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April 20, 2026 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 20 April 2026

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Damocles11

‘Donald Trump told Fox News on Sunday that this was Iran’s “last chance” to agree to a peace deal.
“If Iran does not sign this deal, the whole country is getting blown up,” Trump said. The US president then reiterated his earlier point on Truth Social that the US would target bridges and power plants specifically if Iran does not sign this agreement.
Iran has reportedly rejected participation in a second round of peace talks with the US in Pakistan, citing “Washington’s excessive demands, unrealistic expectations, constant shifts in stance, repeated contradictions, and the ongoing naval blockade, which it considers a breach of the ceasefire”, according to the official IRNA news agency.’
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April 20, 2026 8:02am
- Gary Benner
  
  The problem is that it appears there are now two factions representing Iran, the Political wing represented by the President and Parliament, and the Military – the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
  
  One seems to be negotiating rationally, the other not.
  
  I suspect they are playing “good cop, bad cop“.
  
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  April 20, 2026 9:48am
  - Handyman
    
    Quite right. The Iranian strategy seems to be:
    1. The Foreign Minister agrees to open the Strait of Hormuz and giving up the nuclear material. Regime stays in power and starts collecting oil revenue.
    2. The military delays access to the uranium until the midterms and a future Democrat president.
    
    Trump will just be a speed bump on the Iranian ability to get nuclear bombs by hoodwinking US presidents.
    
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    April 20, 2026 10:08am
  - Damocles11
    
    Source?
    
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    April 20, 2026 10:15am
    - Handyman
      
      History
      
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      April 20, 2026 11:46am
  - R
    
    There is definitely a Power Struggle going on in Iran, ‘who is going to govern us’, the will of the people or the mad Mullahs supported by the IRGC.
    
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    April 20, 2026 10:33am
    - Damocles11
      
      Who represents the ‘will of the people’ faction in the current leadership set-up?
      
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      April 20, 2026 11:18am
      - R
        
        The shadow govt outside and under the thumb of the IRGC.
        
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        April 20, 2026 12:10pm
      - NothingLeft
        
        The tooth fairy. Autocrats of all flavors don’t care about the peasantry.
        
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        April 20, 2026 12:20pm
    - David George
      
      Breaking news;
      The IIRGC has seized control and will be giving the orders from now on – not the PM and politicians or the Ayatollahs or the regular army.
      https://nypost.com/2026/04/19/world-news/islamic-guard-takes-full-control-of-iran-sidelines-moderates-analysts/
      
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      April 20, 2026 1:49pm
  - septic skeptic
    
    Trump as been sold a pup by Israel. A failed factionalized state might suit Netanyahu in progressing the greater Israel project but it doesn’t suit the US in negotiating a handover of uranium and opening SOH.
    
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    April 20, 2026 1:29pm
- Drone
  
  Trumps concept of negotiation is this is what I want, take it or I’ll destroy your country. It’s not really negotiation as it’s known in the rational world.
  
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  April 20, 2026 10:14am
  - Gary Benner
    
    There’s a huge difference in how you negotiate with a rational business partner compared to a mafia boss, or in this case a religious fanatic. One is more than likely to compromise, whilst the other will steadfastly hang on to their own goal.
    
    Sadly the powers that be in Iran will only understand a strong arm. Diplomacy will always give them everything that they want.
    
    It’s up to the world whether they want to have a rogue nation, run by a deranged theocracy, developing all manner of munitions, including nuclear, supporting and speading terrorist ideology throughout our societies, or to put a stop to it now. Just imagine if the UK and USA had stepped up in 1938 to put a stop of the Nazi regime.
    
    The two scenarios are actually quite similar, countries run not by their people, but a militaristic group who use the resources of their people and country to perpetuate their evil ideology.
    
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    April 20, 2026 10:31am
    - Dudley Quaffquaff
      
      Are you saying the US is a rational negotiating partner? The US that started dropping bombs while negotiations were ongoing? The US which has torn up trade agreements negotiated in good faith with practically every country in the world? The US whose vice president apparently thinks it his proudest achievement to sweep aside the US’ undertaking to Ukraine?
      
      Why would anybody enter into negotiations with the US?
      
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      April 20, 2026 10:44am
      - Gary Benner
        
        Yes I say they would, as in recent history from WWII onwards you can see they have.
        
        It is the “mad mullahs”, with an almost death wish ideology that I refer to. You see it with the Palestinians (the PLO operated in the same way with Clinton, where they appeared to be agreeing to reasonable terms at Camp David, and then pulled out at the last minute), North Korea, and other such “states” without a tradition of dignity and respect for others.
        
        Churchill understood these people, and warned against them. We should take that warning.
        
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        April 20, 2026 12:14pm
      - Ra Henare
        
        Reply to Gary Benner…
        
        It is the “mad mullahs”, with an almost death wish ideology that I refer to. You see it with the Palestinians (the PLO operated in the same way with Clinton, where they appeared to be agreeing to reasonable terms at Camp David, and then pulled out at the last minute)
        
        Some facts would be nice.
        
        The PLO never “agreed” to the terms in the first place; they felt the summit was rushed and a “trap.”
        
        The “generous offer” still left the West Bank divided by Israeli-controlled roads and security zones, which the PLO viewed as a non-viable state.
        
        From
        Robert Malley was a key member of the American negotiating team during the 2000 Camp David Summit.
        
        2001 New York Review of Books titled “Camp David: The Tragedy of Errors.
        
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        April 20, 2026 12:45pm
      - Dudley Quaffquaff
        
        Yes, many countries since WWII have negotiated agreements with the US.
        
        Here is a challenge for you. Name any such agreement which the US continues to honour.
        
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        April 20, 2026 12:50pm
      - Charlotte Wells
        
        “Name any such agreement which the US continues to honour”
        
        NATO for a starter for 10.
        
        ANZUS, It operates primarily as two separate security arrangements: Australia-US and Australia-New Zealand. This despite New Zealand fucking it up.
        
        Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and the Republic of Korea.
        
        That’s just 3.
        
        How about you state some facts to support your claim.
        
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        April 20, 2026 1:37pm
      - Cassandra
        
        Ra Henare: Malley is sympathetic to Arafat and critical of Israel. He is not a balanced politician bserver. Which is not to say that he’s entirely wrong but most of his contemporaries do not share his views.
        
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        April 20, 2026 2:51pm
      - Spoff
        
        Ra Henare.
        “Alas, 30 years after its signing and 29 years after Rabin, Peres and Arafat received the Nobel Peace Prize, the Oslo process is largely remembered as a prime example of diplomatic deception. Israel’s land grabs and settlement expansion, which have increased the number of Israeli settlers from 115,000 in 1993 to roughly 700,000 today, have rendered the establishment of an independent Palestinian state unfeasible. The entire area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean is now effectively a single state where segregated Palestinians are systematically denied fundamental human rights.” – Shlomo Ben-Ami, Israeli Foreign Minister and Camp David negotiator.
        https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/the-slow-tragic-death-of-the-oslo-accords/
        
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        April 20, 2026 6:26pm
  - David Garrett
    
    Drone: Interesting that you get 4 downticks – so far – for that plain statement of fact.
    
    I have noticed however that the number of “Anything Trump does is brilliant” people here has reduced substantially. I guess if your hero makes deranged – or plainly untrue – statements often enough the support of even he hardest line supporter becomes difficult to maintain.
    
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    April 20, 2026 10:36am
    - Gary Benner
      
      Sadly the people of Iran allowed a deranged theocracy to take control over their country. In ridding themselves of the Shah they allowed a worse form of dictatorship. Aided an abetted by leftists who were then promptly dispatched by the Islamist regime once they got into power.
      
      I doubt any form of negotiation will free the Iranian people from this stranglehold, and it is going to take quite a resolve from within to displace it, even under the current situation.
      
      It is going to be interesting to see what happens inside Iran over the next few weeks, as I’m sure the alternative sources of Oil kick in (people are creative), and Iran is starved of any oil income, China will be stressed due to no cheap oil from Iran, and so there will be pressure to effect a change in the negotiating stance from them.
      
      China does not care about Islam, but by being buddies to Iran they got cheap oil. Heck they really stick to the Uyghurs (Muslims) and their culture. So their concern will be about the money – as it always the case! So watch for some changes real quick.
      
      Trump is no nonsense, and when he thinks he is being played along, he plays hardball, so if the IRGC start to get cute, I’m sure a power plant or two will be vapourised, followed by a few bridges. Watch this space.
      
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      April 20, 2026 11:22am
    - Jigsaw
      
      The other side seems to be ‘anything that Trump does must be bad’. How rational is that? Best wait until the dust settles and you see what he does than try to follow every twist and turn he uses to get there.
      
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      April 20, 2026 11:55am
      - septic skeptic
        
        So is the 4-6 weeks up yet? Or is he still at the stage of “we have won, the war is practically over, but we still want to keep on winning.” How long would you guess until the genius Trump successfully destroys the Iranian nuclear program that he completely obliterated a few months ago and negotiates to open SOH which was open before he started the little excursion?
        
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        April 20, 2026 1:35pm
    - Charlotte Wells
      
      Or maybe the realists are just bored with the TDS morons.
      
      Never wrestle with pigs. The pig loves it and you get covered in shit.
      
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      April 20, 2026 11:58am
    - imalwaysright
      
      “I have noticed however that the number of “Anything Trump does is brilliant” people here has reduced substantially.”
      
      Disregarding your label of Trump supporters, it could be that his supporters are capable of criticising him and saying that in some cases he is wrong.
      Its quite a juvenile outlook to assume that support of any politician is an all or nothing proposition.
      The world is a grey place.
      
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      April 20, 2026 12:34pm
      - Debsta
        
        Well said imalwaysright, I find it amusing that DG dismisses all of us uninfected by the TDS virus with his “anything Trump does is brilliant” label. Right up there with Hilary’s “deplorables”. I am certainly neither, just eyes and ears open and brain working.
        
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        April 20, 2026 3:09pm
  - [email protected]
    
    Trump tells you in his “The Art of the Deal” exactly how he negotiates. He always puts out a maximal opening demand and then expects to get talked back from it. It continues to amaze me that people continue to be surprised by this.
    
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    April 20, 2026 12:44pm
    - Hard Cheese
      
      It amazes me that people treat a book written by a man who bankrupted 6 casinos as a definitive treatise on negotiation, when it’s quite obvious from his lack of success in actually concluding any deals using those strategies that they don’t work.
      
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      April 20, 2026 4:02pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Hard Cheese “his lack of success in actually concluding any deals using those strategies”
        
        Not even one? Unlikely.
        
