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April 13, 2026 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 13 April 2026

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General Debate

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Cassandra

reprint of the Leyland-Raine power plan:

1 Prioritise geothermal and hydropower expansion.

·2. Use wind and solar energy as a minority contribution, not the backbone of the system.

·3. Keep coal-fired and fast-start gas turbine plant available for peak demand.

·4. Invest urgently in large LNG storage and greatly expand refined fuel tank storage to reduce our vulnerability to global supply shocks.

·5. Accelerate domestic gas exploration to reduce reliance on imports.

·6. Consider a new refinery – for strategic resilience rather than as a market-driven choice.

·7. Plan for nuclear power, as many countries around the world are doing.

Tempting to promote No. 7 to No. 1.

And another thing: Iran has demonstrated that it can have a huge impact with minimum effort via Hormuz. Its leaders might have to learn to live underground but there’ll be repeats of this for a very long time, until there is real change. It’s a huge incentive for NZ to implement this plan.
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April 13, 2026 8:03am
- Poppax8
  
  I think we need to explore more hydro. There were plans for additional generation at Hawea plus four different hydro sites on Clutha river. I know there was no appetite for high dam at Luggate 15 years ago- but maybe some combo of Hawea and Clutha? More goeothermal! I like nuclear SMRs for big data centres but lot of luddites around.
  
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  April 13, 2026 8:20am
  - Quail
    
    P8,
    Wairau river hydro plan in Marlborough went through the consenting process , so it is still there!
    
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    April 13, 2026 10:42am
    - CJames
      
      There are a number of hydro projects that have been consented but they are too expensive to build – either power prices have to go up or construction/ compliance costs go down.
      
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      April 13, 2026 4:30pm
- Simon
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  Or the world can show some leadership and isolate that awful country Israel until they have a govt that wants to live peacefully.
  
  Israel are the problem. Solve the real problem
  
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  April 13, 2026 8:26am
  - Inandout
    
    Simon, you should be well aware that Middle East peace will never exist while Israel is continually targetted by hostile neighbours. If ever there was a situation where peace is attained through strength then Israel lives it. The oil producers don’t want the rabble rousing Arab nations to prevail as their countries lose tourism as well as oil revenues. Israel is looked upon with envy because of their excellence in technology and just about everything they carry out. China or Russia don’t supply their armaments like their neighbours enjoy. In fact Israeli inventiveness is on display in just about every item the world uses, especially in the field of technology.
    
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    April 13, 2026 9:59am
    - igm
      
      I had to swallow a camera for internal x-ray and even that was made by Israel . . . brilliant country, technology, and lovely persecuted people.
      
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      April 13, 2026 12:10pm
  - Wandering Star
    
    Exactly. If we go back to first principles, the “fuel crisis” is due only to the Strait of Hormuz being blocked, and the Strait of Hormuz is only blocked because Israel and the US started a war of choice against Iran, and they only started a war with Iran because Iran is conceivably the one remaining nation that can thwart Israel’s desire for uncontested regional dominance and the attendant ability to act with impunity, and the reason they feel entitled to this status is because of Hitler, or something.
    
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    April 13, 2026 10:15am
    - Gravelroad
      
      That remark about Hitler is a cheap shot – even for you.
      
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      April 13, 2026 12:20pm
      - kowtow
        
        Yes and the wider picture he paints is wrong anyway .
        
        The west /Asia insists on being energy dependent on a region that is inherently unstable , going back long before the creation of the state of Israel.
        
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        April 13, 2026 1:18pm
      - Wandering Star
        
        But it does all boil down to Hitler though. Israel, mass immigration, minority worship, anti-White hatred, global governance and thus loss of national sovereignty (except for Israel, of course) and more …. all derived from and justified by the myth of the Nazis. If you lack this 30,000 foot perspective, its difficult to make sense of the world.
        
        Even in 2026, there’s no escape from this weird obsession, and this is because it lies at the foundation of the liberal global order. If we stopped believing, that order would collapse.
        
        This is why being “a Nazi” is considered the ultimate sin (and correspondingly, why placing Jews on a pedestal is apparently expected) and why any attempt to think or speak of the Nazis or Hitler in terms anything less than absolute condemnation is such a minefield.
        
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        April 13, 2026 2:14pm
- peterwn
  
  I cannot see how a local oil refinery would improve fuel resilience. In current circumstances it would have been no use whatsoever – like a pub with no beer. if there was a glut of crude and a shortage of international refinery capacity, then a local refinery would make some sense, however cost per litre of product would be higher because of lack of scale compared with large modern refineries.
  
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  April 13, 2026 8:26am
  - Cassandra
    
    The authors argument is that crude is more accessible than refined products in difficult times. It’s a package deal with lots of parts.
    
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    April 13, 2026 8:38am
    - RoboRob
      
      Also if we did more exploration we might find we have our own crude.
      
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      April 13, 2026 8:45am
      - Yvette
        
        Or, at least check where exploration was headed with natural gas thought to be in the ocean basin off Oamaru.
        
