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March 31, 2026 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 31 March 2026

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Cassandra

President Trump has a semi-friendly relationship with Putin. Now details have emerged that Moscow was directly involved in an Iranian missile attack on a US military base in Saudi Arabia which destroyed a $500 million radar plane, as well as a number of refuelling aircraft, making it one of the most successful attacks Iran has carried out against the US since the war began. At least 15 US troops were wounded in the attack.

Trump, rightly, does not take kindly to duplicity. This might just be the trigger for him to accept what his better-informed advisers have been telling him for years: Putin is taking for a ride – America’s interests do not align with Russia’s.
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March 31, 2026 8:03am
- Damocles11
  
  Right, but don’t bet on it.
  
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  March 31, 2026 8:04am
- Yvette
  
  Cassandra, it would seem Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is to do with his wish to rebuild the Soviet Union as he knew it and maintain buffer states (Ukraine) between him and the West, which is akin the the motivations of terrorist human Tarrant, but Putin’s “involvement in an Iranian missile attack on a US military base in Saudi Arabia which destroyed a $500 million radar plane, as well as a number of refuelling aircraft” shows he has the indirect or direct means to blow American military up any time he wants.
  And this sadly makes Putin a mentally unbalanced person with fixations that are simply ridiculous … and utterly dangerous.
  
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  March 31, 2026 8:14am
  - Wandering Star
    
    A “mentally unbalanced” individual does not maintain control of a nation like Russia for almost 30 years. A skilled and yes, at times ruthless, politician does. Putin is without question the single most significant global political figure of this century. If there’s another contender, I’d like to know who it is.
    
    Unironically dismissing any non-aligned, non-compliant leader or regime as “mentally unstable” or “evil” or some other such propaganda terms is incredibly deficient analysis.
    
    People can posit valid reasons which aren’t so cartoonish so we can at least engage in an intelligent and adult debate.
    
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    March 31, 2026 1:46pm
  - Ra Henare
    
    “”seem Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is to do with his wish to rebuild the Soviet Union as he knew it””
    
    Yvette. I suggest more research on the leadup to Russias Invasion of Ukraine. To make it simple go back to 2014 and walk forward from there.
    
    Hint. Look at Ukraines bombing/shelling of the Donbas (mainly ethic Russians) in the last few decades
    
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    March 31, 2026 2:27pm
    - Charlotte Wells
      
      Your theory has been debunked multiple times on this blog.
      
      Why do you keep pushing this barrow?
      
      The Russian invasion is a landgrab. All the other noise is Russian lies and propaganda.
      
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      March 31, 2026 4:38pm
      - Ra Henare
        
        Charlotte
        
        Your theory has been debunked multiple times on this blog.
        
        Sorry, I forget anything printed on Kiwiblog is absolutle correct in every detail /sarc
        
        I will stop listening to experts in the field as source of detail, as Kiwiblog commenters outrank them.
        
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        April 1, 2026 3:00am
- Tom Barker
  
  “Trump does not take kindly to duplicity.” That’s hilarious. Trump employs duplicity every time he opens his mouth.
  
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  March 31, 2026 8:24am
  - Cassandra
    
    But that’s different!
    
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    March 31, 2026 8:42am
  - Charlotte Wells
    
    Do you want to run through all his statements over the last few years to support your claim?
    
    You won’t because you can’t because it was a silly thing to say.
    
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    March 31, 2026 4:40pm
- NothingLeft
  
  It’s very hard to understand why Trump grants so much leniency to mass murdering megalomaniac hegemon Putin in his dealings – unless it’s to try and preserve ‘off-ramps’ for the current conflict.
  
  Like why does he turn a blind eye to Russia’s support of Iran and North Korea, or allow Russia to send oil to Cuba, or give a pass to Chinese and North Korean materiel support of Russia in their war of aggression against Europe when it is clearly damaging to US strategic military and economic interests.
  
  Likely it’s due to the personal financial benefit to his family; stuff we know of is in the $billions already, cheap for Putin.
  
  The tide of Ukrainian conflict nonetheless appears to be turning not-to-Russia’s advantage as strengthening long-range capabilities of Ukraine have seen them wipe out perhaps half of Russia’s oil exporting capacity in last two weeks. And Russia seems to have lost ability to take ground on frontline with Ukraine’s improved and now saturation level short range FPV drone defenses.
  
  A year ago Trump famously blew up at Zelensky telling him “you have no cards” Now we see Ukrainian holding Russia back, depleting Russian oil export capacity and providing substantial drone defense support to middle east against Iranian strikes. Ukrainian drone tech and experience will clearly be the core of Europe’s conventional military strength going forward. It seems Ukraine now holds a lot of aces.
  
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  March 31, 2026 10:01am
  - jacthecat
    
    ‘It’s very hard to understand why Trump grants so much leniency to mass murdering megalomaniac hegemon Putin in his dealings’ – because Putin knows how to flatter Trump and Trump loves it.
    
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    March 31, 2026 12:54pm
  - Ross Bayer
    
    nothingleft,
    it is a long time since I have seen such comments posted anywhere maybe you might like to watch the following podcasts and then get back to us.
    In summary all to the russiaphobia is simply a CIA construct
    
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I07xtTOxYE
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DIu6AOesTU
    
    Cheers
    
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    March 31, 2026 3:42pm
- Ra Henare
  
  “”Moscow was directly involved in an Iranian missile attack on a US military base “”
  
  A reference would be nice.
  
  My understanding is
  
  Details have emerged SUGGESTING Moscow provided intelligence that may have aided Iran in a missile attack on a U.S. military base,
  
  If it is true.
  Then what about USA is directly involved in attacks on Iran.
  
  Now explain to me simply, why Russia Bad in supporting its ally while USA good for supporting its Ally???
  
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  March 31, 2026 2:22pm
  - Dudley Quaffquaff
    
    The point being made is not about who’s good and who’s bad, something which is anyway almost beside the point in the Iran war. The point being made is that Russia is not America’s friend, and nothing good for America or for the rest of the West has come or can come from Trump’s consistent and continuing subservience to Putin
    
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    March 31, 2026 4:50pm
Damocles11

‘US President Donald Trump has threatened to strike Iranian energy sites if a ‘deal’ is not reached soon.
He has threatened to hit targets including power plants, oil wells and Kharg Island, if Tehran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“Great progress has been made but, if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately ‘Open for Business,’ we will conclude our lovely ‘stay’ in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!), which we have purposefully not yet “touched.” This will be in retribution for our many soldiers, and others, that Iran has butchered and killed over the old Regime’s 47 year “Reign of Terror.””Trump wrote in a social media post.’
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March 31, 2026 8:04am
- Dudley Quaffquaff
  
  Solid evidence of premeditation of war crimes
  
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  March 31, 2026 9:28am
  - Charlotte Wells
    
    Your statement is incorrect. Solid evidence of your incomprehension of the facts and proof that all you do is spout the predefined talking points of the malicious propagandists.
    
