after year after year
    Nothing like a big plate of new potatoes and other stuff!
    
    1 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 4:50pm
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Chef daughter is partnered up with an Irish chef.
      
      Irish chefs’ parents came to stay with them for Christmas hols a few years back. So the chefs decided to hire a coastal cottage for them all to enjoy a nice break out of the city.
      
      The chefs said they’d bring everything needed for the stay— including everything for Christmas dinner, which they’d be cooking.
      
      Irish ma checked that Chef son had packed enough potatoes for them all (Of course he had).
      Come Xmas Eve, Irish Ma declares that she & Irish Pa have to drive into the nearest settlement to get some vital item she’d forgotten to bring.
      
      Daughter wakes up on Christmas Day and shuffles into the kitchen to make a nice cooked breakfast for everyone, only to discover that Irish Ma has beaten her to the stove-top with a large pot of “vital” potatoes on the boil ….
      
      She was terrified that they’d be forgotten in the lunch and dinner the youngster chefs were preparing.
      
      2 0
      Log in to Reply
      Report
      March 19, 2026 5:14pm
imalwaysright

Great to hear from Winston on the Platform that NZ has rejected the WHO Pandemic treaty amendments.

Was it Ashley Bloomfield who was on the WHO board who formulated the amendments?

Maybe Ashley should stick to holidays in China and Switzerland posing as a Barnardos ambassador fundraiser thingumajiggy…

A great day for kiwis..
17 3
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 11:13am
- Dudley Quaffquaff
  
  What exactly were the proposed amendments? It’s been very noticeable in the NZ First posts about this how very carefully they have avoided explaining that.
  
  1 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 12:04pm
- MCōs
  
  Why was it a great day for Kiwis?
  
  2 2
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 1:25pm
  - MCōs
    
    Here’s an article on the situation
    https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/03/18/nz-aligns-with-fringe-rfk-jr-in-rejecting-who-pandemic-rule-changes/
    
    1 3
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 1:32pm
- Nikola Donatello
  
  I do not know enough to assess whether it is a good move or not. Can you explain exactly what was being proposed and the rationale for the rejection?
  
  1 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 2:52pm
  - imalwaysright
    
    [Mod – debate the topics]
    
    0 2
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 3:48pm
unaha-closp

The late 2025 drop in National Party popularity coincided with their implementation of co-governance for 3waters.

Is 3waters and co-governance going to decide another election?
18 1
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 11:22am
- Nikola Donatello
  
  No
  
  0 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 2:53pm
- hookerphil
  
  If it does National might not look too good.
  
  0 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 4:24pm
NothingLeft

Got to love the US Federal system with it’s vote-with-your-feet fix for bad governance and bureaucratic over-reach. Kathy Hochul, governor of Dem controlled New York state, makes plea as they are running out of other peoples money – driven by capital flight:

“I need people who are high net worth to support the generous social programs that we want to have in our state. Now, there are some patriotic millionaires who stepped up. OK, cut me the checks if you want to be supportive, but maybe the first step should be go down to Palm Beach and see who you can bring back home.”

“I have to look at the fact that we are in competition with other states who have less of a tax burden on their corporations and their individuals. And I would say remote work changed everything.”

“There were people who could only work in an office in Manhattan and work in New York state. And they were captives to our state, they were going to stay. We saw that that’s not the case. Wall Street businesses looking at Texas, they’re not going there because they have a nicer governor. They’re going there because of the tax rate.”
4 2
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 11:49am
David Garrett

The poor little bastards…

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360953076/children-found-dire-living-conditions-removed-their-parents

Both children had meth in their urine.

I cannot imagine a better case for compulsory sterilization of these two POS…Sadly no prizes for guessing their probable ethnicity. Of course it’s all down to “ongoing colonization”.
11 1
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 3:01pm
- Ghost
  
  my hoarder neighbour had his daughter removed when she was born because the mother was using right up to its birth. Sadly the kid was returned to his custody after 3 years. social worker still visits at least twice a week.
  
  5 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 3:08pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Imagine the cost of attempting to help these meth train wreck cases.
    