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        April 13, 2026 8:58am
      - imalwaysright
        
        We should be picking the low hanging fruit which is geothermal.
        There is a field stretching from Taupo to White Island.
        Nuclear won’t happen here, and geothermal does the same job-produce steam to turn a turbine.
        
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        April 13, 2026 9:24am
      - grumpy
        
        WE actually export crude from Taranaki. Apparently it is very high quality and could not be refined in NZ (when we had a refinery)
        
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        April 13, 2026 11:54am
      - CJames
        
        i’malways right
        “which is geothermal. There is a field stretching from Taupo to White Island.”
        That is wrong. First there is a geothermal field at Kaikohe. Secondly, within the Taupo Rift zone only very small areas have exploitable geothermal. These are delineated by the low earth resistivity zones – caused by hot saline solutions.
        As the best example, there was well WK226 drilled in the 60s. It is near Aratiatia dam with Wairakei, Tauhara and Rotokawa power stations within 5km of the wellsite. That well is less than 70°C at the bottom – needs to be over 200°C to be useful. Even Rotorua is not that hot.
        
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        April 13, 2026 4:40pm
    - virtualmark
      
      Except that each refinery is tailored for a particular type/grade of crude … so your refinery can’t take crude from just anywhere and you are vulnerable to your chosen oil field disappearing (through exhaustion or, say, Middle East wars).
      
      Marsden Point was tailored for a Middle Eastern crude (I want to say from Bahrain or Qatar). If it were still operating today there would be concerns about it needing to shut-down at some point because that crude had become unavailable.
      
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      April 13, 2026 10:52am
    - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
      
      Crude also keeps much longer, refined fuel needs very careful management.
      
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      April 13, 2026 2:44pm
    - CJames
      
      Refineries are built to handle a certain crude mix – heavy/ light sweet/ sour and also what the output will be. That restricts where they can get their oil from.
      
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      April 13, 2026 4:33pm
  - Master Mariner
    
    Preaching to the unconverted (Again).
    
    From March 2020 report ( Which seems to be scrubbed in the internet ?).
    From AI.
    1. March 2020 ReportTitle: Refining NZ: Impact of Conversion to Fuels TerminalFocus: The physical and structural changes to the supply chain.Operational Changes: It detailed how the Refinery to Auckland Pipeline (RAP) would remain the primary route for Auckland’s fuel but noted the total loss of coastal shipping (tankers) and local crude processing.Inventory Reduction: It warned of a significant 25–30% drop in physical onshore fuel volumes because crude oil and intermediate stocks would no longer be held.By-product Risks: It was the first to sound the alarm on the loss of “incidental” products like food-grade CO2 and sulphur, which were refinery by-products.Context: This report was written just as COVID-19 began to crash global refining margins, making the conversion a “live” commercial possibility.”
    
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    April 13, 2026 9:48am
    - Ghost
      
      This?
      
      https://www.mbie.govt.nz/dmsdocument/15260-refining-nz-impact-of-conversion-to-fuels-terminal
      
      https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/443869/marsden-point-closure-could-expose-nz-to-fuel-security-risks-report-says
      
      https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/447336/marsden-point-national-attacks-conflicing-reports-on-refinery-s-future
      
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      April 13, 2026 9:52am
      - Master Mariner
        
        Yep, Thats the one. Thanks.
        
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        April 13, 2026 10:46am
  - grumpy
    
    This explains the situation very well. We can easily be self sufficient in oil.
    https://rcr.media/episodes/dave-bennett-oil-gas-exploration-veteran-expert-nz-could-be-refining-diesel-in-a-year/
    
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    April 13, 2026 12:04pm
- Grumpy Silver Top
  
  So very right. Leyland and Raine recognise that we must rebuild our lost self sufficiency, not only with vital energy resources but in food production for local consumption. The god of profits has shifted a significant amount of food manufacturing into the hands of offshore corporates that have no loyalty to New Zealand producers or workers.
  
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  April 13, 2026 8:36am
  - kowtow
    
    One of the bigly reasons that manufacturing is hemorrhaging abroad is due to high energy prices , which are due to govt interference in the power system due to climate catastrophising.
    
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    April 13, 2026 9:23am
  - R
    
    The Marxist unions have driven wages up, at the expense of productivity. Unions have made their members too EXPENSIVE to employ. UNIONS, and their practices, have driven the employment opportunities OFF SHORE.
    
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    April 13, 2026 11:21am
    - Paulus
      
      How can that be so as we have the second highest hourly wage in the OECD !
      Remember, I am told that the Union Leaders get the same wage proportion increase (and a new BMW) as the terms that they get their members.,
      
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      April 13, 2026 3:49pm
- judith8409121
  
  it all made sense until number 7, NZ can’t do nuclear power for many reasons – but these are some of them:
  country is too small, it sits on a land mass that has earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes, nz does not have the expertise, the cost is too great, there are many other forms of power production that is cheaper and more viable. NZ is not even close to producing enough power with is abundance of coal and geothermal. The idea of nuclear is a pipe dream
  
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  April 13, 2026 9:32am
  - wsk12345
    
    SMRs are quite different to conventional nuclear which was large units, too big for our system.
    
    I think a watching brief is good, they won’t be commercially viable for us anytime soon but when they are should be considered.
    
    Meantime a big efficient clean new Huntly, full steam ahead on geothermal, look for gas and see if we can revive some hydro and get it past the hypocrite environmentalists who are happy to import products of fossil fuels etc but not to use our own.
    
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    April 13, 2026 10:26am
    - Colville
      
      New Zealand takes a decade or more to make a decision like this…we should be starting that conversation now ahead of the technology.
      
      We ARE going to need the power!
      
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      April 13, 2026 1:09pm
  - Taieri
    
    country is too small, it sits on a land mass that has earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes, nz does not have the expertise, the cost is too great,
    ———-
    
    Bulgaria, a country of 6.1M has currently 2 operational and 2 planned reactors.
    
    Finland, a country of 5.6M has 2 nuclear power plants with 5 reactors.
    
    Slovakia, a country with 5.4M population has 5 operational nuclear reactors.
    
    Slovenia, a country of 2.1M has one small nuclear power station.
    
    Japan, a country that has earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes and numerous nuclear reactors still in operation even after Fukushima.
    
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    April 13, 2026 10:30am
    - Inandout
      
      Tai, I watched a video last night of the biggest sub in the US navy. The small nuclear plant powers the desalination, air purity and water cleansing on the sub and the nuclear plant can carry on for 30 years without refueling. Imagine also how much fuel all US navy nuclear powered vessels save over oil based.
      
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      April 13, 2026 11:21am
  - RoboRob
    
    country is too small -> No impact.
    earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes -> not really issues for modern Nuclear. See Japan etc.
    cost is too great -> Yes startup cost is very high, but ongoing cost is low.
    other forms of power production that is cheaper and more viable -> yes, geothermal in particular. Hydo is limited and Wind / solar are not basline power.
    
    Nuclear is an excellent power source that can provide stable baseline power. It is especially good around things like high power users such as datacenters , aluminium refineries etc. Unlike most other sources it can be built near demand, reducing the massive cost of network infrastructure buildouts. It should be on the menu of options.
    
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    April 13, 2026 10:53am
  - imalwaysright
    
    Correct.
    Having nuclear being discussed as an option merely feeds the procrastinators while other realistic options get ignored.
    
    Maybe we should be offering decent incentives for exploration companies.
    This should have been done 2 1/2 years ago, but it appears they couldn’t be arsed.
    
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    April 13, 2026 11:15am
    - Ghost
      
      A lot of work went into it, it was due to pass near the end of 2024 after labour and greens held it up in committee, but the oil industry wanted changes to liability, so it had to be rewritten
      
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      April 13, 2026 11:28am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    I’d prefer more geothermal over nuclear: one fewer thing to go wrong.
    
    And, data centres are a bit of a cargo cult thing. Having them onshore makes us seem hi tech cutting edge, but once the building is assembled, there’s not much in it for NZ. The electricity we sell comes with the caveat that it’s nigh-on impossible to turn the dial down in times of shortage (unlike Tiwai Pt & other industrial electricity users).
    
    Imagine being the politician who tells the populace that their lights & heaters need to be switched off in favour of the local data centre’s higher priority.
    
    Tell me that contract won’t happen.
    
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    April 13, 2026 12:35pm
- Taieri
  
  All excellent points. Are they realistic though? Not likely as long as the present political attitudes prevail.
  
  A very enlightening example is the opposition to lignite to diesel conversion:
  
  https://pce.parliament.nz/media/m1vcbtql/pce-lignite.pdf
  
  It looks like we need to starve first, before we start to learn…
  
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  April 13, 2026 9:44am
  - Master Mariner
    
    Report 2010 , Climate alarmism at its height,
    Maybe there is a new appetite to re explore this.
    There certainly should be
    
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    April 13, 2026 10:59am
- wsk12345
  
  I worked with Bryan Leyland in a past life. Thought he was a bit of a nutter tbh. Now i find myself agreeing with pretty much all of his articles. Not sure if his views have changed or mine, or we were just disagreeing on detail.
  
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  April 13, 2026 10:22am
- virtualmark
  
  I bumped into Brian Leyland a bit when I worked as an engineer, and had John Raine as a lecturer back in the day. Both smart people although Brian can be a bit … individual. I read their piece but I’m not 100% there on their recommendations.
  
  We need to weigh the practical economics as well as the engineering. Those practical economics are stacked very heavily against new refineries and nuclear power. The private sector isn’t going to jump at either of those options and that should be a clear signal to all. it’s also going to be hard to convince the private sector to fund gas exploration – there’s a sense that if there was another big field out there we’d have found it by now.
  
  I also disagree with their take on grid-scale batteries – mainly re what size of battery you need. Yes, 12-24 hours of battery storage would be good. More than that the cost:benefit equation swings to managing demand rather than supplying more battery storage.
  
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  April 13, 2026 10:58am
Gravelroad

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360962750/it-time-aunty-helen-return-why-extraordinary-times-call-extraordinary-measures
Here’s something funny, for a change.
Bring back Buck would be more useful though.
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April 13, 2026 8:13am
- rouppe
  
  Urgh…
  
  Silly tart went on about Spain being a solar super power again completely unaware that they had a complete collapse of their grid.
  
  It’s no wonder people are leaving if all they read is constant whining like that.
  
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  April 13, 2026 8:22am
- Simon
  
  Clark was the only competent leader Labour have had. Like her or not. She had Cullen as well which helped
  
  National of course are utter garbage, everyone can see this. But what is missing is a govt in waiting, which hot stinking garbage Labour ain’t. Hence the crying over Clark.
  
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  April 13, 2026 8:24am
  - R
    
    There would have been a lot more crying, if Comrade Helen had still been in power!
    
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    April 13, 2026 11:24am
- Tomtoddy
  
  This was written by someone noted as a “reporter”. In fact, it is an opinion piece by a person who is no better qualified to proffer her views than someone taken randomly off the street.
  
  Stuff should be more honest and say up front that it is a rag pushing radical left wing views and that it makes little effort to provide balance.
  
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  April 13, 2026 8:32am
  - pdm
    
    `Scatty’ is an old word that would sum up Verity Johnson.
    
    Her pieces on Stuff are never worth a click – I learned that over a year ago.
    
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    April 13, 2026 8:43am
    - RoboRob
      
      Slow learner 🙂
      
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      April 13, 2026 8:45am
- alex Masterley
  
  The author of this piece demonstrates the truth of my favourite aphorism. “Opinions are like arseholes, we all have them.”
  
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  April 13, 2026 8:36am
- Grumpy Silver Top
  
  Until she said she was not joking I was sure irony was the prime driver of this opinion piece. She doesn’t look old enough to have been alive during the Helen years, certainly not as an adult.
  As a baby boomer, whose taxes funded the construction of the infrastructure and technology we rely on and one of those whose relative frugality means I am financially secure (not rich, Chloe!) I constantly remind myself that my life experiences are incomprehensible to many of those under 30 years old.
  
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  April 13, 2026 8:51am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    Verity is older than she looks. Her photo is either an AI mashup, taken after a Botox procedure or both.
    
    Expanding on that, apparently “influencers” have to look young or their opinions won’t be taken seriously, hence the prevalence of AI filters & Botox etc.
    
    Whatever happened to the wisdom of the elders?
    
    One of many deleterious effects of modern life is the cult of youth, which prizes fresh thinking over the scars of experience.
    
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    April 13, 2026 11:21am
  - R
    
    ‘ under 30 years’ Grumpy;….how about under 50 yes, judging by comments I read and hear!
    
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    April 13, 2026 11:26am
- Taieri
  
  Here’s something funny, for a change
  ————-
  
  It would be funny if it wasn’t for a fact that many people read this sort of drivel and start nodding their heads in agreement. Perhaps not so much about the Auntie Helen stuff part, but about all this renewables will make us a great economical superpower nonsense. Wonder why they publish such shite, it’s not even an opinion piece. Opinion pieces have content, this one contains just an intellectual vacuum.
  
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  April 13, 2026 9:56am
- Bevan
  
  I see Stuff wisely disabled comments on that story – they probably figured the response would be overwhelmingly: “get f&*^ed”
  
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  April 13, 2026 1:01pm
imalwaysright

If anyone has wondered why movies these days are generally rubbish then this may be the reason:

https://www.oscars.org/awards/representation-and-inclusion-standards

Film makers have to meet racist and bigoted quotas in the making of their movies otherwise they won’t be considered.
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April 13, 2026 8:44am
Frank the tank

Anyone else disgusted by the ClimateCult attitude our media took with a mid-strength tropic depression.

You could see on the news last night that they were disappointed it wasn’t something where they could pimp their net zero lunacy.
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April 13, 2026 8:46am
Nikola Donatello

I would like to see the mainstream media sanctioned by the press council for their sensationalist and false coverage of this cyclone.

As I said yesterday on GD, metservice regularly updated their forecasts for each region. Going back to Friday it was clear that the storm would land east of corramandel. Primarily as a wind event with gusts of 130 kmh. Sure this can cause damage but not devastation as we see such winds in Wellington a couple of times each year.

All the media had to do was to calmly report the forecasts. Instead they promoted hysteria for about 5 days.
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April 13, 2026 8:46am
- Ehlana
  
  Do our media know how to calmly report facts?
  
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  April 13, 2026 8:57am
  - G152
    
    You mentioned fact and media in the same sentence some would think they go together/
    They dont
    
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    April 13, 2026 9:07am
    - R
      
      A media OXYMORON!
      
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      April 13, 2026 11:28am
  - Nobby2
    
    Ehlana,
    Our media don’t know how to report facts, let alone report anything calmly.
    
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    April 13, 2026 10:53am
  - Nobby2
    
    Ehlana,
    Our media don’t know how to report facts, let alone how to report anything calmly.
    
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    April 13, 2026 10:58am
  - Paulus
    
    In the BOP our media has a new name as Local Democrat Reporting – (ex PIJF).
    They would not know democracy if it hit them on the bum !
    
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    April 13, 2026 3:56pm
- R
  
  Remember, this is election year; and the MSM have an AGENDA, which doesn’t include promoting DEMOCRACY IN NZ
  
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  April 13, 2026 8:59am
NoCash

How would the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz work? I doubt the US Navy would dare to sink Chinese and Russian flagged ships.
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April 13, 2026 9:14am
- RoboRob
  
  My understanding is that this is much more about using the military to take control of the strait and by doing slow re enable transit. Its ‘ending Irans blockade’. I think it is mislabelled.
  
  Yes there is some talk about blocking ships that have paid Irans ‘tax’ and potentially blocking Irans vessals. The later would put additional pressure on the Iranians to negotiate.
  
  The ‘blockade’ may simply mean that Oil prices return to normal even if the war drags on. Thats great for us.
  
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  April 13, 2026 9:27am
  - imalwaysright
    
    If Iran’s favoured buyers are getting their tankers through, then the estimate of 20% of world supply being lost is wrong.
    
    It could be only 10%, in which case why are we paying double for diesel?
    
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    April 13, 2026 9:39am
    - NoCash
      
      China is the largest refiner in the world and has banned export of refined products since the early stage of the conflict, hence the high price of diesel.
      
      Also, although the US is a net crude exporter, the US has to import heavy crude for making diesel and jet fuel as US refineries are not configured for the US domestic light crude.
      
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      April 13, 2026 10:41am
      - NeverMindTheBollocks
        
        Hence Venezuela’s heavy crude, or Canadian tar sand oil.
        
        I doubt the US needs anything from beyond the Western Hemisphere.
        
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        April 13, 2026 12:20pm
  - Paulus
    
    Sink a couple of Tankers strategically and the Strait is closed for a long while !
    Who will do it first ?
    
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    April 13, 2026 11:07am
    - Don Beckett
      
      Wouldn’t work. There are a number of channels through the SoH, so sinking a few tankers would simply mean taking an alternative channel – say closer to UAE.
      
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      April 13, 2026 11:26am
      - Ghost
        
        No, there is no path through the strait closer to the UAE. The only path through it is between Iran and Oman, and that is where you’d sink the ships.
        
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        April 13, 2026 12:11pm
      - Don Beckett
        
        The Oman side of the SoH is the deepest, with the UAE coast inside the Persian Gulf is shallow close to the shore, but adequate depth further out without have to go close to the Iranian shore, which is also shallow.
        
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        April 13, 2026 12:40pm
      - Ghost
        
        Go look at a map, the only way through the strait is by Oman and Iran. There is no getting around that. There is no route that bypasses that. Their is no UAE route through
        
        https://c8.alamy.com/comp/3BMD8MW/strait-of-hormuz-colored-political-map-showing-the-shipping-lanes-sea-passage-from-persian-gulf-to-open-ocean-3BMD8MW.jpg
        
        Looks like you realized you were wrong and deleted most your rubbish
        
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        April 13, 2026 12:49pm
      - Don Beckett
        
        Have another look at your map.
        Google: “Yes, the water depth between Ras Al Khaimah and Abu Musa island is sufficient for supertankers. This area, part of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, features deep shipping channels allowing for the passage of the world’s largest oil tankers and vessels, often navigating specifically between Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunb islands.”
        You will note that your map states that it is UAE territorial waters.
        
        8 1
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        April 13, 2026 1:11pm
      - MCōs
        
        A reminder that after the six day war in 1967 the Suez Canal was shut for eight years
        Same, same, but different
        
        4 0
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        April 13, 2026 1:59pm
      - Ghost
        
        Don’t need to look at the map. You are the one who claimed that there was a “ alternative channel – say closer to UAE..”. There isn’t. There are channels leading up to the strait but there is no alternative, you have to go past Oman and Iran.
        
        Read slowly if you can’t understand. To get through the strait you have to go through where Oman and Iran are located and sinking a few tankers there will be the end, there is no alternative channel, unless you want to put the tanker on your back and carry it over land.
        
        Abu Musa island Isn’t the strait, it is at the entrance to the strait In the Persian gulf. There is no other channel through the strait but to go by Iran and Oman
        
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        April 13, 2026 8:10pm
    - R
      
      Trump intended to ensure that ‘no one’, sinks à Tanker FIRST. MSM don’t understand the difference between blockade and managed control of transit.
      
      6 3
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      April 13, 2026 11:33am
- MCōs
  
  I expect we’re going to find out
  It doesn’t pay to second guess what might happen tomorrow with President Trump at the helm
  He’s a human version of cyclone Vaianu. Unpredictable course and not what it’s cracked up to be
  
  12 11
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  April 13, 2026 9:39am
  - imalwaysright
    
    Don’t see too much of Uncle Ben lately, has he legged it?
    
    3 4
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    April 13, 2026 9:45am
  - RoboRob
    
    Yup, His unpredictable nature is great when dealing with other crazies but does make it hard going for observers 🙂
    
    9 1
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    April 13, 2026 9:45am
- Ghost
  
  I expect china will keep escorting their tankers through and will ignore the trump blockade
  
  7 5
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  April 13, 2026 9:49am
  - SGA
    
    As I said in today’s leading thread about Iran – this is where is gets interesting. How much does China depend on this oil supply? What would the USA do if China did decide to escort ships through a blockade? I don’t know the answers, but the potential for escalation seems worth a gentle consideration.
    
    8 2
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    April 13, 2026 10:10am
    - MCōs
      
      Trump won’t confront a country he can’t bomb with little fear of serious retaliation
      Russia, China, North Korea, Israel
      He prefers threatening Canada, Greenland, Cuba, Venezuela, Iran
      
      6 15
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      April 13, 2026 12:38pm
      - Don Beckett
        
        Why would he want to bomb any of those countries?
        
        8 5
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        April 13, 2026 12:41pm
      - MCōs
        
        For exactly the same reason(s) he’s bombing Iran
        * promote regime change
        * because they’re developing nuclear weapons
        
        3 9
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        April 13, 2026 1:41pm
      - Don Beckett
        
        Well I suppose if they had nuclear weapons, & then threatened to use them to destroy the USA & Israel like The Mad Mullahs in Iran have done, He probably would. That is the sole reason why the Iranian Islamic Republic is being bombed.
        I suppose you failed to notice that 80 – 90% of the Persian people of Iran support Trump & Israel?
        
        3 2
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        April 13, 2026 3:00pm
- Master Mariner
  
  The only way they can is to board /escort departing ships (after transiting SOH and well outside SOH), The fact they have not speaks volumes.
  This flies against UNCLOS and the right of innocent passage ( UN Law of the Sea). Most are tankers China bound with crude abeit limited numbers still.
  There is so much misinformation about this war you really need access accurate sources and join your own dots.
  
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  April 13, 2026 9:58am
  - NoCash
    
    Like Russian tankers sailing through the Channel unimpeded when escorted by Russian warships.
    
    6 0
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    April 13, 2026 10:24am
  - Taieri
    
    This flies against UNCLOS and the right of innocent passage
    ————
    
    Iran has signed but has not ratified UNCLOS.
    
    4 0
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    April 13, 2026 10:51am
    - Master Mariner
      
      Actually the US has not ratified too, However spent the last 6 Decades defending it.
      Iran not a signatory but agreed to prior UNCLOS agreement.
      Seems like a legal minefield on whether in breach or not?
      
      4 0
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      April 13, 2026 12:15pm
- NoCash
  
  OK, it seems Trump has already changed his plan, the blockade is now limited to ships from and to Iranian ports, so looks like ships to and from GCC ports are allowed through even if toll is paid.
  
  8 0
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  April 13, 2026 10:20am
- virtualmark
  
  How to up-size your dispute with Iran to being a dispute with China …
  
  5 7
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  April 13, 2026 11:00am
- Handyman
  
  The problem won’t arise if the loading facilities at Kharg Island are obliterated.
  
  3 3
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  April 13, 2026 11:06am
- Charlotte Wells
  
  I would suggest the US Navy would do more than the late, lamented, Royal Navy.
  
  A sanctioned Russian shadow fleet tank has just sailed through the English Chanel. It was escorted by a Russian warship.
  
  The Royal Navy, with 40 Admirals and no working warships, tailed along behind with a fleet replenishment ship.
  
  If I was a Falkland Islander I would be brushing up on my spanish.
  
  4 0
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  April 13, 2026 2:53pm
Yvette

Photo says it all: How Shane Jones reacted to Government’s oil news
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/103068858/photo-says-it-all-how-shane-jones-reacted-to-governments-oil-news

This is not only an expression of Shane’s shame, but also he will know the real reason behind Winston following this trade-off.
8 0
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April 13, 2026 9:45am
- Jethrod
  
  That photo of Shane, hand over mouth and eyes, is the best news item of that day. Best political photo of the year.
  The worst was from the 2 incompetents to his right.
  
  8 0
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  April 13, 2026 10:11am
  - Yvette
    
    If Shane was so ashamed of what was being announced, what was Winston’s real reason for telling him to do it?
    Surely that photo of Shane, hand over mouth and eyes, is the worst news item of that day! Shane’s theatricals meant not one iota to Winston’s intent.
    
    7 0
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    April 13, 2026 11:20am
    - MCōs
      
      That’s what NZ 1st signed up to when they joined the governing coalition
      They could have said no way Jose , but I expect expect there was some sort of trade off by Labour or the Greens
      
      1 0
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      April 13, 2026 1:51pm
DimChappie

How to ruin a city: Danyl McLauchlan shows how Wellington councils wasted funds meant to maintain critical infrastructure. Outsourcing diluted council control of projects. Green MP Tamatha Paul comments after being falsely blamed for diverting water funds to cycleways.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-listener/new-zealand/out-of-control-how-to-absolutely-positively-kill-a-well-resourced-capital-city/premium/PTPU5TVNFBEC3PHCVOGIP4UEPU/
8 2
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April 13, 2026 10:01am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Ex CEO Barbara McKerrow has a lot to answer for. How is it that so many monumental stuff ups happened on her watch?
  
  Wanganui ratepayers be warned: she’s the acting CEO of your Council.
  
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  April 13, 2026 12:27pm
Master Mariner

Right on song,

“Trump orders blockade of Hormuz Strait • FRANCE 24 English”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcUbwb8kjOg
I think its time to realise any “Rules based order” is no longer valid.
War over any time soon ? I don’t think so.
Petrol / Diesel in NZ.?
What is the Plan ?
8 2
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April 13, 2026 10:05am
- Paulus
  
  Oil Price is reducing already at some petrol station’s here !
  
  4 4
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  April 13, 2026 11:09am
  - MCōs
    
    According to Gaspy the price of 91 is pretty much the same right now as we paid at the same outlet on 1-Avril, which is 40% more than not long before that
    
    1 0
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    April 13, 2026 4:40pm
- cmm (semi-retired edition)
  
  Pundits say the blockade could add $10/barrel to the price of oil. That’s 5cents/litre.
  
  1 1
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  April 13, 2026 11:39am
  - 70andstilllearning
    
    Looking at energy market openings this morning it looks like oil, gasoline and LS gasoil have all gapped upwards. Oil & LG gasoil around 9% and gasoline ~5+% ish for cash and immediate futures. That’s just under the $10/Bbl but 9% on LSG makes 5c seem a little light for what might happen with diesel. Interesting times coming up …… 🙁
    
    3 2
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    April 13, 2026 12:50pm
- MCōs
  
  Brent Crude has gone up from $95 when I first looked this morning to $102
  
  2 0
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  April 13, 2026 2:55pm
  - greybeard
    
    Who IS this “Brent Crude” ?
    
    1 2
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    April 13, 2026 4:02pm
    - MCōs
      
      If you weren’t confused before – you will be now
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brent_Crude
      
      1 0
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      April 13, 2026 4:24pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Thank an immigrant for keeping NZ working…

https://www.brashandmitchell.com/post/lindsay-mitchell-immigrants-pull-their-weight
10 0
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April 13, 2026 10:45am
- cmm (semi-retired edition)
  
  Immigrants are self-selecting and generally motivated – relative to their peers they left behind.
  
  Immigration is far easier now than it was when I immigrated in the 1990s. Now it’s just a few clicks on a website and submitting some basic forms etc.
  
  But these stats that just glob all immigrants together are not instructive.
  
  The thousands of immigrants that prop up our health system are not the same as the thousands who compete for low end jobs in filling stations, Uber driving, etc.
  
  The article looks at raw numbers. I think it would be slightly different if it looked at %.
  
  48,000 Maori on JobSeeker-Work-Ready benefit is over 10% of the employment age Maoripopulation (18 to 64). Add to that another 28,000 on supported living and 25,000 on disability allowance (another 15%).
  Then add another 4000+ in prison and it doesn’t leave many Maori doing any work…
  
  21 1
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  April 13, 2026 11:37am
  - Sparrow
    
    The anti Māori comments on this blog are sickening. I live in Northland and mix with New Zealanders of different ethnicities many are hard working Māori. In fact some Māori tradies have been working on an addition to my place. There are lazy bastards in all ethnicities. Why not recognise that during bad weather events such as the latest Marae’s are open to all ethnicities. We are all kiwis.
    
    6 11
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    April 13, 2026 1:31pm
    - imalwaysright
      
      Sparrow,
      Quoting stats isn’t racist, in fact ignoring them in the interest of not embarassing people is just painting over rust.
      The real question is why are the stats bad?
      I think that,since the 70’s, Maori have been used to fuel the gravy trains that depend on poor statistics for their funding.
      Maori are effectively in a type of slavery where their ability to do well has been suppressed and discouraged to keep them barefoot and pregnant and robbed of self belief.
      
      3 0
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      April 13, 2026 2:39pm
    - cmm (semi-retired edition)
      
      The recent storms did bring the eye onto Mateku. Mateku – a town of 1200 or so – has two Marae which were given over $7 million in 2020 from the regional slush fund.
      
      “We are all kiwis.”
      Clearly not. Some of us are more kiwi than others.
      
      I am sure we can find hard working people in any group – yes, Maori included. But we need to stop this bullshit that there is a valuable Maori economy etc.
      
      If you were to cleave off Maori into a separate economy you would soon see that the taxes paid by Maori are insufficient to pay for the benefits that Maori get.
      
      In other words there is a Maori economic pit – not an economy.
      
      Yes, please, let us stop treating everyone differently. Let’s stop with the excuses. Let’s stop with the hand outs. Let’s stop with the racist politics.
      
      Perhaps you can explain why we have Maori Wardens? Perhaps why there are 3x as many habitual criminals amongst Maori people? Perhaps explain why there are so many Maori kids being bludgeoned to death.
      
      Nasty Kiwibloggers are not doing any of those things.
      
      11 1
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      April 13, 2026 4:08pm
      - Don Beckett
        
        I think you mean Maketu. It is a lovely little village at the mouth of the Kaituna river about 20 kms. along the coast from Mt.Maunganui. My grandfather had a bach there in the 1940’s & 50’s & spent many happy times there in my childhood & early youth.
        Stil have friends that live there.
        But yes, it has had a few radical agitators from there in recent years, but none of them are my rellies. 🙂
        
        1 1
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        April 13, 2026 5:25pm
  - Paulus
    
    Why should they work when they can get from the Taxpayer all they want and need !
    Freebee experts are they not ?
    Why would they work for just $29 per hour – cheap labour.
    
    1 2
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    April 13, 2026 4:01pm
- Damocles11
  
  It’s all a bit ‘straw man’. Nobody ever said immigrants were not meeting their societal obligations, paying their taxes etc. If immigrants were the culpable party is some huge nationwide crime spree then we’d all know about it and they’d be a huge public outcry. People have a favourable impression of immigrants in so far as we believe they are meeting their obligations. Where the issues arise is when we consider what work these immigrants are doing, and what stresses they are placing on our existing infrastructure, health system, natural resources etc. We have a growing population but declining GDP per capita numbers. We have a growing population but a static productive sector, the sector that enables us to pay our way in the world. We have a growing population but a huge infrastructure deficit and strained services. So something is going wrong. The immigrants might be ‘nice people’ but it is still fair and reasonable to query we are pursuing the correct economic strategy. I maintain immigration is primarily being used in enrich the property industry and corporate vested interests such as the duopoly, while keeping wage and salaries lower than they otherwise would be. It’s a dead-end economic ‘strategy’ which has run its course. We need to change tack and seriously address our chronic problems regarding productivity and innovation.
  
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  April 13, 2026 1:01pm
MCōs

These people in the Budapest metro seem pretty pleased
https://x.com/bertold_k/status/2043420045603160360?s=61
2 2
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April 13, 2026 2:53pm
- Charlotte Wells
  
  The new government is expected to turn toward Europe and NATO and leave behind the Russian hegemony.
  
  We can probably expect a small, breakway province to agitate for greater support of
  the ethnic Russian population.
  
  The self-defence militia will be composed of ‘retired’ Russian Spetznaz troops who will aquire a BUK missile launcher and shoot down a Malaysian Airlines passenger plane.
  
  In due course Putin will order a special military operation to de-Nazify Hungary.
  
  3 1
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  April 13, 2026 3:00pm
  - Taieri
    
    We can probably expect a small, breakway province to agitate for greater support of
    the ethnic Russian population
    ————-
    
    There’s no Russian ethnic population in Hungary.
    
    1 0
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    April 13, 2026 5:58pm
cmm (semi-retired edition)

In the 1980s I attended the first university of any substance in Africa – which is now the last good university in Africa: University of Cape Town.

They have just awarded Dr Imtiaaz Sooliman an honourary doctorate for his humanitarian work with Gift of the Givers – a Muslim NGO/political influence organisation.

Dr Sooliman (he’s a medical doctor too) is fiercely anti-Israel and the claims that Gift of the Givers is purely humanitarian are rather thin.

UCT, as well as Wits University in Johannesburg, used to have large Jewish and pro-Jewish elements. Now, it seems, those are largely under attack with pro-Palestinians harrassing Jews on campus.

How things change…

https://www.news.uct.ac.za/article/-2026-04-08-a-life-in-service-building-a-global-humanitarian-force
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April 13, 2026 3:58pm
- Sparrow
  
  I note you came to NZ in the 1990s may I ask where from? To be even handed I came from the UK in 1970.
  
  1 1
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  April 13, 2026 4:52pm
  - Don Beckett
    
    Think – ‘University of Capetown’, and Wits University of Johannesburg.
    Now where is that ?
    
    3 0
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    April 13, 2026 5:28pm
    - kowtow
      
      Not so much where but what .
      
      Now it’s the Half Wits university .
      
      1 0
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      April 13, 2026 5:31pm
    - Sparrow
      
      Yes I realise that.He could have been a foreign student attending say from Zimbabwe or elsewhere. As an aside during the apartheid era Israel was a close ally of South Africa and there were strong rumours that they were jointly working on nuclear matters. Only rumours.
      
      1 0
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      April 13, 2026 6:48pm

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