    Perhaps you could explain how this is a warcrime.
    
    You use the word a lot so now is a chance for you to go and research what is a warcrime.
    
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    March 31, 2026 12:49pm
    - Notsofast
      
      I agree with get rid of the evil bastards at any cost, but I would need guidance understanding demolition of the civic utilities for 90 million civilians as being a sine qua non.
      
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      March 31, 2026 1:49pm
    - Ra Henare
      
      and of course EVERY utterance by President Trump is to be believed, especially when he contradicts himself most every day.
      
      The reason he has succeeded in theh art of the deal is that he is TOTALLY unpredictable. A master of carrot and stick approach.
      
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      March 31, 2026 2:24pm
      - Hard Cheese
        
        What success? Most of the time he’s blagging about making deals but never actually completes any.
        
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        March 31, 2026 7:19pm
    - Ross Bayer
      
      Charlotte, WARCRIMES
      maybe we could start with the 200 school girls that were murdered in the initial strikes.
      How about taking down civilian infrastructure that makes a country unliveable
      How about randomly killing scientists
      Just a starter for 10
      
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      March 31, 2026 3:48pm
      - Charlotte Wells
        
        “intentionally killing civilians” – note the key word there ‘intentionally’.
        
        “unnecessarily destroying civilian property” – note that key word.
        
        Scientists, please name any scientist directly killed by the Trump administration.
        
        [Mod – just debate the topics and drop you little personal jabs]
        
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        March 31, 2026 4:48pm
      - Hard Cheese
        
        @Charlotte Wells
        
        If Trump states before the fact he intends “blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!)” there can be no argument that it was unintentional.
        
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        March 31, 2026 7:25pm
  - NothingLeft
    
    The rules based ‘war crimes’ era has clearly come to an end, and in realpolitik of the world only ever applied to small toothless countries anyway. We can all see that despite the talk, the only power that truly matters in this world comes out of the barrel of a gun. Noone will save you when the wolves show up at your door.
    
    Iranian regime and their puppets have committed endless atrocities against innocents and non-combatants all over the world over last 47 years. If it doesn’t apply to them then it shouldn’t apply to those attacking them either.
    
    China has been engaged in concentration camp genocide of Uighers. North Korea has slave prison camps for descendents of pre-revolutionary wealthy. World sits idly by and lets it all happen.
    
    Over 200,000 recorded war crimes against Russia, daily deliberate murdering of civilians (eg ‘human safaris’ using FPV drones to kill people just going about their lives in Kherson), Russian leadership directed torture rape and murder of tens of thousands of captives and civilians in occupied territories, but Putin and his lackeys are still invited to peace talks in Alaska etc and Europe continues buying oil and gas from them.
    
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    March 31, 2026 12:57pm
    - Hard Cheese
      
      Iranian regime and their puppets have committed endless atrocities against innocents and non-combatants all over the world over last 47 years. If it doesn’t apply to them then it shouldn’t apply to those attacking them either.
      
      It does apply to Iran and it applies to the US as well. Just because Iran got away with them doesn’t mean it’s a free for all for everyone
      
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      March 31, 2026 3:29pm
  - Tom Hunter
    
    If it’s possible that destroying Iran’s water and power supplies is a war crime by Trump then I suppose similar claims could be made about his actions in Cuba where a blockade (an act of war) has cut oil supplies that have shut down the power grid across the nation.
    
    However, I’m not aware of any such charges being laid.
    
    Aside from the examples given by “NothingLeft”, war crime charges could therefore have been made against the US-led alliance of Desert Storm, since they deliberately targeted the power system of Iraq by dumping material on powerlines that caused them to short-circuit.
    
    Incidentally the defence would be that such power systems are an essential component of any military system and therefore legitimate targets. I don’t recall any war crime trial in history that went after military personnel and their leaders (including political) for such targeting.
    
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    March 31, 2026 2:25pm
- Stu2
  
  If he does Iran will target desalination plants in the Gulf states, which will result in major water shortages – huge problem.
  
  And target gulf state oil infrastructure. The straits could eventually reopen but with a shortfall in crude production until extensive repairs take place. Leaving Russia with a lucrative export trade.
  
  None of it looks like a win for anyone.
  
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  March 31, 2026 9:53am
  - Ghost
    
    Already targeted a desalination plant in Kuwait
    
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    March 31, 2026 10:23am
    - Charlotte Wells
      
      So Iran has committed a warcrime, yes?
      
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      March 31, 2026 12:52pm
      - Hard Cheese
        
        Correct. That doesn’t give Trump free rein to do the same.
        
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        March 31, 2026 3:31pm
  - Taieri
    
    Leaving Russia with a lucrative export trade
    ———-
    
    Russian oil export terminals in the Baltic Sea were recently substantially damaged by the Ukrainian drone attacks.
    
    https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/least-40-russias-oil-export-capacity-halted-reuters-calculations-show-2026-03-25/
    
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    March 31, 2026 10:58am
  - James Stephenson
    
    I don’t think I’d be massively unhappy if I were Venezuela.
    
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    March 31, 2026 12:02pm
- Damocles11
  
  ‘Asked if targeting civilian infrastructure would constitute a war crime, Leavitt brushed off the question, saying only that the US military “will always act within the confines of the law,” but underscored that Trump will continue to achieve his full objectives in the war and “is going to move forward unabated.”’
  
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  March 31, 2026 10:16am
  - Bullion
    
    Hegseth contradicts this when saying they will have “no stupid rules of engagement,” and “no politically correct wars.”
    
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    March 31, 2026 11:21am
    - Wandering Star
      
      Pete Hegseth is literally a former Fox News host. That such an idiot could became a high-ranking US official directing (another) disaster in the Middle East is emblematic of how low the US has fallen. I mean, people like Rumsfeld, Cheney and Wolfowitz were duplicitous scumbags pursuing similar aims 25 years ago, but at least they each had a brain between their ears.
      
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      March 31, 2026 1:59pm
      - Gary Benner
        
        Wandering Star, re Pete Hegseth.
        
        After graduating from Princeton in 2003, Hegseth was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army through the university’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program. He briefly worked as an equity-markets analyst at Bear Stearns. Hegseth completed his basic training at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia, in 2004, and for 11 months he was a Minnesota Army National Guardsman at Guantanamo Bay detention camp. There, he led a platoon of soldiers from the New Jersey Army National Guard guarding detainees. By July 2005, he had returned to Bear Stearns; shortly thereafter, he volunteered in the Iraq War as an infantry officer, where he received a Bronze Star Medal. Hegseth served in the 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment in the 101st Airborne Division, led by Colonel Michael D. Steele. He began his tour in Baghdad before moving to Samarra, where he served as a civil affairs officer, working with the city council and forming an alliance with council member Asaad Ali Yaseen. Hegseth has described a near-death experience in Iraq in which a rocket-propelled grenade hit his vehicle but failed to detonate.
        