    I’m thinking build very big prisons run on the Singapore model and lock up for a very long time anyone involved in the meth trade. Time to stop f*cking around with this societal cancer.
    
    4 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 7:44pm
- R
  
  I often wonder who these ‘eths’ would blame for their personal shortcomings, if there wasn’t the word COLONISATION in their vocabulary
  
  3 1
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 5:09pm
- MCōs
  
  I have often read about kids in distressing situations in Thailand. No country, religion or ethnicity has a monopoly on the problem
  In one instance I read about in the Bangkok Post back when they had a print edition the drug addicted parents had abandoned their two kids, aged about 8 & 5.
  The 8yo made sure they still went to school in their uniforms and they begged for food on the street
  Eventually someone figured out what was going on, but once they got back on their feet one of the parents reappeared hoping to cash in to buy drugs . . . . .
  
  4 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 5:11pm
Damocles11

Former Labour MP, why am I not surprised….

‘The Serious Fraud Office is evaluating a scathing Auditor General report into spending by former Chatham Islands boss Paul Eagle.
The Auditor General’s report, released last week, said former council chief executive Paul Eagle’s actions over a project to upgrade his own accommodation were unacceptable, after costs blew out by $250,000.’

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360953353/serious-fraud-office-looking-chatham-islands-council-spending
8 2
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 3:35pm
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360953076/children-found-dire-living-conditions-removed-their-parents
Dear God: there will be lots of willing people out there who would want to take and protect these kids.
And double that number, including me, who would want to dispense with the “parents”.
Unbelieveable.

P.S. sorry, never saw posting above
4 1
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 4:38pm
Steve Todd

This (very long) Daily Beast “Epstein files” interview with author and journalist Anand Giridharadas is, in my opinion, required viewing.

Title: I Know How Epstein Groomed America’s Corrupt Elite

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57xynBbVUuw [1:47:10].

The blurb says—

“Anand Giridharadas joins Joanna Coles to unpack what the Epstein files actually tell us, not just about one disgraced financier, but about the elite network that worked with him.

“The bestselling author explains why so many of what he calls the Epstein class stayed in his orbit even after Epstein’s crimes were widely known. Coles and Giridharadas dig into the strange rituals of this rarefied class and examine emails involving figures like Larry Summers and former Obama White House counsel Kathy Ruemmler.

“They also confront the darker question at the center of the scandal: How a network built on access, status, and mutual advantage created a culture where no one ever seemed to break ranks—even when they knew the crimes Jeffrey Epstein committed.”

00:00:00 – Jeffrey Epstein’s “Elite Connector” Tactics & The Epstein Class
00:13:08 – Why Billionaires Have 4 Homes: The “Four Pack” & Tax Avoidance
00:28:43 – Kathy Ruemmler’s Emails: Contempt for the “Rest Stop” Class
00:41:09 – Grooming the Powerful: The Promise of “Interesting” and “Fun”
01:00:51 – How Institutions Failed: The Absence of Courage in the Elite
01:12:00 – “Never With Women”: Why Epstein Excluded Women from Conversations
01:28:09 – Jordan Neely & Daniel Penny: A Portrait of an Age of Division

And, there’s more to come — Trump-focused — in two weeks’ time. Enjoy.
1 3
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 6:23pm
- Ghost
  
  Julian Dorey has some interesting interviews on Epstein
  
  https://www.youtube.com/@JulianDorey/videos
  
  1 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 6:33pm
Swifty

Lower Hutt restaurant owner lays down Israeli and US flags for his customers and staff to walk on:

https://x.com/chayasclan/status/2034193867604459703?s=46

And then gets most upset when called on it.
6 1
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 6:46pm
- artemisia
  
  Is that Banoo in Lower Hutt?
  
  2 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 20, 2026 5:14am
greybeard

When is someone going to investigate how the Keno numbers are drawn ? Supposedly they are random draws, but if you look at the numbers there is sufficient doubt to question the practice.

There are 80 possible numbers.
Each draw has 20 numbers.