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        April 20, 2026 6:56pm
      - Hard Cheese
        
        @NZer In Exile
        
        Would you say his negotiating style with Iran is going swimmingly well? It did SFA with Russia and Ukraine and his tariff nonsense with China. The bullying that might win against small US companies clearly doesn’t work in international diplomacy.
        
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        April 20, 2026 9:47pm
  - rockape
    
    Since 1979 negotiations with the IRGC have been ongoing. How did negotiating work out?
    
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    April 20, 2026 2:46pm
- cmm (semi-retired edition)
  
  The biggest problem with reading any of this is that it presupposes that all the details are being discussed in the media.
  
  What is actually being discussed is behind closed doors. You don’t know what it is, I don’t know what it is.
  
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  April 20, 2026 10:19am
  - R
    
    Diplomacy is always discussed behind closed doors, particularly if you actually want an honest outcome.
    
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    April 20, 2026 10:35am
- Paulus
  
  Of course the officiual News Agency would say that, but the residents of Iran will be told only what the regime wants still.
  
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  April 20, 2026 10:39am
Scott

This from the Facebook page of NZ First; Winston Peters fighting the good fight in parliament:

“It’s not racist to defend our country’s name, New Zealand.
It’s not racist to stand up and question people who for the last decade or more have tried to spread their woke views like a cancer through our country.
It’s not racist to want to take our country to a place of hard work, responsibility and virtue.
It’s not racist to want this country to be great again like it once was when it was heralded as the best democracy in the world. ”

Not much I’d disagree with there. 😊
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April 20, 2026 8:06am
- Graeme Hall
  
  Winston is all piss & wind. He says whatever but, like the PM does next to nothing. Takes us for mugs.
  
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  April 20, 2026 9:24am
  - Ra Henare
    
    Never forget Winston and the Gold Card.
    
    Definitely not piss and wind for the oldies.
    
    PS. and the first Harbour Bridge in Tauranga!!!
    
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    April 20, 2026 12:50pm
    - david
      
      Did WP really, single-handedly, build the Tauranga bridge back in the day? Would it not have been built without him?
      Or is it a carefully crafted urban myth designed to encourage people with diminishing mental capacity and the habit of polishing the poorly remembered halo of history to support a geriatric double-dipper and promiser extraordinaire who repeatedly turns his back on election bottom lines and allows them to fade into the fogs of time.?…?
      
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      April 20, 2026 1:22pm
      - Don Beckett
        
        Peters was the main proponent & the driving force behind the first Harbour bridge – as a Tauranga resident, I can vouch for that.
        
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        April 20, 2026 2:41pm
      - Ra Henare
        
        What a sad view of the world you have David.
        Would be nice if you checked some facts??
        
        In the fullnes in time (read many years) the bridge could have been built.
        Winston made it a condition of his coalition agreement with MS Clark.
        
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        April 20, 2026 8:39pm
    - yossarian
      
      So he’s good at handing out other people’s money then? Which is why he was so at home getting into bed with Jacinda.
      
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      April 20, 2026 2:02pm
- R
  
  But, the NZ Winston is referring to was the PRE MMP era. A time when TRUTH and FACTS were the pre-eminent principles of life. Particularly in the media, and to a slightly lesser degree politics
  
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  April 20, 2026 9:29am
- Northshoredoc
  
  There is no doubt that Winston knows how to play to his base.
  
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  April 20, 2026 9:46am
  - Media hater
    
    I suppose we could give him credit for that; however, he has never really improved his vote share since the first MMP election in 1996.
    
    Other than keeping himself employed and giving our mum’s a gold super card, what has he ever achieved?
    
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    April 20, 2026 10:45am
    - Charlotte Wells
      
      And that gold card is not worth the plastic.
      
      The only benefit I get it is 15% discount at Burger King.
      
      And that’s only good once every three months as that’s how long it takes for the memeory of how yuck it was to fade.
      
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      April 20, 2026 12:01pm
      - Scott
        
        My dear Charlotte, my Gold card is useful when I go to the local cinema, $3 off and when I go to Burger King, and I like Burger King. Also I suggest you get yourself to De Bretts in Taupo where there is a substantial discount for the Gold card holders to get into the hot pools. Well worth it. 😊
        
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        April 20, 2026 12:59pm
      - RichardF
        
        Not interested in $200 off a Springfree Trampoline?
        
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        April 20, 2026 12:59pm
      - Media hater
        
        How about a ‘free’ trip on the bus, Charlotte haha!
        
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        April 20, 2026 1:19pm
      - Charlotte Wells
        
        “How about a ‘free’ trip on the bus,”
        
        I get paid to ride them. I have a little post-retirement gig.
        
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        April 20, 2026 4:22pm
    - Scott
      
      Media, and others, I believe it’s really important that politicians speak out on these issues, such as race relations.
      Our govt ministers legislate and our government ministers speak. Many complain that Luxon doesn’t speak out. Winston does speak out. Speaking out is vital. We must get control of the narrative and not leave it to the wokesters.
      
      And let’s be honest. What he said was excellent. There’s nothing I would change about what he said. And it needed to be said.
      So take heart.
      
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      April 20, 2026 1:03pm
      - septic skeptic
        
        I take no heart at all from anything Gunner Winston says. Every election cycle for literally decades he comes out with we are gunna do this, we are gunna do that. It’s all bullshit. He virtually never delivers for his voters. That’s because Winston looks after himself, then the donors, then himself again. After that he is pretty tired and happy to sleep through the term until it the time comes to find a few hot button issues to excite the gullible. Rinse and repeat.
        But you really think 2026 will be different? Personally I am well and truly over Winston or anyone else “speaking out” during the campaign having done SFA for the last 3 years.
        
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        April 20, 2026 4:40pm
- pdm
  
  Then there is breaking up Foodstuffs, New World and Pak ‘n Save.
  
  My understanding is that Pak ‘n Save and New World Supermarkets are mostly Privately owned Franchisees of Foodstuffs which is a Private Company.
  
  Therefore would it not be Communism to break them up by Government decree/edict and legislation.
  
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  April 20, 2026 9:47am
  - Blog-aholic
    
    New World, Pak ‘n Save, Four Square and On the Spot are all Foodstuffs brands. Foodstuffs are two companies North Island (which used to be seperate in Wellington) and South Island. No doubt they do colaborate (norty!) but the groups (IIRC) own the markets at just over 50% to ensure owners can be kept in line…
    
    The Commerce Commission are the organisation that through their own stupidity allowed the duopoly of Foodstuff vs Woolworths to occur.
    
    We do not need to break them up we need to encourage another (preferably) international brand (not Australian) to enter the market. The Warehouse could have become a real third party decades ago but they turned out to be a damp squib.
    
    The problem we have is that the internationals face so much red and brown tape to establish, active and intentional interference in property purchases by both the competition and the thing no one talks about is our quite low population……
    
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    April 20, 2026 10:10am
    - R
      
      I suspect, that like many semipolitic decisions in NZ; the real problem is the presence of brown tape more than red tape. Although the opposition would prefer much more red tape, you know…. ‘People’s Stores’ subsidized by the small provident segment of NZ
      
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      April 20, 2026 10:40am
    - slijmbal
      
      Worked in the supermarket industry for a while – old enough to remember the pass the parcel approach used for the old Woolworths chain. It had several owners who struggled to make enough profit for the high levels of capital required who then sold off and moved on. It did keep prices more honest though. Though not by as much as one might think.
      
      Once Cullen/Clark gave the go ahead for Progressive to purchase Woolies this gave the then owners a premium to exit the business. Of course, we now have a duopoly premium. Estimated by the Commerce Commission at about $100 per person per year as of 2022. Much less than one might think but screaming about the nasty corporates does help distract from how much of the bulk of inflation is caused by government (especially Labour) policies. If that was addressed we wouldn’t give a toss about the duopoly.
      
      Having said that, Foodstuffs also did well out of the deal as both they and the Ozzie Woolworths group make close to twice the profit margin of comparable supermarket companies internationally. On a side note supermarkets generally make surprisingly small margins and can be thanked for making food much cheaper.
      
      @Blog – there are bigger issues than the red tape. Any supermarket chain needs to establish supermarket locations, distribution centres etc etc. It’s not just a matter of plonking a supermarket in location X when it is already serviced by local supermarkets. Many of the malls, for instance, would probably have existing supermarkets and might even well have non compete clauses in their leases to prevent establishment of a new supermarket there (these are pretty typical). Even if they did get in to existing locations they would divide up revenues as customers don’t magically spend more. It would be difficult to be profitable in those circumstances as the existing supermarkets would compete and keep a significant proportion of the market. There are a lot of fixed costs in supermarketing and dropping revenues will be a killer. We also have one of the highest minimum wages (compared to median wages) in the world and supermarkets employ a lot of staff (not just at the tills). Someone would need enormous pockets and patience even if they just targeted, say, Auckland. Hardly, a risk worth performing.
      
      If we want more competition the government would need to force it somehow. Personally, I would rather they address the more significant issues in our cost structures.
      
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      April 20, 2026 3:11pm
  - Swifty
    
    Not franchises pdm, they’re a cooperative of private owners.
    
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    April 20, 2026 10:17am
    - pdm
      
      I was looking for the right words Swifty and Franchise was the best I could come up with. Thanks.
      
      I recall when I worked in the BNZ (left in 1982) that we used to do Foodstuff Guarnteed Loans for Four Squares and other Foodstuff associated businesses.
      
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      April 20, 2026 11:17am
  - keepcalmcarryon
    
    Is it communism to have regulation to prevent monopoly or oligopoly behavior?
    It absolutely isn’t.
    A “free market” is not a market free of regulation, it REQUIRES it to allow free entry and exit of buyers and sellers. Albeit regulation should be as light as possible to allow this to happen.
    NZ is a test case in a country being screwed by monopoly and oligopoly behavior without adequate regulation and sometimes with too much regulation (eg overzealous food safety regs shutting out small producers), it’s all been done with vested donor interests in mind.
    I’m all for what Peters says here, it’s just he’s a complete liar and unlikely to deliver.
    
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    April 20, 2026 11:29am
- cmm (semi-retired edition)
  
  Winnie has his 5% issue.
  
  That’s all he needs – 5% – to put him in the pound seats and get him into a position where he can play kingmaker.
  
  In this case he’s looking like he has his bum in the butter and is far exceeding the 5% he needs.
  
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  April 20, 2026 10:21am
  - David Garrett
    
    cmm: I do know what the Safa expression “bum in the butter” means…but do you know how it arose??
    
    Just curiosity on the part of this amateur linguist.
    
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    April 20, 2026 10:38am
    - Ra Henare
      
      Just curious Linguist…
      How many languages fall in to your linguist basket?
      
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      April 20, 2026 12:54pm
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      It doesn’t appear to have English origins…. (not used in UK, Oz, Canada, NZ)
      
      So probably has a Dutch or German origin…
      
      ‘’Met je neus in de boter vallen’’///
      
      and neus is transferred to kont?
      
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      April 20, 2026 2:33pm
    - cmm (semi-retired edition)
      
      DG: I was not aware it was a Safa expression. I thought it was general colonial English.
      
      But it could be from Dutch and Afrikaans and I have picked it up that way.
      
      There are many sayings that overlap between Dutch, Belgian and German and such. All these languages (and Afrikaans which is a derivative) are highly idiomatic.
      
      In Afrikaans it is common to hear idioms you’ve never heard before (or even make them up on the spot) and expect people to understand them.
      
      You would not expect the same for English speakers who tend to use a small number of stock idioms (eg. putting the cart before the horse).
      
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      April 20, 2026 4:13pm
      - slijmbal
        
        According to the wiki dictionary it probably comes from Dutch…. “met zijn gat in de boter vallen”.
        
        Gat is a reasonably crude term for bum in Dutch. Literally “with his bum falling in the butter”.
        
        They even referenced the same term in French, which appears to be valid.
        
        My Afrikaans speaking wife reckons it is also used in Afrikaans “met jou gat in die botter val”.
        
        The butter reference points at Dutch because of their farming history, especially dairy.
        
        Never heard of it in the UK.
        
        @cmm “You would not expect the same for English speakers who tend to use a small number of stock idioms (eg. putting the cart before the horse).”
        
        I noticed when learning Dutch I was forced to learn a huge number of sayings. I believe one of the drivers is that English has a much larger vocabulary and there is much more frequently a word that has a specific nuance that can be used to precisely say what one means. Between influences from Norse, the original Anglo Saxon, French (from the Norman invasion), borrowed words from when the UK was a great sailing power and the tendency for English to have manufactured words with Latin or Greek roots, we end up with an awful lot of words. Idioms are to some extent filling in for a smaller word vocabulary I presume. I did find sayings harder to learn as they are literally more words and often quite obtuse or illogical. “The witch is baking pancakes under the bridge” means a sunshower ie raining and the sun is shining at the same time. Never could get an explanation behind the logic of it.
        
        Having said that I grew up in the UK and we had a huge number of idioms that I don’t use anymore in NZ. I feel Kiwis speak a relatively idiom free form of English (possibly down to a large number of immigrants who have English as a 2nd language). I find myself explaining bog standard idioms to Kiwis on a regular basis and have mostly filtered them out.
        
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        April 21, 2026 1:49am
- surfing
  
  The true racists in New Zealand have tried their best to make all of the above racist.
  
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  April 20, 2026 10:36am
  - Flossie
    
    I have received the paperwork to allow me to transfer to the Maori Roll if I so wish. My partner doesn’t get two options of what roll he wants to be on. This is soooo racist – any totally unnecessary.
    
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    April 20, 2026 12:49pm
    - david
      
      Did you ask for the paperwork Flossie?
      Or is there a database somewhere that has the names and addresses of all those eligible?
      
      BTW what are the eligibility criteria – just curious?
      
      8 0
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      April 20, 2026 1:29pm
      - artemisia
        
        There are options to choose and relevant information on the enrolment form about the Maori roll option. The info can be changed / updated. I assume that is the source of the correspondence.
        
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        April 20, 2026 1:59pm
- Paulus
  
  Prime disagrement would be Maori and their supporters, the so called media !
  
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  April 20, 2026 10:41am
- Ghost
  
  The gullible voter is easily conned by Winston.
  
  Fireworks is a non negotiable, sure
  Maori seats, how many times is that promised and not followed through before people wake up
  Breaking up foodstuffs, won’t happen
  
  Here is the real campaign message, “I promise to make the best deal possible for Winston, screw NZ”
  
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  April 20, 2026 10:47am
- Jigsaw
  
  Scott : compare that with what he actually does and what he neglects to do- like supporting the Treaty Principles Bill.
  
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  April 20, 2026 11:57am
  - Ghost
    
    Both NZ first and National opposed the treaty Principles referendum in the election campaign, so both followed through with what they campaigned on.
    
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    April 20, 2026 12:09pm
    - Quail
      
      Ghost,
      That has been costing National dearly in the polls!
      Peters ,not so much , he has a track record of many apparently anti — co governance utterances but the sad reality is these are meaningless!
      And National and NZOne have not yet implemented their campaign policy on co governance !
      
      6 1
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      April 20, 2026 12:45pm
      - Ghost
        
        has it really? The one party that wants it struggles in the polls. Last night act dropped another 2 points. The issues people list as their top concerns is not this, its is the cost of living, the economy, health, crime. Labour are doing well in the polls, remember labour? They are the ones who will likely bring a lot of the Māori stuff back, and yet, here we are, a few months out from the election with the left moving ahead in the polls. the one party that is against what you think is costing national in the polls is dropping in the polls. Perhaps what kiwibloggers think is costing the government in the polls, actually isn’t.
        
        7 5
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        April 20, 2026 12:56pm
Simon Arnold

As Richard Harman reminds in his Politik newsletter this morning, it ain’t called populism for nothing.
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April 20, 2026 8:09am
- Simon
  
  Richard Harman will be boosted.
  
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  April 20, 2026 8:11am
- Nūhaka Native
  
  Populism comes from the Latin word populus, meaning “the people.” So, at its core, populism is about appealing to “the people”.
  
  Isn’t that what all politicians try to do? They present policies that they think appeal to most people. If they get more votes, they get elected. It’s called democracy, the worst form of government except for all the others that have been tried, as Churchill said.
  
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  April 20, 2026 8:55am
  - In Vino Veritas
    
    I’ve always had the view that giving people something for nothing is the ultimate in populism.
    
    12 0
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    April 20, 2026 9:33am
    - Ra Henare
      
      ummm err.
      Giveing some people something sourced from other people.
      
      ie School lunches
      Free University (thank goodness that is being shelved)
      Winter Heating allowance
      
      etc etc
      
      7 2
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      April 20, 2026 12:57pm
      - In Vino Veritas
        
        My bad Ra!
        
        3 0
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        April 20, 2026 2:32pm
  - Gussy
    
    Indeed. Populisms is to Latin what Democracy is to Greek.
    
    7 1
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    April 20, 2026 10:16am
  - NothingLeft
    
    Populism is the Wrong Sort of Democracy™ to the (in modern era left wing) elites. As it doesn’t support their preferences and therefore must be evil/bad.
    
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    April 20, 2026 12:27pm
- plc
  
  Richard Harman was a busted flush in 1987 when he worked for TV2 out of Petrocorp House.
  
  I doubt he’s had any revolutionary insights since.
  
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  April 20, 2026 8:56am
- cmm (semi-retired edition)
  
  Populism, otherwise known as democracy.
  
  Somehow the lefties don’t call it populism when they roll out lolly-scramble politics of “free stuff” for everyone.
  
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  April 20, 2026 10:23am
Simon

Polling averages show Nat led govt result. But got to project forward 6 months. It’s what first world people used to able to do. Work out what was going to happen in 6 months time. It was the basic difference between first world and third world.

So project six months. Unless you are spiritually third world already. Which might be the case. NZ is in deep trouble
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April 20, 2026 8:19am
- Bobba Fret
  
  If a Lab, Green, TPM coalition gets in to power in November, in 2027 we really will be in deep trouble.
  
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  April 20, 2026 9:28am
  - R
    
    If such comes to pass in 2027, we will have nothing to worry about. You will own nothing and will be happy,……with your assigned morsels!
    
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    April 20, 2026 10:43am
- Jethrod
  
  Truly…… what does that all mean?
  
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  April 20, 2026 9:33am
David George

President Trump’s post from an hour ago:

“Today, an Iranian-flagged cargo ship named TOUSKA, nearly 900 feet long and weighing almost as much as an aircraft carrier, tried to get past our Naval Blockade, and it did not go well for them. The U.S. Navy Guided Missile Destroyer USS SPRUANCE intercepted the TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman, and gave them fair warning to stop. The Iranian crew refused to listen, so our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine room. Right now, U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel. The TOUSKA is under U.S. Treasury Sanctions because of their prior history of illegal activity. We have full custody of the ship, and are seeing what’s on board! President DONALD J. TRUMP”

Good stuff! Now finish the job!
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April 20, 2026 8:26am
- Wandering Star
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  That idiot Trump needs to be removed from office. He’s going to get a US warship sunk, then it’s another 20 year war.
  
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  April 20, 2026 8:31am
  - David George
    
    The idiots that need to be removed from office are in Tehran.
    Iran fired on, or otherwise attacked, these merchant ships in the Persian Gulf:
    Hercules Star -1 killed, March 1.
    MKDVYOM – 1 killed
    Stena Imperative – 1 port worker killed, 2 injured.
    Mayuree Naree – 3 crew killed
    Express Rome – multiple projectiles.
    Safesea Vishnu and Zefyros – at least 1 crew killed.
    Safeen Prestige – engine room fire; abandoned.
    Gas Al Ahmadiah – minor damage.
    Al Salmi – fire.
    Aqua 1 – damage/fire extinguished.
    Sanmar Herald – vessel safe but turned back.
    Other incidents didn’t result in major damage or casualties—some were warnings, near-misses, or minor hits—but many involved direct gunfire/projectiles from IRGC gunboats or small craft.
    
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    April 20, 2026 9:34am
    - david in Aus
      
      I suggest you volunteer in the first wave. Then go to North Korea, Congo, Yemen,……
      
      So gungho when it’s not your life on the line.
      
      8 19
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      April 20, 2026 9:45am
      - Charlotte Wells
        
        Been there, done that.
        
        Have you?
        
        FYI, every New Zealander that served in Vietnam was a volunteer. There were always more volunteers than required.
        
        12 5
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        April 20, 2026 12:06pm
    - Drone
      
      Trump’s blockade was an act of war after a ceasefire had been agreed. He’s insane and needs to be removed.
      
      10 18
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      April 20, 2026 10:18am
      - Charlotte Wells
        
        Wrong again.
        
        14 5
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        April 20, 2026 12:09pm
      - cmm (semi-retired edition)
        
        A ceasefire is a ceasefire. It does not mean a withdrawal of troops or assets.
        
        All a ceasefire means is that everyone agrees to stop shooting at eachother.
        
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        April 20, 2026 4:23pm
    - Ra Henare
      
      haha.
      All this (thinking latest actions by Irans Navy with reported firing on Cargo ships).
      
      But of course according to Trump and Hegseth.
      They have no navy we have sunk all the boats etc etc blather blather
      
      Almost as hilarious as Netenyahoo saying they had destroyed Irans missiles only to have one arrive while he was speaking in Telaviv.
      
      Hence, skepticism that They blew a hole in the engine room….BS from Trump.
      
      4 10
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      April 20, 2026 1:03pm
      - cmm (semi-retired edition)
        
        You don’t need a navy to attack cargo ships (or any ships in close quarters for that matter).
        
        With a bunch of 1970s era unguided rockets fitted with HEAT warheads you could knock out ships up to 35 km away from the back of a ute or a small boat etc.
        
        Such a device can blow through over a metre-thick steel. That’s thicker than military ship armour and would have no problem with standard ship hull plating (12 to 30 mm or so).
        
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        April 20, 2026 4:35pm
      - Charlotte Wells
        
        Didn’t the marines on the Flaklands hit a submarine with a charlie G?
        
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        April 20, 2026 6:16pm
  - Inandout
    
    WS, you are no Nostradamus with your ‘predictions’, and the idiot was removed from office in 2024.
    
    15 2
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    April 20, 2026 9:37am
    - R
      
      But that was the idiot in the USA, he chose to do nothing about international terrorism.
      
      6 0
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      April 20, 2026 10:45am
  - In Vino Veritas
    
    Yes WS. Trump should cease and desist and let Iran and it’s terrorist proxies continue to kill people and destroy billions of dollars of assets. In fact, he should remove sanctions and send billions of dollars cash on pallets to Iran so they can fund terrorist proxies and rebuild their armed forces. Its only fair when appeasing a deadly enemy. What could possibly go wrong?
    
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    April 20, 2026 9:43am
    - Taieri
      
      Trump should cease and desist and let Iran and it’s terrorist proxies continue to kill people and destroy billions of dollars of assets
      ———-
      
      But that’s exactly what Trump and his proxies are doing right now. Killing people and destroying billions of dollars of assets. Approximately USD1 trillion was erased from software stocks alone since the end of February. Does this make him any better than the Ayatollahs?
      
      5 10
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      April 20, 2026 12:04pm
      - In Vino Veritas
        
        Hmm. Are you saying that retaliation (and the real possibility that Iran would have soon had a nuclear bomb) can be conflated with the attacks that led to the retaliation?
        Iran and it’s proxies have killed around 1,000 Americans and destroyed 100’s of millions, if not billions of dollars of American assets since 1979. In your view Taieri, should the American’s just let this continue to happen? And should they allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons? What would you do?
        
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        April 20, 2026 1:03pm
      - Charlotte Wells
        
        Yes, yes it does.
        
        7 3
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        April 20, 2026 1:30pm
      - Taieri
        
        Are you saying that retaliation (and the real possibility that Iran would have soon had a nuclear bomb) can be conflated with the attacks that led to the retaliation?
        ————–
        
        And what was the retaliation in response of? Right in the middle of negotiations in Oman. This legendary “soon to be had” nuclear bomb has been in the making for the last 47 years and is still to be ready “soon”.
        
        Last year, after they bombed the shit out of the Iranian nuclear facilities, we were told by president Trump that “Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier.” “Completely and totally obliterated” – was he making it up to convince us or himself?
        
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        April 20, 2026 2:25pm
      - In Vino Veritas
        
        “And what was the retaliation in response of?”. As I said in my post Taieri “Iran and it’s proxies have killed around 1,000 Americans and destroyed 100’s of millions, if not billions of dollars of American assets since 1979”. Did you read it? It doesn’t appear so, since you couldn’t be bothered answering my questions. It’s fine that you don’t want to, but just say so rather than giving answers to questions I did not ask. Thanks.
        
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        April 20, 2026 9:45pm
  - mandk
    
    I know you have a visceral hatred for Jews, but what do you imagine would happen if Iran was left unimpeded to develop a nuclear weapon and used it to destroy Tel Aviv?
    
    The war that would follow would make the current conflict looks like a playground spat.
    
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    April 20, 2026 9:58am
    - Paulus
      
      Israel would eliminate Iran first !
      
      6 2
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      April 20, 2026 10:43am
      - Don Beckett
        
        Not on it’s own.
        
        1 3
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        April 20, 2026 10:55am
    - Ra Henare
      
      Mandk. You make two assumptions.
      1. A visceral hatred of jews( I am surprised mods allowed your hate talk). Some research of WS posts suggest no such thing. You confuse anti Zionism with anti semitism. A popular error.
      
      2. You assume thet Iran would use a Nuke to wipe out TelAviv. I guess you have not considered. MAD.
      Mutually Assured Destruction. Israels 100+ Nukes would turn Iran in to dust and cause a world wide depression (think Nuclear cloud and Nevil Shutes On the Beach scenario)
      
      I could also assume that Iran having a Nuke would be used as a deterent for regular “mowing the lawn”” operations by Israel in its Greater Israel Project.
      
      Consider North Korea. They developed a nuke not to eliminate South Korea but to neutralise the threats from US/Sth Korea etc.
      
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      April 20, 2026 1:12pm
      - In Vino Veritas
        
        Which of North Korea, South Korea or the US do you think would make a first nuclear strike Ra? Or Israel or Iran?
        I have less faith that North Korea and Iran would keep their finger off the button. More so Iran given it’s stone age religion that still believes in martyring oneself (among other things). I’m not sure that the thought of 93m would be enough martyrs to stop the Ayatollah’s.
        
        9 1
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        April 20, 2026 2:37pm
      - mandk
        
        I make no assumption about WS’s attitude towards Jews.
        
        What he feels towards them could not be more obvious.
        
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        April 20, 2026 8:33pm
  - imalwaysright
    
    Is it irony that we are being taught that calling a person by an unapproved pronoun is tantamount to a crime, yet governments bombing others into oblivion is considered heroic, politically correct even…?
    
    4 5
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    April 20, 2026 10:38am
  - David Garrett
    
    WS; This is certainly the first – and probably the last – uptick you get from me. The Whitehouse is currently occupied by a deranged toddler playing silly games with peoples’ lives.
    
    5 22
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    April 20, 2026 10:42am
    - imalwaysright
      
      You may call him names, but why don’t you give us some substantiated criticism instead?
      
      10 0
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      April 20, 2026 12:03pm
    - Fender
      
      You seriously believe he single handed makes these decisions and people just follow along or its off to the tower for them
      The real power goes on behind and trump’s bluster and confusion is perfect for them to carry on unquestioned, hes loose granted but thats actually an advantage for team America
      All the media can say and I include foreign countries like Uk and Canada are so hung up on hatred of one single person that it’s blinding them
      No one even questions USA over anything its all just trump, how clever is that
      
      10 2
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      April 20, 2026 12:49pm
    - Ra Henare
      
      Emotive talk.
      deranged toddler playing silly games with peoples
      
      But I support the sentiment. Trump is certainly not acting in a diplomatic rational manner in problem solving. He has resorted to his past. Bullying to get a deal.
      
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      April 20, 2026 1:16pm
    - mogg
      
      [Mod – debate the topics without making it personal]
      
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      April 20, 2026 2:01pm
- peterwn
  
  Omit the K from the name of the ship.
  
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  April 20, 2026 8:49am
  - David George
    
    No.
    Touska is correct. Telegraph UK have a photo up of the ship in question with its name visible on the transom.
    
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    April 20, 2026 9:04am
    - rjay
      
      To USA
      
      5 0
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      April 20, 2026 9:12am
    - Ian
      
      I think peterwyn’s “omit the K” makes for a play on words…
      
      4 0
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      April 20, 2026 9:16am
    - Andrew Worth
      
      I think Peter is suggesting “tosser” as a more appropriate name.
      
      7 4
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      April 20, 2026 9:29am
      - David George
        
        OK
        
        6 2
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        April 20, 2026 9:36am
- Taieri
  
  Good stuff! Now finish the job
  ————-
  
  You really are despicable. This is a civilian merchant ship. There’re people on board. Civilians trying to make living. Deck officers, ratings and engineers in the engine room that was directly hit.
  ‘Good stuff!’. What a fucking imbecilic statement to make…
  
  Taieri. Retired Chief Engineer.
  
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  April 20, 2026 9:36am
  - David Garrett
    
    Taieri: Spot on. The engineers who died may well be strong opponents of the current regime – who can know?
    
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    April 20, 2026 10:44am
  - Jethrod
    
    Probably a VERY interesting cargo on board bound for ….. China, NK…..?
    
    8 2
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    April 20, 2026 10:48am
    - Taieri
      
      Bound for Iran. The vessel was on the passage from Port Klang in Malaysia.
      
      5 2
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      April 20, 2026 2:31pm
      - Charlotte Wells
        
        To educate yourself watch this. The ship is under multiple sanctions. This voyage originated in China.
        
        [Mod – just debate the topics]
        
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcUgIXRHLbM
        
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        April 20, 2026 4:29pm
      - Taieri
        
        To educate yourself watch this
        ————
        
        I educated myself in 51 years at sea including several years in the Persian Gulf.
        
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        April 20, 2026 5:09pm
      - Charlotte Wells
        
        Then you should have known it was returning from China and under multiple sanctions. Yet you did not.
        
        Cherry picking a port of depature is not educated when it is easly shown as dishonest.
        
        There was one merchant seaman I know who was a drunken bastard and regularly beat his wife whenever he was home.
        
        [Mod – deleted]
        
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        April 20, 2026 6:19pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        Charlotte- you’re wasting your time here
        
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        April 20, 2026 6:34pm
      - Taieri
        
        There was one merchant seaman I know who was a drunken bastard and regularly beat his wife whenever he was home
        ————-
        
        I hope that you feel better now having thrown this pain of your chest.
        
        Your insults have no effect on me. But if they make you happy go for it.
        
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        April 20, 2026 6:48pm
      - Ghost
        
        Oh no, you may or may not of known someone that was a prick, so does that mean the rest are like that? Stupid post
        
        2 2
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        April 20, 2026 6:53pm
  - David George
    
    The ship was clearly warned to evacuate the engine room and that it would be shot.
    I don’t know if that advise was followed; they were told to heave to and refused so maybe they ignored the evacuate warning as well. Who knows.
    Here is the verbal warning and footage of the gunfire:
    https://x.com/i/status/2045970658358911263
    
    10 4
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    April 20, 2026 11:06am
    - Taieri
      
      This was an Iranian non-combatant, container ship in or close to the Iranian territorial waters. Sailed on the 12th of April from Port Klang in Malaysia, presumably to one of Iranian ports. Her crew was not engaged in any military activities.
      
      A truly heroic achievement by the USS Spruance. Just as heroic as the IRCG firing on other merchant vessels.
      
      5 12
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      April 20, 2026 11:39am
      - marcw
        
        “Her crew was not engaged in any military activities.”
        You’ve verified the cargo then Taieri?
        
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        April 20, 2026 11:45am
      - Taieri
        
        You’ve verified the cargo then Taieri?
        ———–
        
        Ship’s crews have very little idea what cargo they actually carry. What’s on the manifest and what’s actually in the containers can be two very different things and the crew have no means or authority to check it. What’s of interest is the mass of a container and whether it contains any dangerous goods that need to be separated from other cargo.
        I recall being on a general cargo ship at the end of 1970’s. We were unloading big plywood crates on the pallets in one of West African ports. One of these crates fell on deck during unloading, split its sides and we saw what was really there. A nice selection of AK47s and other small military hardware. This cargo was loaded in Hamburg or Antwerp and listed on the manifest as “agricultural machinery”.
        It was very similar on the Kiwi coast. Quite often, the less scrupulous road transport companies would not declare dangerous goods on their trailers that we carried. Mostly because they had to be loaded on the top deck and had to arrive at the wharf early to be loaded first and consequently discharged last.
        The marine crews do as they are told. The company calls the shots and we have no say whatsoever as to what we carry and where it goes.
        I was on a ship in the Persian Gulf when the first Gulf War started and it pisses me off mightily when some ignorant anonymous twat comes up with this “good stuff, finish the job” crap.
        
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        April 20, 2026 12:27pm
      - David George
        
        The Islamic Regime fired on stationary ships, ships essentially trapped by their blockade. No warning given and many dead as a consequence.
        The American destroyer shadowed the Touska for six hours and gave repeated warnings, including to vacate the engine room as they intended to disable the vessel’s engine. No one was killed AFAIK.
        They are not the same
        
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        April 20, 2026 12:54pm
      - Taieri
        
        The Islamic Regime fired on stationary ships, ships essentially trapped by their blockade.
        ————–
        
        I’ve never said that the Islamic regime actions are noble and should be condoned.
        But, I understand one thing. The blockade of Hormuz is the only real weapon that they have and can use very effectively. They have no chance of a military win, but they have a very realistic chance of a political win. The biggest mistake Trump has made is to underestimate and disdain his opponents. His publicly expressed scorn is very effective at herding up his supporters. It is very evident even on this blog, but what does it really achieve, apart from massaging his inflated ego? How can you fight an effective war without trying to understand what motivates your enemy? The “mad mullahs” might be religious fanatics, but they didn’t get to run a 92M people country by being stupid or by not having a great degree of support and/or cooperation from their subjects. Iran is not another North Korea, the Iranians are not completely isolated from the outside world, they live mainly normal lives. Sure, they have to put up with a number of restrictions that are not acceptable to us, but in the main, they have accommodated themselves with all that. They can also see, what’s happened in the neighbouring “liberated” countries such as Iraq, Syria or Afghanistan. No regime can hold power forever and the current one in Iran will fall one day. But not because of actions of a deranged megalomaniac from another side of the world. It is up to the Iranians and no one else to overthrow it when the time comes.
        The unequalled US military prowess alone hasn’t achieved much in the previous conflicts. Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria are hardly examples of great victories. Perhaps all the geniuses conducting present operations should read Sun Tzu. It’s a couple of thousand years old but still very relevant.
        
        BTW: disabling the vessel’s engine doesn’t require a missile or two. All you need to do, is to press the stop button.
        
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        April 20, 2026 2:13pm
      - Charlotte Wells
        
        [Mod – debate the topics and drop the abuse]
        
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        April 20, 2026 4:30pm
      - Charlotte Wells
        
        “BTW: disabling the vessel’s engine doesn’t require a missile or two. All you need to do, is to press the stop button”
        
        This crew had 6 hours to comply yet did not.
        
        How would you suggest the ship be stopped?
        
        It wasn’t hit with missiles. The Spruance used its onboard gun.
        
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        April 20, 2026 6:24pm
  - NothingLeft
    
    Attacking commercial shipping is the the field on which Iran has decided to wage this conflict, so gloves are unfortunately off.
    
    The lesson of the 20th century (but it has always been true) is that you generally cannot win a war in which you are not prepared to match and even escalate the tactics of your enemy. Holding yourself to higher ethical standards than your enemy just sows the seeds of defeat.
    
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    April 20, 2026 12:35pm
    - Paulus
      
      Hormuz can be deleted by a few good shots (not totally destroyed) at Kharg Island where all the oil comes from.
      
      4 5
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      April 20, 2026 2:33pm
- Simon
  
  Delusion, Dave. Trump Admin as feelings based as Ardern.
  
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  April 20, 2026 10:15am
Yvette

Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said the decision was made to achieve more consistency.
“Over 30 or 40 years, Parliament has made all sorts of references to the principles of the Treaty. Sometimes its “honour”, sometimes it’s “have regard”, sometime’s its “give effect to”, sometimes it’s “take into account” and we wanted to give some consistency to that.”
https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/04/19/govt-proposes-to-weaken-legal-obligations-to-treaty-of-waitangi/

1 – Is this instead of completely removing Treaty references where they are not needed?

Conduct a comprehensive review of all legislation (except when it is related to, or
substantive to, existing full and final Treaty settlements) that includes ‘The Principles of
the Treaty of Waitangi” and replace all such references with specific words relating to the relevance and application of the Treaty, or repeal the references. – NZF / National Coalition Agreement

2 – As it was decided that the execution of the above review, rather than one overall adjustment, instead would be done individually in the roughly 24 occurrences in relevant legislation, will this latest decision of fiddling with simple wording like “have regard”, be an overall change or be effected as time wasting individual rewrites? And do “principles” remain?
___________________

And where are these …

• Remove co-governance from the delivery of public services.
• As a matter of urgency, issue a Cabinet Office circular to all central government
organisations that it is the Government’s expectation that public services should be
prioritised on the basis of need, not race.
• Confirm that the Coalition Government does not recognise the United Nations Declaration
on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) as having any binding legal effect on New
Zealand.
• Amend the Waitangi Tribunal legislation to refocus the scope, purpose, and nature of its
inquiries back to the original intent of that legislation.
• Conduct a comprehensive review of all legislation (except when it is related to, or
substantive to, existing full and final Treaty settlements) that includes ‘The Principles of
the Treaty of Waitangi” and replace all such references with specific words relating to the
relevance and application of the Treaty, or repeal the references.

… at what stage of progression are each of those?
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April 20, 2026 8:32am
- RoboRob
  
  I think the Nats were moronic to leave treaty changes for an election year.
  
  However I have to give it to Luxon, by bringing this topic up now he might distract media away from his leadership issues. There is no coincidence that treaty principles removement comes up on the Monday after a bad Friday for Luxon. These changes are apparently due to enter parliament in June, so its not just good timing. Very clever politics, well played.
  
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  April 20, 2026 9:55am
  - Yvette
    
    “Very clever politics” only if the changes pass into law and are being ACTed on before the Election and during the run-up to the Election if it is emphasised “to vote for Labour is to vote for He Puapua”
    
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    April 20, 2026 10:14am
- Quail
  
  Yvette.
  The matters you raised are very important .
  Weakening does not cut it!. Certainly must not include those matters you raised.
  ,If National wants to win the next election , and much more importantly do what is right for NZ, they should adopt also ACTs bill to the extent of having a binding referendum on the matters ACT raised !
  The effect of that would assist National so these matters were not their responsibility and they would not have to make any decisions , something they are apparently not at all good at.
  Weakening applies to National and their promises only, too well !
  
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  April 20, 2026 9:55am
  - Yvette
    
    Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson says he is glad NZ First never saw the contentious He Puapua report, but denies it was “deliberately withheld”.
    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/he-puapua-willie-jackson-pleased-nz-first-and-winston-peters-didnt-see-report/B4LOHMCMJJFJAKZHRGSP7ZEXEQ/
    
    Labour MP Willie Jackson glad Winston Peters never saw He Puapua report
    “In retrospect it was probably good he didn’t see it. For goodness’ sake, look at how he’s acting now. And let’s not be cute here … if they had got it they would have utilised it and said ‘there we go, that’s why you have to vote for NZ First’.
    “I’m not saying [Peters] would have been back, but you’ve got to remember they were trying to use anything to get the vote up, and it would’ve been gold for them.”
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/125521049/labour-mp-willie-jackson-glad-winston-peters-never-saw-he-puapua-report
    
    Vote for Labour (or Greens or te Pati Maori) – get He Puapua dusted off
    
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    April 20, 2026 10:29am
- Simon
  
  National believe a mountain can be a person. The review will include the feelings of mountains. Its a stake holder review after all.
  
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  April 20, 2026 10:17am
- Paulus
  
  The Public Service will and would take no notice of what any Government wanted to change.
  We know they are a Law unto themselves as is being shown in many Departments currently – too many also.
  Roche should retire again, as he is being totally bamboozled by his senior staff, all the time.
  
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  April 20, 2026 10:47am
imalwaysright

‘More than one in three firms have delayed expansion plans or lost contracts due to energy costs and supply issues in the past year.’

Why are we allowing data centres to plug in to the grid while the productive industries get high prices and insecure supply?

Energy challenges hold back Kiwi firms’ expansion plans | RNZ News https://share.google/rgZpWZ3lgMoPZvORa
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April 20, 2026 8:43am
- RoboRob
  
  The issue ins’t that we shouldn’t allow business expansion, be it data cetntres or any other new business. The issue is we don’t have the supply that we should have. We have better electricity generation options then most other countries.
  
  Simon Watts has spent 2.5yrs tinkering, that follows 6 years of Megan woods sitting on her hands. Both Labour and National have taken us to a place where NZ is deindustrializing.
  
  I dont see much hope on the horizon. NZFs new MP, Taine Randall, is talking up a big game about major changes. Hopefully NZF can make a difference here*.
  
  * No I am not telling people to vote NZF, just pointing out that one party has someone interested in major changes around electricity.
  
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  April 20, 2026 9:50am
  - R
    
    The predominately NATION party have been interested in energy in general, for as long as I recall, (now am an old octogenerian); but a combination of academic activists, ideologically deluded environmental pressure groups, and an irresponsible MSM have in the past destroyed the prospects of at least 5 hydro power schemes alone. People have to learn to live with the consequences of their past decisions.
    
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    April 20, 2026 10:54am
  - imalwaysright
    
    No, the issue is whether we allow low earners like data centres to get access to our electricity supply, at undisclosed terms, while employers and producers who depend on reasonable supply and price are milked through the spot price auctions.
    
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    April 20, 2026 11:45am
    - RoboRob
      
      We should have enough for all. You are right, when we have a shortage we shouldn’t be doing special deals, but the core issue is we shouldnt have a shortage.
      
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      April 20, 2026 1:21pm
  - wsk12345
    
    Major changes are not needed. Make it possible to build coal stations without destroying your brand. Get gas exploration underway again by whatever means necessary. Impose the true costs of intermittent gens on the right party or Consider introducing a capacity market that pays for firm capacity to be available. Not rocket science – this has been considered historically for NZ but at that time we were energy not capacity constrained. Now it should be revisited.
    
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    April 20, 2026 12:38pm
- peterwn
  
  Few points here-
  1. Are firms planning to set up shop or expand hoping for subsidised electricity? If their business cases rely on subsidised electricity, should they really be setting up shop?
  2. Does ‘supply issues’ mean they are unable to deal with very high spot prices which will happen now and again and the whole intention of high spot prices is to dampen demand (ie demand side management). Some major users and the minor power retailers can purchase power at low spot prices most of the time and become overly dependent on spot prices purchases, and then find that high spot prices hit them in the face. They cannot expect to take advantage of low spot prices when it suits, then switch to another tariff structure when buying at spot does not suit. This is the regime that Electric Kiwi and its likes wish to operate in and the major generators will not wear this.
  3. As far as data centres are concerned, they cannot expect to be just able to plug into the grid (the same goes for any potential major user). In reality they need to (and do) enter into long term contracts with one or more generators or gentailers who can then build the additional capacity needed with confidence that they will make an appropriate return on the capital cost.
  
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  April 20, 2026 10:06am
  - Simon
    
    Many business rely upon third world low wage immigration. Should they really be in business.
    
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    April 20, 2026 10:19am
    - NZer In Exile
      
      “rely upon third world low wage immigration.”
      
      Should we be relying on slave/unsafe/sweatshop labour for many of the things we consume from chain stores?
      
      We’ve been treated to boiled frog syndrome over the decades in this regard. Corporations and their hangers-oners have been flipping cheap slave/unsafe/sweatshop labour produced (generally lower quality) stuff and getting rich on the big margins while the target consumer countries have seen their nation’s resilience and quality of life generally diminish. Add net-zero and all the other economy-sapping rubbish and these western nations are now entering dumpster fire territory.
      
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      April 20, 2026 7:08pm
  - Drone
    
    Some valid points peterwn but no gentailers are going to build extra capacity to serve new data centre’s. The cost of electrify is destroying industry in this country, yet no government has the cojones to address the issue.
    
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    April 20, 2026 10:24am
    - peterwn
      
      The government cannot address the issue without subsidising electricity (or underwriting loans which is tantamount to the Government lending them the money). The best the Government can do is to make it as easy as possible for the industry to build new capacity, but that is a political tradeoff between progress and protecting the environment. The only possible breakthrough would be nuclear power but this remains politically unacceptable.
      Also even if the Government confiscated the shareholders’ interests in the gentailers and stopped expecting to receive dividends itself, the cost of power would only reduce slightly.
      By the way, at least one new data centre has negotiated power purchase with one of the gentailers and will accelerate its construction programmes accordingly.
      
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      April 20, 2026 11:26am
Scooter

Just listened to Luxon with Mike Hosking, an interesting point he made when he said “you’re not quite what people wanted you to be”. I assume he was alluding to the fact they have done nothing about co governance etc. When this was the one thing the govt could have changed straight away and would have been a vote winner. Anyway it’s too late now, it’s embedded now, no politician will remove it.
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April 20, 2026 8:48am
- BananaLlama
  
  Is co governance even a top 10 issue? you guys are going to get a real wake up call come election night.
  
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  April 20, 2026 9:23am
  - RoboRob
    
    What sort of wake up call? Are you suggesting we might be surprised by a big win for the right?
    
    Most of the complainers are concerned the right are heading for a loss.
    
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    April 20, 2026 10:33am
    - Paulus
      
      Correct but then they can look at the multi Left wing replacement and see Ardern and Robertson again.
      Frightening.
      
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      April 20, 2026 10:49am
      - R
        
        The media are now trying to rehabilitate old Labour hasbeens failures. Q and A Saturday was an example
        
        7 2
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        April 20, 2026 10:57am
      - RoboRob
        
        @R
        
        A little harsh to be calling Bishop a labour hasbeen!
        
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        April 20, 2026 1:23pm
  - imalwaysright
    
    Even the term ‘co governance’ is deceptive.
    Are we to believe that the Maori activist co governors will suddenly start operating in the interest of all New Zealanders?
    
    No.
    
    This is a very small stepping stone to activists taking total control.
    
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    April 20, 2026 10:53am
  - Quail
    
    BL,
    Most people tend to keep racial matters to themselves.Usually because they don’t want the often unpleasant debate that goes with those matters.
    That does not mean that co governance is not a very substantial issue.
    It just means many people don’t want the hassle of the argument that comes with it.
    The ballot box is private!
    
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    April 20, 2026 11:19am
- pdm
  
  Scooter some future politician might give removing it a good go.
  
  Unfortunately it is not going to be this Government which will be restricted in what it will even attempt by PM Luxon, `the ditherer’ Minister Goldsmith and Luxons other `little helpers’ Ministers Potaka and Watts.
  
  Not to mention the fact that no one really knows how much on Board NZ First are – after reading this from NZ Political Discussion and Research Group earlier this morning – direct quote:
  
  `So where are we at now — Maori Governance of all infrastructure is happening and Shane Jones, NZFirst is funding it on the taxpayer.’
  
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  April 20, 2026 9:57am
- MCōs
  
  If you’re alluding to cogovernance with Act and NZ First I’d suggest the Nats big problem is they’re doing too much cogovernance.
  National is the dominant party in the coalition, but you wonder sometimes
  
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  April 20, 2026 10:54am
- David Garrett
  
  Scooter: Quite so…As I have said here a couple of times, on law and order, if they were actually serious, instead of fucking around with how much discount judges can give they would: 1) Have a passed a REAL three strikes law – with both NZF and ACT support, and not the sad joke they did pass; and 2) even simpler, repeal the section of the Sentencing Act which directs judges to impose the least restrictive sentence possible.
  
  Two real changes – and a positive signal that the Nats really are “tough on crime”. Well, it would be a good start.
  
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  April 20, 2026 10:54am
  - pdm
    
    DG my understand is Nicole McKee and ACT drove the most recent 3strikes law.
    
    However National watered it down so much the final result was a lot different to that proposed.
    
    New Zealand suffers as a result.
    
    9 3
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    April 20, 2026 11:26am
  - imalwaysright
    
    After first offence all sentences should be the maximum.
    Committing a crime is very rarely a matter of chance, its intentional as the Courts are designed to prove.
    
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    April 20, 2026 11:28am
    - Taieri
      
      After first offence all sentences should be the maximum
      ———–
      
      Indeed. There should be no reductions.
      
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      April 20, 2026 12:31pm
      - marcw
        
        I would be generous, and allow a significant reduction if a guilty plea is entered at the FIRST practcal opportunity.
        
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        April 20, 2026 1:34pm
oldpark

Heard some comments on the Mike Show today with his interview with our NZ Prime Minister .
Seems there are circa “Five” back Bench MPs raising Cain with the far left fake news Media whining about
our Prime Minister Christopher Luxon being mean to them and giving them hurty feelings .
That type of behaviour and comments used to belong in Primary School and maybe still does .
Wish the infamous “Five” would do something useful and think of the damage they are doing to the Good Ship New Zealand and the well being of NZs future in such trying times .Nuff Said .
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April 20, 2026 8:57am
- pdm
  
  Name and shame.
  
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  April 20, 2026 10:00am
  - kowtow
    
    It’s most likely to be the list MPs who think they’re losing their snout in trough status come the election.
    
    They’re worried about their hides , not the nation!
    
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    April 20, 2026 10:53am
- peterwn
  
  As I have said many, many times – the overarching objective of a party is to get into power and if in power stay in power. Chris Luxon as a businessman would be well aware of this and together with his team would what is needed to achieve this. Dissenters among his MP’s are welcome to express their feelings inside the Caucus room, but must remain loyal outside it. But as most MP’s by nature have big egos this is difficult to achieve. If a winning formula included Chris Luxon stepping down as leader, I am pretty sure he would do this. Even if his dis-tractors (particularly journalists) think he is on track to lose the election, they fail to consider that a leadership change would merely increase the chances of losing the election. Chris Luxon and his team will run the campaign as they see fit (they have a vested interest in winning after all) and not run it as journos, Kiwiblog bloggers, the Standard, Cam Slater, etc think it should be run.
  
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  April 20, 2026 10:22am
  - R
    
    Dissenters…..The old story, ‘when you take the royal shilling, you follow the royal decree.’
    
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    April 20, 2026 11:01am
    - peterwn
      
      Sounds like the ”Wizard of Id” punchline – the Golden Rule – ‘He who has the gold makes the rules’.
      
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      April 20, 2026 11:33am
      - R
        
        Probably coined by the same person PW,!
        
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        April 20, 2026 12:35pm
- Jack5
  
  We need to know if any one of the “five backbenchers” undermining Chris Luxon is our electorate MP.
  
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  April 20, 2026 11:10am
  - peterwn
    
    Journos will be too chicken to out them. After all ‘evidence’ of dissent may merely be a slip of the tongue or an overly aggressive interpretation of a comment someone made.
    
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    April 20, 2026 12:31pm
    - Paulus
      
      You are of course certain that there are Five National MPs who are unhappy ?
      I assume the media asked a straight question, or over a bottle or two of Chardonnay, as these feminists suggest a sober answer.
      
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      April 20, 2026 2:41pm
imalwaysright

Two infants and a woman dead in Hastings.

Homicide investigation launched after three people killed in Hastings – NZ Herald https://share.google/VqslrH6ENG6UZnyCN
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April 20, 2026 9:10am
- Ian
  
  Reading that one of those taken to hospital (and still alive) was a man known to the deceased and living in the property says it all to me..
  
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  April 20, 2026 11:43am
Tomtoddy

85% of the world’s refugees are Muslim. Not one of the 56 Muslim countries is taking in refugees. Eleven of these are among the richest in the world. If Islam is so great, why aren’t Muslims taking care of their own?
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April 20, 2026 9:11am
- igm
  
  No one in their right mind wants a bar of potential disasters, being islam refugees.
  
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  April 20, 2026 9:24am
- Taieri
  
  Not one of the 56 Muslim countries is taking in refugees
  ———-
  
  3.6M Syrian refugees in Turkey alone.
  1.5M Afghans in Pakistan.
  Last time I checked, both these countries are still Muslim.
  
  https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/muslim-majority-countries-host-millions-refugees-not-none-un-data-shows-2026-03-25/
  
  https://www.dw.com/en/fact-check-why-85-of-refugees-are-muslim-is-false/a-74823451
  
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  April 20, 2026 9:44am
- mandk
  
  Why would they? They want the UK, France, Belgium, Germany and Sweden to take in the dross they don’t want to deal with.
  
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  April 20, 2026 10:03am
  - Paulus
    
    France continues to shift by rubber boats as much of the dross as they can help, so they do not stay in France.
    No Change.
    
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    April 20, 2026 10:52am
    - imalwaysright
      
      Hard to fathom how someone can trek through all those countries, in between their middle east homeland and the nw coast of France, and not think of asking one of the nearer countries for asylum.
      
      The UK border is exactly the same as the US southern border under Biden. Government policy.
      
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      April 20, 2026 11:00am
      - mandk
        
        All of the people crossing the English Channel have passed through safe countries.
        
        They are, therefore, illegal migrants to the UK, not asylum seekers.
        
        14 3
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        April 20, 2026 11:33am
      - Paulus
        
        UK Social Welfare is better than all the others.
        Many more of their thinking countryfolk – look at the local Body Elections now.
        Costs more now that the Tax take.
        
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        April 20, 2026 2:44pm
- peterwn
  
  For many business people and managers, religion is practiced on the Sabbeth, and is not allowed to get in the way of normal activities on the other six days.
  
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  April 20, 2026 10:10am
- Blog-aholic
  
  Just ask Jordan and Lebanon!
  
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  April 20, 2026 10:12am
  - Charlotte Wells
    
    And Kuwait.
    
    6 1
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    April 20, 2026 12:23pm
- Bullion
  
  That’s such an easy search to check. 2 of the top 5 countries to hosting refugees are muslim:
  Türkiye 2.7 million
  Islamic Republic of Iran 2.5 million
  
  https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics
  
  As a proportion of its population Lebanon is in the top 10 with 8.7%.
  
  Countries that neighbour others in conflict and crisis have high refugee numbers, so lots of Ukrainians in countries surrounding Ukraine for isntance which is true for conflict and crisis in the middle east.
  
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  April 20, 2026 10:18am
  - Charlotte Wells
    
    “Lebanon is in the top 10 with 8.7%.”
    
    And look how that turned out for Lebanon.
    
    Now they can’t get rid of the fuckers.
    
    Hezbollah has a larger army than Lebanon.
    
    And how did they arrive in Lebanon? They were kicked out of Jordan after trying to run their own state there and attempted to assassinate the King.
    
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    April 20, 2026 4:34pm
- Albie
  
  Tom, I think the master plan is to spread the word of Islam around the world, go forth and multiply?
  
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  April 20, 2026 10:18am
  - Taieri
    
    go forth and multiply
    ————–
    
    Well, someone has to. Since we’ve given up on multiplying ourselves.
    
    6 1
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    April 20, 2026 12:33pm
- MCōs
  
  Turkey has taken in up to four million mainly Syrian refugees
  Bangladesh has taken in more than a million Rohingya refugees
  That’s just two I can think of off the top of my head
  
  7 1
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  April 20, 2026 10:21am
  - Paulus
    
    But are they not expected to return to their own country ?
    
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    April 20, 2026 2:45pm
- Simon
  
  “85% of the world’s refugees are Muslim” From countries wrecked by Israel. Ask why are Israel wrecking so many countries first.
  
  If you are concerned about Muslim refugees then you would hope Iran comes through the Israeli started war. Right?
  
  The Islamic Iranian republic. But in Iran.
  
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  April 20, 2026 10:23am
  - Charlotte Wells
    
    Those countrys listed aren’t being wrecked by Israel.
    
    Your hatred for Israel is because …?
    
    7 1
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    April 20, 2026 12:25pm
- cmm (semi-retired edition)
  
  ” Not one of the 56 Muslim countries is taking in refugees.”
  
  Well that’s not quite true – or false.
  
  MCos points out that Turkey etc have taken in millions of refugees, but on the basis that they are refugees to be returned after there is a ceasefire, so that’s not really “taking them in”.
  
  Further, Turkey is getting massive aid from EU and UN to support these refugees. So it’s a win for Turkey – they get to effectively farming the refugees for profit.
  
  Few of them seem to be doing what the West is doing – actually taking them
  
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  April 20, 2026 10:29am
Positan

It was fascinating to watch Maiki Sherman deliver her “interpretation” of the TVNZ/Verian poll last night. Her excitement was such she was almost spluttering with her inarticulation and I can’t recall any comparable instance of her arm-waving. If she’d flapped much harder we might have witnessed her elevation out of camera range.

The issue was hardly world-shaking – but Sherman’s fizzing and popping didn’t leave viewers in any doubt as to her political leaning. Overall, it was a pretty pathetic rendition from our “national” TV station.
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April 20, 2026 9:13am
- Philview
  
  I agree but TVNZ is still the main source of News for most of the Country and their biased reporters are winning the war on swing voters for the Left. I look at Chris Luxon and he isn’t doing stuff that would scare voters into the arms of Labour but TVNZ News have found an attack line on instability that is working for Labour.
  
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  April 20, 2026 9:26am
  - NothingLeft
    
    It’s really not the main source of news. Far less than 10% kiwis watch TV news.
    
    Social media is the main event.
    
    8 1
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    April 20, 2026 12:42pm
    - Steve Otto N Shore
      
      10% propaganda is still 10%——–
      
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      April 20, 2026 3:55pm
- Gravelroad
  
  I didn’t find it “fascinating” . I found it pathetic.
  Turned it off.
  That a state broadcaster feels entitled to allow and condone hysteria from their apparent top ranking reporter is puzzling.
  But, so long as the advertisers keep paying, they won’t care.
  
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  April 20, 2026 9:39am
- Inandout
  
  Pos, the legacy media want a return to the days when $55 million was poured into a trough of borrowed money and they gorged; with a proviso they fully supported Labour. Luxon is slowly realising he has very few friends in the MSM, even though he has barely touched their funding.
  
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  April 20, 2026 9:47am
  - R
    
    PM Luxon is well aware that the MSM detest success in any form. Tall poppy syndrome of envy in action by TV1
    
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    April 20, 2026 11:05am
- Im Right
  
  C’mon guys, remember the rabid leftie TVNZ had as political journalist or editor in Katie Bradford: ‘No matter what we say or do the polls are not moving’ (when National were leading, and won the following election)
  Leftie women political commentators are basically Labour/lefty shills.
  Tova O’Brian
  Jessica Mutch
  Katie Bradford
  Plus a few I’ve forgotten I’m sure…
  
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  April 20, 2026 9:52am
  - MCōs
    
    Jessica Mitch McKay left TVNZ two years ago and now works for ANZ.
    Katie Bradford left TVNZ more than a year ago. Before that she was a business correspondent.
    Tova O’Brien (correct spelling) has been working on the little watched Breakfast show for about a fortnight. It has about 25% audience of right wing Mike Hosking
    
    13 5
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    April 20, 2026 10:42am
    - Im Right
      
      And your point McCos?
      Hosking works for a non taxpayer funded news outlet.
      I am aware the female shills have mostly moved on, but they were employed at one time at tax payers expense to be politically neutral.
      Ohhh I forgot to add that other girly leftie shill…John Campbell, he deserves to be added to the female list.
      
      15 2
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      April 20, 2026 11:21am
      - MCōs
        
        Two points
        If you were aware those people don’t work for TVNZ why mention them and not Mike Hosking who is also an ex TVNZ political journalist?
        John Campbell is a male
        You sound like a rank misogynist the way you equate everything you detest with femininity
        
        2 8
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        April 20, 2026 2:15pm
  - Prince
    
    Goes back to Linda Clark
    
    10 0
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    April 20, 2026 10:52am
    - Paulus
      
      Setup on her own now as Barrister I believe, and assume she expects to go much higher soon after the Labour Coalition Election.
      Wasn’t she going to be the legal person for the dud Police Chief, but suddeny got lost.
      
      6 0
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      April 20, 2026 2:49pm
  - David Garrett
    
    I’m right: How could you forget the dreadfully partisan Andrea Vance, formerly of the News of The World which was so far in the gutter even Murdoch felt he had to shut it down?
    
    15 3
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    April 20, 2026 10:59am
    - Im Right
      
      I knew there were more female lefty shills…vance is still trying her hardest to be relevant, bless her.
      BTW, News of The World had to shut down, embroiled in so much controversy even Murdoch wouldn’t have been able to pay the mountain of claims against it.
      
      7 2
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      April 20, 2026 11:19am
    - Paulus
      
      She still is I understand for the Stuffed Paper in Wellington.
      
      4 3
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      April 20, 2026 2:50pm
- Yvette
  
  Luxon most notably avoided any discussion of ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill, except saying it was too simple (when was that a problem?) and repeating ad nauseam that it would go no further than 1st reading.
  
  Now he says he has the full support of his caucus although it is obvious at least five MPs are unhappy.
  
  From that first Treaty Bill stance to ‘I have full support’, Luxon exudes an impression of not telling his voters all that he could, and doesn’t seem to understand that if he doesn’t fill the information void Maiki Sherman and others will.
  
  16 4
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  April 20, 2026 9:55am
- Simon
  
  Yep, an incoming Labo govt would hand out millions to MSM. The govt systems in place to pay millions to MSM is still left in place by National. Untouched.
  
  National are just not serious about left wing corruption in NZ. National are true garbage.
  
  2 6
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  April 20, 2026 10:26am
- Paulus
  
  I was waiting for her to be sen to wet herself with joy !
  
  6 1
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  April 20, 2026 10:53am
- Paulus
  
  Assume Maiki looking for a place on the Labour/Maori Coalition Cabinet, albeit at lower pay than she currently gets.
  
  7 0
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  April 20, 2026 10:55am
  - R
    
    She will probably demand, and get from Labour ‘Grandmother rights’ of salary stability. Bit like going from Fin Min to Vice chancellor
    
    7 0
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    April 20, 2026 11:08am
- R
  
  Pathetic rendition……was standard performance for national TV.
  
  6 1
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  April 20, 2026 11:03am
- OlderChas
  
  lol Positan – I was going to post that she was almost wetting her pants but I guess your “spluttering with her inarticulation” does it just as well.
  
  6 1
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  April 20, 2026 12:58pm
  - Positan
    
    Chas, it was the “pants wetting factor” that spurred the coining of my response. BUT, each time I got near to employing the description, the prospect of the moderator loomed and whether such would get past his views.
    
    Nevertheless, Sherman really blew it, BIG TIME.
    
    5 1
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    April 20, 2026 2:57pm
Ian

Story on Newstalk ZB site. Apparently food produced in house and sold in house does not need to have an ingredients labelling list on it. Person makes a big fuss that they purchased a pack of Easter buns from Pak and Save. Says because there was no labelling, they were not sure if it was safe to offer one to a house guest who had life threatening food allergen issues. Apparently you can phone the store for a list of ingredients, – no one answered so a big fuss again. Looked at the store’s website, no list of ingredients – big fuss again. Then there was an accompanying picture of the packet of buns – “May contain allergens.” So rather than simply just not offering her guest a bun, she had to make a big fuss.
23 1
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April 20, 2026 9:43am
- greybeard
  
  If she knew that one of her guests had an allergy problem then surely the simplest solution was to buy buns with an ingredients list ?
  
  16 1
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  April 20, 2026 10:50am
  - David Garrett
    
    I am always a bit sceptical about these allergy claims. Some are no doubt entirely real – and indeed life threatening – but it has also become fashionable – and not just among the young – to be lactose and gluten intolerant.
    
    With regard to the former, I wonder what percentage of people in third world countries “suffer” from this? (No soy or almond “milk” in those countries I suspect)
    
    As for “gluten intolerance”, I have read a couple of reliable sources that only about 2% of the population actually suffer from it. It has become the de facto excuse for every fat chick’s obesity; 20 years ago it was “my glands”. What was actually responsible for the obesity was an overactive mouth gland.
    
    13 5
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    April 20, 2026 11:14am
    - Jack5
      
      One of the briefer accounts of lactose intolerance is at the first link below.
      
      The fact that it’s at least partly genetic, raises the question of whether Maori and other Polynesians are lactose intolerant.
      
      The second link below raises environmental factors, with Samoans in NZ suffering lactose intolerance less frequently than Samoans in Samoa.
      
      Lactose intolerance history:
      
      https://www.news-medical.net/health/Lactose-Intolerance-History.aspx
      
      Samoans’ lactose intolerance:
      
      https://www.jstor.org/stable/29528463
      
      5 2
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      April 20, 2026 11:34am
      - Ian
        
        Interesting about Maori and other Polynesian genetics (which we have been told are superior). Sad case on t.v.’s Country Calendar last night. One of the partners of a market garden enterprise and his wife (Maori) had a little boy with a genetic condition of which there were only 100 known of in the world. The wife (who had obviously done some research and set up a charitable fund to further support those with the condition and further research) said that the condition was more likely to occur among Maori and Polynesians..
        
        5 1
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        April 20, 2026 12:01pm
      - Maggy Wassilieff
        
        https://ourarchive.otago.ac.nz/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/Further-delineation-of-short-chain-enoyl-CoA-hydratase/9926554801401891
        
        https://www.cureasone.org.nz/meet-mika
        
        4 0
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        April 20, 2026 2:17pm
    - Taieri
      
      As for “gluten intolerance”
      ————–
      
      I also used to be sceptical about it, but a couple of my acquaintances developed this condition in their mid-50’s and it can become a very serious medical problem.
      
      5 1
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      April 20, 2026 12:38pm
      - artemisia
        
        My boss suddenly developed a shellfish allergy in his 50s, needed urgent medical attention. Also very serious, potentially fatal, and totally unexpected.
        
        Sensible chap, did the right thing and lived on.
        
        3 1
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        April 20, 2026 1:10pm
      - Jack5
        
        Types of cheese more suitable for the lactose intolerant:
        
        https://www.qcheese.com/blog/best-cheese-lactose-intolerant/
        
        0 0
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        April 20, 2026 10:41pm
    - MCōs
      
      Far fewer kids were left handed a hundred years ago – 3-4% of the NZ population
      Now the figure is 10-12%
      Is it trendy to be left handed? No. Back in the old days left handed kids, such as my father, were forced to change. In my father’s case he subsequently had shocking handwriting.
      The point being people are what they are, be it left handed, gay, allergic to peanuts and other people shouldn’t bully them for it.
      
      6 4
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      April 20, 2026 2:01pm
      - Paulus
        
        Am old there are no left handed people in Russia.
        
        1 1
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        April 20, 2026 2:53pm
    - david
      
      Am reliably informed that ethnic Koreans and Chinese are naturally lactose intolerant to a degree but the expression of the intolerance reduced rapidly among younger people in conjunction with the increasing consumption of Burgers and Pizza both containing cheese. NZ sells a lot of pizza cheese to Korea.
      
      1 0
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      April 20, 2026 4:14pm
  - Ian
    
    Correct – pay a bit more and buy from an independent bakery where you could talk to the owner, rather than just buying cheap supermarket Easter bunds…
    
    6 1
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    April 20, 2026 11:49am
- Bullion
  
  It is annoying as if you want to check for allergies but the bakery is closed (like if you go shopping in the evening) then you’re out of luck.
  
  5 2
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  April 20, 2026 10:51am
- imalwaysright
  
  “they were not sure if it was safe to offer one to a house guest who had life threatening food allergen issues.”
  
  So they were “not sure”.
  
  Does that mean that they were weighing up whether to risk their mates life on a bun?
  
  How about the mate bringing a lunch box instead of putting their host in the position of playing Russian roulette with their life?
  
  9 2
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  April 20, 2026 11:11am
  - wisteria
    
    Surely the house guest was in control of what they put into their mouth.?
    
    7 2
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    April 20, 2026 12:22pm
  - rouppe
    
    Do we know what the life threatening allergy is actually for? Anaphylaxis could be anything from nuts to dairy to eggs to seafood.
    
    Just saying “life threatening allergy” sounds like a complaint looking for a victim.
    
    7 1
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    April 20, 2026 1:04pm
- cmm (semi-retired edition)
  
  If you have various allergies etc then don’t put random shit in your mouth. Pretty simple really.
  
  6 0
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  April 20, 2026 4:18pm
mogg

Mark Mobius is dead 89yrs. At Templeton Emerging he turned $100M into more than $3B. He is long gone from Tem, which is listed on the NZX but their outstanding success continues, up more than 80% over the past year. As a prolific traveler his motto was “I want to be there when there is blood on the streets”.
4 0
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April 20, 2026 10:15am
- imalwaysright
  
  Did he invent the strip?
  
  3 0
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  April 20, 2026 11:32am
  - mogg
    
    Bond strip or asset strip, neither.
    
    1 0
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    April 20, 2026 2:02pm
    - imalwaysright
      
      Mobius strip
      
      1 0
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      April 20, 2026 5:11pm
Handyman

Some facts to remember when we hear about “Trump’s illegal war and war crimes bombing bridges and power plants”. This from Wikipedia re then President Clinton’s bombing of Yugoslavia. (I have personalised the actions, in line with the current style.)

“Clinton bombed strategic economic and societal targets, such as bridges, military facilities, official government facilities, and factories in Belgrade and Pristina. Clinton also targeted infrastructure, such as power plants, water-processing plants and the state-owned broadcaster.
All this was done after running out of “military” targets. All done without UN approval.”

When people fume against the current (similar) situation, I ask them to send copies of their posts accusing Clinton of war crimes, as some did at the time.
15 1
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April 20, 2026 10:32am
- Gravelroad
  
  Haha, nice try Handyman!
  But Mr Clinton – he’s cool, eh.
  Always different when the left do these things and can be safely judged by a different set of rules and standards.
  Added to which, he is/was a smooth, good looking playboy type.
  Quite different to that dreadful womaniser Trump who looks funny 😄
  
  13 2
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  April 20, 2026 11:27am
- virtualmark
  
  Under the Geneva Conventions it is legal to bomb civilian infrastructure, such as bridges and power stations, but it has to be in regard to and proportional to a direct military threat.
  
  Rough interpretation … if Iran was launching rockets from the site of a civilian power station then it would be “legal” to bomb that power station, while the rocket launcher was there, in order to stop that military threat. But it would not be legal otherwise.
  
  I don’t know the circumstances in Yugoslavia, so no comment from me there on legality or not.
  
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  April 20, 2026 1:33pm
Jack5

Is the Government going to sign the proposed free trade agreement with India before NZ’s Parliament, which is divided on the issue, has ratified it?

That seems to be what’s indicated by the first and only non-paywalled paragraph of a Business Desk report mentioned in the Herald?

The report suggests that only then will the NZ public be able to read the text of the Free Trade Agreement.

If that’s true what are National and ACT (the FTA supporters) scared of from NZ voters?

https://businessdesk.co.nz/article/politics/nz-to-sign-free-trade-agreement-with-india-public-will-now-see-the-text
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April 20, 2026 11:49am
Don Beckett

The latest from the Persian Gulf streamed 90 mins ago, WRT the Iranian cargo ship & developments in Lebanon & Iran.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Voyn_ZXEsE
3 3
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April 20, 2026 11:50am
Ghost

some interesting posts today
Gigantic continuous U.S. airlift currently taking place in the Middle East.

As per Flight Radar Data Something happening behind the scenes

Iran closes 𝗮𝗹𝗹 schools and universities 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆. 𝗔𝗹𝗹 ground forces deployed in the region.

We warned this would turn to a regional war and we delivered. This time, it’s going to be a global war. You’ve been warned.

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/116428798207542172
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April 20, 2026 11:58am
- imalwaysright
  
  USA should go home. As long as they are on site, the greater the level of violence on both sides.
  We can’t continue to subject the world to peril in order to pander to a minority.
  
  4 15
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  April 20, 2026 12:14pm
Scooter

“Former US Army Major General Randy Manner” interviewed on Hoskings show. Could be worse I suppose, if he had decided to be a doctor.
4 0
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April 20, 2026 5:31pm
Charlotte Wells

Some nominative determinism happening there.
2 2
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April 20, 2026 6:31pm
- Scooter
  
  Had to look that up, thanks!
  
  0 0
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  April 20, 2026 8:56pm
Jack5

Is the Gulf war a chance for NZ to re-attract oil and gas explorers scared off by Jacinda Ardern’s restrictions on new exploration?

Oil giants such as Exxon Mobil and Chevron are speeding searches in places away from the troubled Middle East, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Exxon, for example, plans to spend up to $US24 billion ($NZ40 billion) harnessing deep-water fields off Nigeria.

Major oil companies could together create $US120 billion ($NZ200.2b) in value from their exploration ventures in coming years, the energy research and consulting firm Wood Mackenzie estimates, reports the WSJ.

Venezuela, the Namibia coast, Türkiye, Egypt, Libya, and offshore Greece are other potential exploration zones.

World oil producers need to find enough new resources to add 300 billion barrels to their collective reserves to meet global demand through 2050, according to Wood Mackenzie.
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April 20, 2026 10:34pm

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