        Second Lieutenant Hegseth at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in the early 2000s
        In 2010, Hegseth deployed with the Minnesota Army National Guard as a counterinsurgency instructor. He volunteered to teach at the Counterinsurgency Training Center in Kabul, Afghanistan, for eight months, during the withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan; he taught one of the final classes at the school. After completing his tour in 2014, he was promoted to major and assigned to the Individual Ready Reserve.
        
        “a former Fox News host” .. well what a qualified person to have fronting the media, with this work adding to his communications skills. Quoting only this part of his CV is a bit one eyed.
        
        Is this what you would prefer to lead the US military?
        
        https://www.politico.com/dims4/default/resize/630/quality/90/format/webp?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2F46%2F67%2Fdb2f8ed84a59bf007f30f1037817%2Frachel-levine-karine-jean-pierre-2022-1.jpg
        
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        March 31, 2026 5:36pm
    - Charlotte Wells
      
      No he doesn’t.
      
      That is not what Hegseth was talking about.
      
      Do you even know what Rules of Engagement are?
      
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      March 31, 2026 4:51pm
      - Hard Cheese
        
        Hegseth’s disdain for “stupid Rules of Engagement” leads to incidents like the killing of 165 school girls by a Tomahawk missile. Perhaps if they’d followed Positive Identification and Pattern of Life it wouldn’t have happened.
        
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        March 31, 2026 7:59pm
- rouppe
  
  Doing that will turn any Iranian people who currently support him, against him.
  
  No one likes their power supply being yanked, and he’s relying (allegedly) on the Iranian people “rising up” to execute the overthrow.
  
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  March 31, 2026 12:49pm
  - Ra Henare
    
    Rising up with no power and no infrastructure to support a quick switch back on…..???
    
    Believe that and I have a bridge you might be interested in
    
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    March 31, 2026 2:31pm
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360958277/tauranga-city-council-hires-four-legal-firms-after-fatal-mauao-landslide
I see that the TCC is still spending ratepayers’ money as if there were no tomorrow.
Four legal firms should be adequate to cover a lot of council arses.
Do they not have legal people in-house ?
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March 31, 2026 8:05am
- Cassandra
  
  It’s a huge job, multiple enquiries. I sympathise with Mahé Drysdale even if I won’t vote for him. But I do wonder if they really need four law firms! Other people’s money.
  
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  March 31, 2026 8:23am
  - Yvette
    
    It would seem employing four law firms indicates you do not have confidence in three of them … and you do not know which three those are.
    
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    March 31, 2026 8:28am
    - Cassandra
      
      They have different roles and specialties.
      
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      March 31, 2026 10:45am
    - Beach Haven expat
      
      Or you keep asking a question until you get the answer you want.
      
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      April 1, 2026 2:00am
  - pdm
    
    Cass looking on from afar (Hastings) Drysdale seems to have been a huge disappointment as Mayor.
    
    Do you as a ratepayer in Tauranga (I think) agree?
    
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    March 31, 2026 8:33am
    - Cassandra
      
      I agree. I am only a ratepayer indirectly, in that my landlord pays the rates. Very expensive! Mahé is a total waste of rations.
      
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      March 31, 2026 8:44am
      - Damocles11
        
        The Commissioners stuffed the city; Drysdale was effectively installed by vested interests to keep the Commisions programme in place. The vested interests knew we would win on name recognition.
        
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        March 31, 2026 10:25am
    - RoboRob
      
      If only we stopped voting for Mayors based on name recognition.
      
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      March 31, 2026 8:58am
      - septic skeptic
        
        I think this is the nature of democracy. It’s not a meritocracy.
        
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        March 31, 2026 9:35am
      - Don Beckett
        
        All the people I know are really disappointed in Drysdale, and it’s no satisfaction to say that I didn’t vote for him.
        
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        March 31, 2026 9:49am
    - R
      
      Drysdales expertise was canoe paddling. He doesn’t seem so proficient paddling the Tauranga CC canoe!
      
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      March 31, 2026 1:52pm
      - Don Beckett
        
        waka, thank you. 😉
        
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        March 31, 2026 4:18pm
  - David Garrett
    
    Cass: I cannot for the life of me understand why they would need four different firms. One of the “big six” have more than enough lawyers to deal with multiple problems.
    
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    March 31, 2026 9:06am
    - RoboRob
      
      The probably have specialist lay firms. Perhaps one specialising in ‘environmental law’, one in litigation, one that does ‘government / OIA’ and then one of the big boys running the show.
      
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      March 31, 2026 9:18am
      - pdm
        
        Would Tauranga have that much diversity among its Law Firms?
        
        Or do they have to go out of town?
        
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        March 31, 2026 9:35am
      - RoboRob
        
        I am sure they want out of town. They would want the ‘best’ (no offence to any local law firms).
        
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        March 31, 2026 9:43am
      - Cassandra
        
        Two from Auckland, two from Tauranga. Budget is a million.
        
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        March 31, 2026 11:06am
    - In Vino Veritas
      
      Conflicts them out of acting for anyone else.
      
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      March 31, 2026 9:21am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    Run the docs through AI. That will cut the legal headcount requirement (and the bill).
    
    Get with the program, Tauranga CC!
    
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    March 31, 2026 10:20am
- MCōs
  
  The council has an internal legal team to handle routine stuff
  
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  March 31, 2026 8:38am
- imalwaysright
  
  Why are there five investigations into the same event, and why are the Council running an investigation of themselves?
  
  There should be one investigation, and it should have unfiltered, unrestricted access to all information from all involved.
  
  People are dead, the investigation must follow the same rules as a murder investigation to ensure full compliance of all involved.
  
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  March 31, 2026 8:39am
  - Beach Haven expat
    
    An entirely cynical move by Drysdale.
    
    By ordering one he can claim integrity and transparency.
    
    And if anything crops up, he simply says it was from before he was in charge and he’s going to fix it.
    
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    April 1, 2026 2:02am
- R
  
  Like ALL councils, the TCC problem is their staff recruiting profile; DEI considerations ahead of competence and proven ability. Mind you, the citizens of Tauranga did elect the councilors whe set the policies.
  
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  March 31, 2026 9:11am
  - Damocles11
    
    The Commissioners were installed, and as to the councillors, the choice is between Kang and Kodos. In any case, the CEO and his staff have most of the power. But you keep on telling yourself that the current situation is all ‘the fault of the ratepsyers’.
    
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    March 31, 2026 11:39am
  - Paulus
    
    Tauranga Council top decision making executives are from older times, and are women with all the power they need.
    
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    March 31, 2026 2:04pm
- Paulus
  
  Yes, they have a very large staff for the size of Council but as expected locally the more “experts’ they employ the more that no responsibility will be found whether Council, or the Iwi, who appear to remain firmly in charge, who are expecting all costs to be paid by the Ratepayers = normal for Tauranga.
  
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  March 31, 2026 9:28am
  - Don Beckett
    
    Yes, they have staff levels that are 100% higher than 20 years ago, with no real justification. We can thank Anne Tolley & the commisioers for that.
    
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    March 31, 2026 9:51am
- In Vino Veritas
  
  greybeard, TCC is just following rule # 1 in litigation. Always, always get the heaviest hitters to represent you as that will give you the best chance of winning, or successfully defending any action.
  On in house counsel, they will be ham & eggers compared to the heavy hitters.
  
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  March 31, 2026 9:28am
- Damocles11
  
  There should have been a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the governance of Tauranga, covering the period from the appointment of Commissioners up to and including the green light being given by the Drysdale council for the sale of the Marine Precinct to proceed. We needed to find out just how strong the stranglehold of vested interests is (and has been) on this city. But it never happened and Tauranga continues lurching from one crisis to another, amassing huge debt in the process.
  
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  March 31, 2026 10:22am
artemisia

Looks like some government entities are on a go slow to implement the English names first directive. The go slow is looking like an excuse for an expensive rebranding. Or just hoping there will be a change of government …

Minister Collins said she had recently become concerned at the cost of agency rebranding activities – a matter she had raised with Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche.

I wonder about the picture in the minds of New Zealanders when they see the term Oranga Tamariki.

https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/departments-have-been-slow-act-mp-presses-judith-collins-on-english-first-branding-as-minister-concerned-at-costs/
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March 31, 2026 8:25am
- pdm
  
  Come on Judith compared to a lot of other wasteful spending driven by the National and NZFirst components of the coalition these changes had a huge Electoral mandate.
  
  Go out in a blaze of glory in your last few months doing something that was voted for, strongly, in the last election.
  
  Such action will elevate you from a good MP to a very good MP during your time in Parliament in my opinion.
  
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  March 31, 2026 8:37am
  - RoboRob
    
    Reading the article it is clear she has NO intention on speeding up this process, or even completing it. She clearly perceives it as a waste of time.
    
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    March 31, 2026 9:44am
    - Ghost
      
      It is a waste of time if labour get back in this year. Everything will be rolled back to Māori names.
      
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      March 31, 2026 9:46am
      - RoboRob
        
        Righto. No point in changing anything then?
        
        You know, if they had actually followed through with some of their policies labour probably wouldn’t have a chance of getting back this year. So year, at least there was a political point to it.
        
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        March 31, 2026 10:01am
      - Ghost
        
        Labor always had a chance of getting back because the problems they left would never be fixed in one term. Health will take a while, as will seeing positive change in education, the economy will take a while when we are having to pay off billions in interest a year. Change the names of departments, I doubt really matters to most.
        
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        March 31, 2026 10:18am
      - MCōs
        
        The typists probably have blank pages with alternate letterheads and occasionally forget which one they’re supposed to use
        
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        March 31, 2026 10:31am
- Yvette
  
  Much of the Maorification by Government Departments is because public servants have taken a stance that Maori are the superior race to be pandered to, and having that attitude makes them appear stupid if they change their minds, which leads to acts that are basically sabotage – if cuts are to be made, they cut frontline services, or run up the greatest expense possible in signage changes.
  Many departments may need to oust key staff before the changes the Government wants are made.
  
  And come voting day, many voters should remember which Government foisted or facilitated Maorification on us to start with.
  
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  March 31, 2026 8:39am
  - MCōs
    
    Maori aren’t the chosen people
    https://x.com/cheburekiman/status/2036950111583166539?s=61
    
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    March 31, 2026 11:10am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      You seem to be unaware of the Pai Mārire faith and the Lost Tribes of Israel.
      
      Te Ua’s followers identified themselves with the Jews, calling their ministers Teu (Jews) and accepted the Jewish seventh-day Sabbath. They believed they were a second Chosen People and that, with divine aid, they would return from the wilderness to freedom in their hereditary land.
      
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pai_M%C4%81rire
      
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      March 31, 2026 11:57am
  - R
    
    ‘should remember which govt…’ NO they won’t. Most voters have a very short attention span. Some as short as the Monday following election day
    
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    March 31, 2026 2:40pm
- RoboRob
  
  I really like Judith but she just let the said the quiet part out loud…
  
  ‘In a statement, Collins noted that in 2024, ministers agreed the coalition commitment between National and New Zealand First would be responded to on a case-by-case basis.
  
  “This aligns with the Government’s priority that the public sector focus on frontline services. The Government expects agencies to be mindful of the fiscal environment and for taxpayer money to be spent carefully, including rebranding exercises,” Collins said.’
  
  Did anybody actually realise that this wasn’t a government mandate at all and was on a case by case basis? The second part really highlights Nationals position. I read it as ‘we dont care’. Like National have cut any significant spending.
  
  Poor Act, they are obviously getting piles of emails about this stuff and are actually responding and working for the people on NZ. They have to deal with NZF who have their eye off the ball on this one and National who would prefer not to do this at all.
  
  Oh and I call BS about the rebranding costs. It costs F all to update a logo (if even required) and a web site. Email footers cost nothing. All that remains is office signs and vehicle branding. Web sites are updates reularly anyway and cars are on three year leases. Unlike the old days of reprinting business cards and paper letterheads etc this stuff is cheap.
  
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  March 31, 2026 9:10am
  - David Garrett
    
    Robo: I agree with your last paragraph in its entirety. The cost of “rebranding” would be, as you say, negligible
    
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    March 31, 2026 9:22am
    - cmm (semi-retired edition)
      
      The cost of rebranding business cards etc is extremely low if you just use the existing ones until they are finished and then change any reprints.
      
      That’s after all happens to currency etc. Queen Lizzy’s notes stay in circulation and new notes come out with Charles III on them. They don’t do a recall.
      
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      March 31, 2026 9:52am
  - Ghost
    
    It’s very expensive to do….
    
    For example here are some costs that ai found
    
    Public Service Commission $11,460 New font, logo updates, and physical signage at their main office.
    
    Dept. of Internal Affairs (DIA) $741 Almost entirely digital; focused on updating website templates and email signatures.
    
    Rau Paenga (Crown Infrastructure) $560 Minor graphic design tweaks to the existing logo layout.
    
    NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) “Minimal” Initial costs were largely in-house labor for updating digital letterheads and templates.
    
    Health NZ (Te Whatu Ora) In-House / TBD Transitioned to “Health New Zealand
    
    Yesterday I was sitting outside the hospital watching the person cutting the hedge around the hospital flats. Had a little laugh. His van was still branded south canterbury district health board.. guess we just can’t be fucked with all the name changes down here.
    
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    March 31, 2026 9:30am
    - RoboRob
      
      Yeah, soooooo expensive. It’s almost like National are using the ‘expense’ as an excuse to not do it.
      
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      March 31, 2026 9:41am
      - imalwaysright
        
        And what is this “case by case” bullshit?
        Have they heard of group emails?
        How about :
        “As of this Friday we will be reviewing Government confidence in each CEO employed by the Public Service. As of next Friday we will do the same for their deputies.
        
        Lots of love
        Judith.”
        
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        March 31, 2026 9:51am
    - RoboRob
      
      Hey Ghost, your usually all over the details with these things. Were you aware (without doing more research) that the ‘English names first for public facing government agencies’ was actually only on a case by case basis?
      
      Until recently I thought it was all government agencies and only just discoverred the ‘only public facing’ clause. I am stunned it is on a case by case basis. Who chooses which ones rename and which ones dont?
      
      I really think we were sold a story here. This really has parallels with the ‘Remove the principles of the treaty from all legislation’ that has morphed into ‘from certain legislation’ and hasn’t actually happened either.
      
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      March 31, 2026 9:49am
  - NothingLeft
    
    I lost all respect for Judith when I learned that she had, of her own accord, done a Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety.
    
    She’s clearly in the camp of the bureaucratic civilizational wrecking crew.
    
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    March 31, 2026 1:03pm
  - rouppe
    
    It costs f all because they could simply reuse the previous ones
    
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    March 31, 2026 1:06pm
- peterwn
  
  They think that the current three years is an intermission before things get back to normal.
  
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  March 31, 2026 9:17am
  - RoboRob
    
    Same with the media. Who can blame them for thinking it.
    
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    March 31, 2026 9:31am
Simon

Looks like National govt finally understands that Iran is winning. NZ security services, on advice from UK intelligence, would have informed the govt on what is really happening. My god National are slow learners, but hopefully they wake up.
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March 31, 2026 8:29am
- David George
  
  What, if anything, makes you believe that the government (or anyone sane) “understands Iran is winning”?
  
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  March 31, 2026 10:51am
  - Simon
    
    Trump Admin & Israel govt have gone rouge.
    
    Trump & his Admins needs to be retired and the Israel govt needs to be replaced by lawful Israelis.
    
    Everyone can see this. Bombing universities. Its over
    
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    March 31, 2026 11:37am
    - David George
      
      The recent airstrikes damaged buildings at Iranian universities linked to nuclear, missile and other military research.
      A legitimate target IOW.
      The Mad Mullah missile and rocket attacks on residential neighbourhoods in Dubai, Bahrain and Israel – not so much.
      
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      March 31, 2026 1:48pm
    - Charlotte Wells
      
      Sales of blusher have reached record levels in the US and Israeli administrations.
      
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      March 31, 2026 4:54pm
  - Hard Cheese
    
    Iran is winning because the Straits of Hormuz are closed. Where the US and Israel are at with fulfilling their “objectives” (whatever they might be) is irrelevant. Iran is winning because the rest of the world is losing. It might just take critical oil, gas and fertiliser shortages for some people to wake up
    
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    March 31, 2026 3:47pm
- David George
  
  What could say “winning” better than recruiting children for war?
  
  “Iran is recruiting children as young as 12 to “defend the homeland” in a new nationwide campaign for the US-Israeli war, with registration booths set up at mosques across Tehran.
  
  An 11-year-old boy has already been killed while stationed at a military checkpoint”
  
  https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/30/iran-recruit-children-defend-the-homeland/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_tw_post_recruit-children-defend-the-homeland/
  
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  March 31, 2026 11:46am
Cassandra

Headline in The Times this morning: “Petrol is too pricey for going to the offices, says civil servants union.”

UK public servants are required to go to the office three days a week.
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March 31, 2026 8:40am
- RoboRob
  
  The NZ PSA is out in the media now pushing for work from home and potential mandates to ‘save fuel’. I read it more as ‘out staff fondly remember ”working” from home during COVID and we are keen to get back to that’.
  
  I suspect that fuel price rises are already doing enough to drop our national consumption by 5-10%.
  
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  March 31, 2026 9:04am
  - cmm (semi-retired edition)
    
    How long before we’re dobbing in our neighbours for going for a drive and any women driving around Northland are called prostitutes?
    
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    March 31, 2026 9:37am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      I suspect about 1 hour after restrictions come in….
      
      https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/412971/covid-19-reports-of-isolation-breaches-crash-website
      
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      March 31, 2026 9:59am
      - imalwaysright
        
        Imagine if the Chinese invaded.
        There would be so many informers there would be nobody left to inform on.
        (Actually, not a bad tactic…)
        
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        March 31, 2026 11:27am
    - R
      
      Wrong government!
      
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      March 31, 2026 2:52pm
  - In Vino Veritas
    
    I’ll bet they are keen. Remember last time they worked from home, FTE’s in Government increased dramatically.
    
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    March 31, 2026 9:56am
  - Handyman
    
    So, Wellington civil servants, who normally take the train to work, will work from home due to high petrol prices.
    These same civil servants will be seen motoring up Transmission Gully on Thursday afternoon for their Easter break.
    
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    March 31, 2026 10:03am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    For Wellington public servants:
    
    * catch the bus
    * catch the train
    * bike
    * scooter
    * walk
    
    If all else fails, car pool.
    
    No excuses, people. It’s a climate emergency, after all. And a liquid fuels emergency.
    
    Get yourself to the office.
    
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    March 31, 2026 10:25am
    - imalwaysright
      
      They’ve all moved to Christchurch and not told the office…
      
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      March 31, 2026 11:28am
  - rouppe
    
    What’s wrong with the bus for most of these people
    
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    March 31, 2026 1:08pm
- MCōs
  
  There’s another headline in The Times this morning
  “How to have great sex in your eighties”
  According to Mae West the answer for her is to get a twenty year old boy friend. Twenty goes into eighty a lot more than eighty goes into twenty.
  
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  March 31, 2026 9:05am
  - Charlotte Wells
    
    He’ed be doing it with the lights off.
    
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    March 31, 2026 12:54pm
  - NothingLeft
    
    “A handy guide”
    
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    March 31, 2026 1:04pm
- graham
  
  I suspect there are many unions and other such groups pushing this line. I know that various people in the Australian arm of the organisation I’m currently contracted to (large financial institution) are pumping out similar lines on the internal chats (“The Australian Energy Minister is advising to work from home to save fuel for critical functions, so we should relax the return to office requirements“)
  
  The requirement there is a minimum of 50% time spent in the office.
  
  I expect to see a lot more of this as those people who just loved the opportunities afforded to them during Covid are now hankering for “the good old days” and strangely unable to remember the dark ages (pre-2020) when it was actually normal to go into the office 5 days a week.
  
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  March 31, 2026 9:43am
- In Vino Veritas
  
  Laughable. The UK public servants don’t bloody drive to work, they get the train or a bus.
  
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  March 31, 2026 9:54am
KH

Thoughtful article from a senior Israeli.
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2026/3/30/did-israel-miscalculate-in-launching-the-war-on-iran
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March 31, 2026 8:46am
imalwaysright

Seems that Hipkins still has a job…
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March 31, 2026 8:47am
amospicton

The Greens want an enquiry into McCains and Watties shutting down. Perhaps if they considered the extra cost that policies such as theirs impose on businesses they might begin to understand.
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March 31, 2026 9:02am
- kowtow
  
  All parties have been responsible in one way or another for
  “de carbonising” .
  
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  March 31, 2026 10:39am
Quail

Another headline of note in Farmers Weekly March 22. Federated Farmers.
“ Farmers worse off in RMA overhaul”
Finally Feds have woken up to the fact this Government does not have their best interests at heart!
The issues are changes to the Natural Environment RMA act ,, inclusion of more indigenous Maori rights , and a near total disregard of any existing land users property rights.
The article makes sad reading for any land manager.
Add in the doubling or more of fines for breach’s of the act and it is pretty near a perfect storm for land managers! And at a time when NZ needs huge increases in productivity.
This is a Government that expects the rural vote.
I have to ask “ why would any thinking rural land manager vote for this???
Particularly when NZ needs huge increases in productivity!
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March 31, 2026 9:14am
Simon

“Greens call for ‘urgent inquiry’ into Heinz Wattie’s and McCain plant closures”

Does anyone have any insights into these particular plant closures? Is it just the normal decline in NZs manufacturing base or something in particular with these plants?
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March 31, 2026 9:22am
- Handyman
  
  The Green party should be careful what they wish for. According to Wattie’s, gas prices trebled since you-know-who banned gas.
  The destruction of manufacturing and processing is a glimpse of Green party net zero future.
  The Green party should celebrate this “great leap forward”. Sure, the last “great leap forward” caused 30 million Chinese to starve to death, but… but… this time it will be done properly.
  
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  March 31, 2026 11:57am
- grumpy
  
  The Watties factory in Christchurch at least (and anecdotally the others) were poorly maintained and run at cheapest possible cost. The plant is worn out and the cost to repair (not feasible) or replace is too expensive, especially with our low $NZ.
  Asset stripping by foreign owners.
  
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  March 31, 2026 12:58pm
  - In Vino Veritas
    
    Sorry grumpy, but if you believe running assets down to zero value is asset stripping you don’t know what asset stripping means.
    
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    March 31, 2026 2:54pm
    - grumpy
      
      I realise that mine is a rather elastic use of the term but I can’t think of a better way to describe wringing the last bit of life out of a production facility.
      
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      March 31, 2026 9:12pm
- In Vino Veritas
  
  Luckily Simon, since neither of those plants were or could be considered, strategic assets, the closure of them has nothing to do with the Government at all. But Swarbrick will play games of course. Mainly because she has zero understanding of business and zero financial capability. In fact, it’s difficult to figure out what skills she actually has. She can pull a decent “I’m confused” face though.
  
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  March 31, 2026 2:58pm
cmm (semi-retired edition)

When I saw a commentator on Youtube larking about the sinking of HMNZS Manawanui I thought he was just taking the piss.

But no, in a time of crisis, Ms Gray’s school teacher training really did kick in and she reminded everyone to go to the loo before getting in the lifeboats.

I am astounded that this would be top of her mind. Maybe it is an indictment of the Naval leadership that they think the people under command need such micromanagement.

No wonder the Navy cannot find sufficient competent people.
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March 31, 2026 9:46am
- imalwaysright
  
  “No wonder the Navy cannot find sufficient competent people.”
  
  They can’t find them because they aren’t looking for them. They don’t want competent people in the ranks because they know they would blow the whistle.
  
  Remember Judith Collins when she learned that the lady running the army wanted the brass to learn to speak Maori…
  “I was in Europe recently where the Armies are doing their very best to not have to learn Russian…”
  
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  March 31, 2026 9:59am
  - kowtow
    
    Pithy little quotes don’t fix the broken , broken that’s been going on for decades ……while she and co have been in power.
    
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    March 31, 2026 10:38am
  - Taieri
    
    They can’t find them because they aren’t looking for them.
    ————
    
    They can’t find them because they are not willing to pay them at the rates competitive with merchant shipping.
    
    5 1
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    March 31, 2026 10:50am
    - Taieri
      
      The salary range for an Engineer Officer in the RNZN is between 102 and 136K per annum and are entitled to 25 days of annual leave.
      A casual Chief Engineer in the Australian offshore industry gets over AUD300K plus 15% super and an equal time off.
      
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      March 31, 2026 3:46pm
      - rouppe
        
        Will the oil rig company train you and certify you?
        
        The Navy takes school leavers and puts them through the training.
        
        My plan was to join the Air Force at 18, do the 25 years, retire at 43 with a pension, go commercial or private from there.
        
        Undone when I was too tall for Strikemaster and I chose not to go the aircrew route.
        
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        March 31, 2026 5:03pm
- NothingLeft
  
  When the ship was damaged so badly that it was going to (slowly) sink there was really not much else to be done other than attend to trifling logistics of getting small number of crew into lifeboats.
  
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  March 31, 2026 10:08am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    It’s different for women, doncha know.
    
    5 1
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    March 31, 2026 12:42pm
Don Beckett

Trump, the master Troll. 😆

https://the-american-catholic.com/2026/03/30/no-more-kings-is-on-july-4th-every-year/
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March 31, 2026 10:02am
- RoboRob
  
  Oh come on down tickers. That was a funny post 🙂
  
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  March 31, 2026 10:53am
  - imalwaysright
    
    Humour doesn’t do well here as DB has noted previously . Shame really.
    
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    March 31, 2026 12:34pm
  - jacthecat
    
    Depends on your sense of humour.
    
    5 1
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    March 31, 2026 1:13pm
    - RoboRob
      
      Fair call, although I suspect due to his polorising nature the downticks were more about the fact that Trump made the joke. TDS is strong.
      
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      March 31, 2026 1:49pm
    - Don Beckett
      
      Or whether or not you have one at all.
      
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      March 31, 2026 4:22pm
Handyman

I find it a bit odd that after attacking 10,00 targets, the US is just getting round to attacking the missile sites that threaten the Strait of Hormuz. I would have thought it was a higher priority target.
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March 31, 2026 10:09am
- MCōs
  
  It’s funny how these things don’t work out how you think they should
  Russia has been attacking Ukraine for more than four years and still the latter fights back with rockets and drones.
  America bombed the shit out of North Vietnam for ten years or so and still lost the war.
  
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  March 31, 2026 11:21am
  - Charlotte Wells
    
    Debateable. The boobbing forced North Vietnam to the negotiation table and they made a peace treaty.
    
    However, as with commies everywhere they were never going to stick to the terms and as soon as they had rearmed they invaded the South.
    
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    March 31, 2026 12:58pm
    - Paulus
      
      But look at one of the world’s best economies in recent years – where – Vietnam.
      
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      March 31, 2026 2:14pm
      - Don Beckett
        
        ………started & initially propped up by the Yankee dollar.
        
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        March 31, 2026 2:55pm
      - Charlotte Wells
        
        $100 USD (roughly 2.5 million VND) is
        a significant amount of money in Vietnam, offering high purchasing power. It is roughly one-third of the average monthly salary. It can comfortably cover several days of travel expenses (food, hotel) or a full week of cheap street food and daily expenses.
        
        A monthly income of NZ$600 a month would suggest they have a long way to go.
        
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        March 31, 2026 4:59pm
      - rouppe
        
        I was in Vietnam a few years ago. Went on a scooter food tour.
        
        I was talking with my scooter driver lady who was really engaging and friendly and said to her “one of the things that impresses me the most is that if any country has cause to be resentful to white people it’s Vietnamese. Yet everywhere I go people are so friendly and welcoming”
        
        She replied, “well we can spend our lives looking backwards, or look forwards and make a positive life”.
        
        Certain peoples here could learn from that.
        
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        March 31, 2026 5:12pm
    - MCōs
      
      Let it rest, Charlotte
      
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      March 31, 2026 9:15pm
Tomtoddy

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1270630308508440 A great interview that should be compulsory viewing for Coalition politicians. How we can help ourselves and get our own diesel and get it relatively quickly and inexpensively.
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March 31, 2026 10:11am
- Master Mariner
  
  Thanks TT.
  Couple of takes,
  1. Shutting refinery is Own Goal
  2. Political instability
  3.Arse end of supply chains
  
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  March 31, 2026 11:38am
- grumpy
  
  Excellent video. I had no idea that Taranaki was so high producing and underdeveloped. Concentrating on diesel with a purpose built refinery in Taranaki is a great idea.
  
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  March 31, 2026 1:40pm
- CSadler
  
  Why is no-one talking about the (shutdown) Synfuels Plant in Taranaki? And grabbing our indigenous methanol to make our imported fuel go further?
  
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  March 31, 2026 5:16pm
In Vino Veritas

Milton Friedman on the Great Depression. Same as it ever was.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hK4FgvHaMOs
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March 31, 2026 10:23am
- Quail
  
  VV,
  Thank you.
  This should be compulsory viewing for all politicians, including local body politicians and anyone handling money that is not theirs
  Milton Friedman has made it crystal clear who is responsible and why!
  The tax that is inflation , and who is responsible for it! Plus the link between the RB and governance.
  Brilliant!
  
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  March 31, 2026 12:53pm
  - In Vino Veritas
    
    Quail, if you are interested, there’s a book on Friedman called “The Last Conservative”. Its very good and challenges the accusation that he had a limited social conscience. In fact, he was one of the first to propose a universal income, he called it a negative tax.
    
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    March 31, 2026 4:31pm
lifesgood

There’s a lot of talk lately about petrol versus electric cars but I never hear hybrid cars mentioned. I have a hybrid and it travels 3.9 ltrs to 100ks, less than half the fuel needed in a Petrol car and with fewer concerns that an electric car, i.e. running out of charge. Curious to know why they are never mentioned as a practical alternative.
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March 31, 2026 10:27am
- NothingLeft
  
  Hybrids are more expensive, heavier and less reliable, fuel savings will never come close to matching the increased purchase price. It’s a virtue signal – but then most car purchases decisions are more about ostentation, flexing for peers, than economics – cheap second hand imports are the only sensible choice from a utilitarian/economic standpoint.
  
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  March 31, 2026 10:42am
- Taieri
  
  I have a hybrid and it travels 3.9 ltrs to 100ks
  ————
  
  Kia Niro PHEV claims 0.7 ltrs/100 km consumption. Is this realistic or just a marketing hype? Has anyone got any practical experience with these cars?
  
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  March 31, 2026 10:52am
  - rouppe
    
    PHEV figured are misleading.
    
    The consumption figures are based on a fixed course of around 80km with acceleration, deceleration, hills, and cruising. PHEV’s do the first 50/60/70 km on electric alone, then do the remainder using fuel. Then they calculate the fuel consumption over 80km.
    
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    March 31, 2026 5:16pm
  - MCōs
    
    The Kia Niro PHEV is a plug in hybrid with 50-60km electric range. Thereafter it runs on petrol during which time the battery is charged to a limited degree.
    Depending on how far it’s driven an how often it’s plug in charged the makes a big difference with fuel consumption
    
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    March 31, 2026 5:25pm
- Dougal10
  
  They are classing hybrids as electric when quoting figures at the moment.
  
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  March 31, 2026 5:41pm
imalwaysright

The power of the Public Service is now at extreme levels and is being used to rule the country rather than be a service to it.

The public have become the servants of the Public Servants. It seems that even a change of Government has failed to bring them under control.
24 1
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March 31, 2026 10:28am
- Charlotte Wells
  
  The current government never intended to bring them under control.
  
  All promises and stated intentions were just ploys to win power.
  
  National put me in mind of the dog that chases every passing car.
  
  I have said this here before; if National win this years election it only tells them that we approve of what they have been (not) doing over the last 3 years.
  
  13 4
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  March 31, 2026 1:02pm
  - RoboRob
    
    Yes. Those that saying we must vote National to keep Labour out are missing that. There are other ways of keeping Labour out without rewarding Nationals inaction.
    
    5 3
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    March 31, 2026 1:51pm
  - imalwaysright
    
    Correct
    
    4 0
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    March 31, 2026 2:02pm
- NothingLeft
  
  All over the west govt bureaucracies have grown powerful to the point where it may not be possible to downsize them – they are predictably and inevitably morphing into repressive autocracies, enabled by ignorant and emotive left wing voters.
  
  7 0
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  March 31, 2026 1:12pm
- Paulus
  
  There are now some 63,657 Public Servants (Full time employees) and increase since being told to cut back by a 1.6% increase.
  Education increase of 3.70% is the largest single increase with OT 2.8% following.
  Am told that 54% are now women with an increase expected.
  Sir Brian – are you being mushroom – kept in the dark and fed bullshit.
  I expect so.
  
  7 1
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  March 31, 2026 2:21pm
- KKNZ2025
  
  You do understand that was Labours plan all along: stacking the public service staffing deck for 6 years with fellow traveller acolytes – an additional 18000 / 40% / $$2 billion pa. With no obvious improvement in public services.
  
  And since their election promises to tackle it National have consistently said “nothing to see here”
  
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  March 31, 2026 6:08pm
I remember when

New Kura Toa Highlights Power of Iwi-ed Education in Porirua: Porirua Whanau Centre.
“By embedding tikanga Maori and local knowledge, Kelly says the kura creates a learning environment that prioritises belonging, achievement, and long-term wellbeing…”
“For too long, our whanau have had to navigate systems that weren’t designed with them in mind.”

One of the reasons Maori are able to manipulate council and government decision making is that they present a prepared case.
Their schools and tertiary institutions all teach them the same line of reasoning, so their beliefs are of one mind.
Increasing numbers of Maori are focusing on careers in law and Maori issues within our laws.
Those opposing their arguments often arrive without knowledge of what the specific Maori issues (tikanga) will be.
This means that before the rest of the community’s need is considered the Maori arguments have already been discussed.
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March 31, 2026 10:29am
Swifty

All the talk lately has been about the Straights of Hormuz – well what about the Gays of Hormuz?

https://x.com/nocapongod_/status/2038700684770468125?s=46

Won’t somebody think of them?
10 2
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March 31, 2026 12:02pm
- Don Beckett
  
  “Do you think we should get Barron Trump to suicide bomb the ayatollahs ? ”
  😆 😆
  
  3 6
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  March 31, 2026 3:03pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

How about those crazy Greens, eh. If they didn’t exist, you couldn’t make ‘em up.

Fired Up Stilettos (a exotic dancer / prostitute member organisation) claim the Greens interrogated their chair, Bianca Beebe, regarding her past as a sex worker, raising concerns other parties would find archives of now-deleted nude photos and her history providing sexual services illegally on a work visa.

The Greens denied being an illegal immigrant sex worker precluded Beebe from being a candidate.

It makes you wonder who the Greens wouldn’t consider as a possible candidate for their List.

Link likely paywalled

http://www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360976823/green-party-says-sex-work-not-reason-candidate-was-rejected
7 1
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March 31, 2026 12:38pm
Pope Punctilious II

Great Replacement? Here is Spain’s answer to Chloe Swarbrick enthusing about replacing Spain’s “fascists and racists” with illegal immigrants who are being granted residence by the current government:
https://www.facebook.com/VisegradGroup24/videos/spains-far-left-leader/2340650903111568/
BTW, the subtitles are pretty accurate.
7 1
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March 31, 2026 12:44pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Chloe, eat your heart out!
  
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  March 31, 2026 7:06pm
Notsofast

And more on the Spanish euthenasia case:

The lawyer for Noelia Castillo Ramos’ father has allegedly stated:

“Noelia requested a 6-month postponement of her euthanasia to take the time to think, which was denied to her.”

https://x.com/i/status/2038684367413731435

More in the comments
3 4
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March 31, 2026 2:09pm
- Ghost
  
  no
  
  her final interview 3 days before she was euthanized
  
  “A ver si ya por fin puedo descansar, porque ya no puedo más. No puedo más con esta familia, no puedo más con los dolores, no puedo más con todo lo que me atormenta.”
  
  (Translation: “Let’s see if I can finally rest, because I can’t take it anymore. I can’t take this family anymore, I can’t take the pain anymore, I can’t take everything that torments me.”)
  
  article
  
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  March 31, 2026 2:28pm
  - Notsofast
    
    It seems the request for 6 months was from 2024 so that lapsed.
    RIP whatever the bleak journey traversed.
    
    1 2
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    March 31, 2026 4:19pm
    - Ghost
      
      No, she never requested 6 months, she never requested any delay. any delays in this have been caused by her father trying to stop what she wanted
      
      Your post completely falls apart with 2024 added. She fought for over 600 days to be allowed to follow through with her wishes
      
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      March 31, 2026 4:43pm
Graham Sharpe

David Wayne Tamihere conviction squashed! Another first order police and justice stuff up.
6 3
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March 31, 2026 3:03pm
- fernglas
  
  The Supreme Court decided that:
  1) Evidence was called at Tamihere’s trial from a convicted double murderer. That evidence was later proven to be false, which led to a miscarriage of justice.
  2) The Court of Appeal was wrong to find that notwithstanding the miscarriage of justice, they were satisfied of Tamihere’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt and that the convictions should stand
  3) The proper course was for a jury to decide the case, so a retrial is needed if the convictions are to be sustained.
  
  After 36 years I doubt that the Crown will want to go again, and I would foresee real concerns about whether a fair trial would be possible given the history of the case. However, I equally doubt that Tamihere would be successful in seeking compensation as the judgment is far from an exoneration.
  
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  March 31, 2026 5:50pm
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    It’s not denied that David Tamihere is a wrong ‘un. At the time of the murders, he was on the run from Police.
    
    However, the evidence presented by the Crown in this case was less than convincing.
    
    On the up side, he was kept out of circulation for 20 prime criminal offending years.
    
    Tamihere should be awarded compensation totalling just $1.
    
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    March 31, 2026 7:11pm
    - Beach Haven expat
      
      That may well influence the re-trial thinking. Tamihere has done a significant stretch and, even if he was found guilty somehow after all this time, would a judge just turn around and say ‘time served’ on whatever sentence is handed down?
      
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      April 1, 2026 2:09am
- greybeard
  
  You must be joking.
  “Another first order police and justice stuff up”:
  I would say they got the right man, but stuffed-up the way they got him.
  
  2 2
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  March 31, 2026 6:08pm
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360958388/man-charged-after-allegedly-throwing-puppies-whakatane-river
There are probably people who would say that the best outcome here was for someone to take those pieces of shit to the nearest tip and shoot them.
0 2
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March 31, 2026 6:05pm
- Ian Boag
  
  The body being found 70km away from the supposed murder scene is a hard bit to build into the case …
  
  2 0
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  March 31, 2026 6:46pm
Swifty

Some important marriage tips:

https://x.com/dorlinder/status/2038714310516527443?s=46

Wise indeed.
0 1
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March 31, 2026 6:51pm
Swifty

Naked and open duplicity from Aussie Imam:

https://x.com/ryandally08/status/2038805867471233492?s=46

Says one thing publicly, quite another privately.
1 0
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March 31, 2026 7:21pm
Swifty

Tologa Bay Area School principal Nori Parata takes a stand on local dope growers:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1TcWaP7wWY

Good on her.
1 0
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March 31, 2026 7:27pm

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