Time after time the drawn numbers have 3, 4or 5 numbers in a row. That cannot be random.
What exactly is the “random number generator” which is used for Keno?
Can some person with much better mathematical skills than me have a look at it ?
0 3
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 7:03pm
NZer In Exile

I’m thinking we live in “interesting” times and things could go very badly pear shaped very quickly.

So I asked Grok AI the following question:
How much would a Fischer-Tropsch plant big enough to produce *ALL* of New Zealand’s liquid fuel needs from coal cost?

The short answer: approx US$20 billion.

Here’s the link to the long answer:
https://grok.com/share/c2hhcmQtMi1jb3B5_ca501f7e-a3af-413b-8631-27a009aca56b
2 1
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 7:28pm
- Ghost
  
  There is no quick solution to this. Infrastructure is being destroyed. Even if this war ended tomorrow, which it wont, its going to take months to get the supply back to normal, if not longer. We are lucky, we are heading into winter, the northern hemisphere, hmmm, going to be problems with their crops this year with reduced fertilizer.
  
  1 0
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 8:19pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Even if NZ invested in a plant producing say 25% of liquid fuel needs (hell, start at 10% if the budget is running low) it could steadily fill a large reserve. What we are experiencing now is a warning the way I see it.
    
    3 1
    Log in to Reply
    Report
    March 19, 2026 9:29pm
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/360953466/volvo-confirms-xc60-black-edition-local-lineup
If you pay $120,000 for a car then why worry about the fuel costs to run it?
2 1
Log in to Reply
Report
March 19, 2026 7:52pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  Hopefully we will see a lot less of those oversized and lethal narcissist’s wank-tanks on the roads with the current fuel crisis.
  
  2 4
  Log in to Reply
  Report
  March 19, 2026 9:31pm

Add a Comment Cancel reply

Login to comment or vote

« An outrageous legal complaint decision overturned

Not a poll »

Donations

You can now donate to Kiwiblog

Exclusive content from DPF on Patreon

Become a Patron!

Never miss a post

Email Address

Join 13K other subscribers

Highlights

Target achieved II
Good progress on attendance
Health Target 5 – elective treatments
Health Target 4 – Specialist appointments

Links

"The principal view of human laws is, or ought always to be, to explain, protect, and enforce such rights as are absolute, which in themselves are few and simple."
Not PC
Michael Laws Exposes A Flaw In The Proposed Council Law Changes.
No Minister
My Opening Statement for the UATX Caplan-Jones Immigration Rematch
Utopia
Woman of the day
Hompaddock
The irony of El Niño peaking over NZ as Government kills Ministry of Environment and does secret deals with Big Polluters
The Daily Blog
Open Mike 04/06/2026
The Standard
Playing with numbers.
Kiwipolitico
A lot of fuss about a simple Bill – its purpose (to make English an official language) is spelled out in 22 words
Point of Order
A crime
No Right Turn
Another non-tariff barrier
Offsetting Behaviour
Rugby Premiership Predictions for Round 18
Stats Chat
Budget 2026
NZCPR
UK Conversion Therapy Ban, Digital ID, Rallies, Elections
Bob McCoskrie's McBlog
A central banker’s fiction
Croaking Cassandra
THE WORKING FROM HOME RACKET BY PUBLIC SERVANTS
No Punches Pulled (Bob Jones)
Tory Whanau may have to sell Wellington mayoralty to make ends meet
The Civilian
The Accidental Engagement
Imperator Fish
Legal Beagle: Election '23: The Special Votes
Public Address
Get Vaccinated Tomorrow Or Shut Your Pie Hole
Cactus Kate
Making this movie might have been a mistake
Liam Hehir
Why I am retiring from political blogging
Kiwi FireWalker

[email protected]

PO Box 12270, Thorndon, Wellington 6144

Facebook
Twitter
FourSquare
Instagram
LinkedIn
Google+

Archives
Disclosure Statement
Editorial Policy
Privacy Policy
Complaints Policy
Comments Policy

Design by cre8d

%d

Share this:

Like this: