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May 23, 2026 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 23 May 2026

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General Debate

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Benedict Yu

Why does the government allow this to continue?

“The Waitangi Tribunal has heard evidence from former Wellington mayor, Tory Whanau, detailing the scale of racist, misogynistic and sexualised abuse she says she endured while serving as the capital’s first Māori mayor.

Wāhine are appearing before the Tribunal in Wellington this week as part of the long-running Mana Wāhine Kaupapa Inquiry, an inquiry examining how wāhine Māori have been prejudiced through Crown policy, legislation and institutional systems in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.”

https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2026/05/11/tribunal-hears-wahine-maori-subjected-to-dehumanising-racism-misogyny-and-harassment-in-leadership/

Why is there a “long-running Mana Wāhine Kaupapa Inquiry”?
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May 23, 2026 8:05am
- imalwaysright
  
  Its ironic that they are complaining about discrimination yet they all have top jobs…
  
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  May 23, 2026 8:15am
  - Phronesis
    
    I’ve worked with many maori women in the public service. Not one of them got their job on merit. The few maori blokes that I’ve worked with were all good value though.
    
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    May 23, 2026 11:25am
- Hugh Jarse
  
  Because the members get paid by the taxpayer for turning up.
  
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  May 23, 2026 8:24am
- Tomtoddy
  
  Just one more instance of the elite corroding the most basic tenets of our democracy, our British heritage, the accepted norms that have made us who we are today.
  
  Each step, each undermining, each turning a blind eye is turning this country into a plaything for the elitists where the few remaining rights enjoyed by the people, the population at large will be removed.
  
  One week its the refusal to deal with the blatant misuse of funds and arrogance of Tamahere and his “Trust”, next its the $450 million bribery deal stopping port development at Tauranga, then the extortion at the Santana mine, the inclusion of nebulous Treaty clauses in legislation, the promotion of Māori under DEI when not earned or deserved …….. It goes on, slowly gathering momentum, frogs in the kettle, and soon it will be too late.
  
  Thank goodness I’m 80. Sorry, grandkids.
  
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  May 23, 2026 8:33am
- AitchW
  
  WT is justifying its existence.
  
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  May 23, 2026 8:45am
- Anthony Melchett
  
  Is this the real Benedict back?
  
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  May 23, 2026 8:49am
  - Benedict Yu
    
    Why was there a fake one around during be absence?
    
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    May 23, 2026 12:40pm
- peterwn
  
  She got a significant leg-up into the Mayoralty thanks to Stuff / Post (that was one of the my reasons for cancelling the Post having been a subscriber for decades). Then she (and the then CEO) made life miserable for centre-right councillors and tried to bring Code of Conduct charges against them until Linda Clark (the lawyer engaged for this purpose) advised there was no case. So she quite happily mis-treated her political opponents on Council but gets all hurty when she thinks she is on the receiving end of it. So little wonder she is not receiving too much sympathy.
  
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  May 23, 2026 9:14am
  - artemisia
    
    Tory Whanau’s WT publicity is more likely to gather eye rolls than sympathetic murmurs.
    
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    May 23, 2026 11:32am
    - AitchW
      
      No one other than activists and liberal wets take the Waitangi Tribunal seriously.
      I’m amazed that it hasn’t issued a judgement admonishing itself for not having an incomprehensible Maori name!
      
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      May 23, 2026 11:56am
- Burtland
  
  Maori will ensure the festering wound of the Waitangi tribunal remains open forever – its their main trough for eternal handouts.
  
  Righting all the wrongs will never be enough.
  
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  May 23, 2026 9:36am
  - sungsamning
    
    Yes, its either the 12 pounder ball and chain, or the 18 pounder one. It depends on whether Labour, or National are the main coalition partner.
    
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    May 23, 2026 11:25am
  - R
    
    What wrongs???
    
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    May 23, 2026 2:22pm
- Homas
  
  Presumably it will run as long as it takes to have their glasshouses fully Iron Dome protected?
  
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  May 23, 2026 10:02am
- rouppe
  
  There is a long-running Mana Wāhine Kaupapa Inquiry because there is a long running funding stream that pays for it.
  
  I presume.
  
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  May 23, 2026 10:29am
- Paulus
  
  Presumaby there are many Maori without anything to do but leech the taxpayers pockets, and feel important and superior, and the created system and than the Waitangi Tribunal.
  What is its use – are they waiting until they become Government which will never happen.
  I have heard that there are some 3,500 pieces of information approved by their system awaiting Parliamentary approval, all with taxpayer paying money for approva lof these extranious and one sided and negative propositions.
  Sooner it is scrapped the better, as a waste of taxpayers money, but it will never be allowed to happen as Judges would do all in its favour anyway,
  I always thought the a Tribunal was a figure of Three from my Latin years ago, so why are so many leeches attaching to it.
  
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  May 23, 2026 10:35am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  The Crown terminated a number of ancient Maori customs, including slave owning and cannibalism.
  
  Is there a long-running Waitangi Tribunal inquiry into this deprivation?
  
  If not, why not?
  
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  May 23, 2026 10:35am
- Grumpy Silver Top
  
  Sadly, and less and less, women are treated to less than ideal behaviour by those around them, both male and female.
  This isn’t limited to women with Maori ancestors, so why on earth are we tolerating this.
  It’s time to disestablish the bloated, self-important Waitangi tribunal.
  
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  May 23, 2026 11:00am
- sungsamning
  
  Because the gravy train needs coal. No coal, no corner offices, SUVs, EVs, or six figure salaries. They’d have to guilt trip Whitey on their own time.
  
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  May 23, 2026 11:23am
  - CJames
    
    Not their own time. It needs to be their own money like the rest of society has to. That will get rid of the non-frivolous issues very quickly.
    
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    May 23, 2026 12:45pm
    - sungsamning
      
      Time is money. However, I see what you’re getting at. It needs winding up. Preferably early in the coalitions next term. Along with a lot of other useless outfits. Like Wimmins Affairs.
      
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      May 23, 2026 4:22pm
- leoj
  
  It’s alway the race card or the gender card. It is all they’ve got.
  
  What they fail to realise is: Any attack is because Whanau is a dummy, incompetent and brainless.
  
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  May 23, 2026 2:59pm
- Prince
  
  Can ratepayers counterclaim through the tribunal for gross mismanagement of funds ?
  
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  May 23, 2026 3:11pm
Cassandra

Thursday 21 May 1840, Governor William Hobson proclaimed British sovereignty over all of New Zealand, according to the Times in London where it is yesterday still. According to the Waitangi Tribunal and assorted Maori activists, you can’t believe everything you read in newspapers.
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May 23, 2026 8:08am
- kowtow
  
  That was done by the government of the day to keep the colonial settlers in their place .
  
  Today ,186 years later , nothing has changed.
  
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  May 23, 2026 8:35am
- Yvette
  
  Cassandra – … assorted Maori activists, you can’t believe everything you read …
  
  Considering most of those who signed the Treaty could not read, most had the Treaty conveyed to them orally with very little record of reactions and little of exactly what spoken words that was in response to. The problem with the Treaty is not so much what was written in Maori but what that translated and not recorded.
  ____________
  
  The Treaty addresses Maori as “the Chiefs of the Confederation of the United Tribes of New Zealand and the separate and independent Chiefs” three times, referencing the 1835 Declaration of Independence – He Whakaputanga – but does not explain in the slightest degree, the difference between that Declaration and the Treaty, or of more crucial importance: the difference between two words: Māori sovereignty (tino rangatiratanga) and kāwanatanga (Governance). Okay that’s tree words.
  
  And yet the Treaty, drafted by the Crown, written by the Crown, translated by the Crown and explained (unrecorded) by the Crown, is regarded as sacred by Maori who had utterly no input in it?
  
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  May 23, 2026 8:35am
OlderChas

I see that St John Ambulance has been given umpteen million dollars more of our money. Does this mean that the bill sent to someone unfortunate enough to need an ambulance will be lowered?
And if they succeed in getting full funding by us, will it become free of charge to have an ambulance cart you to hospital when needed?
Or will it just be wasted on another paint scheme for the vehicles and new uniform design and roll out for the workers?
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May 23, 2026 8:14am
- crash
  
  If you had done just 5 minutes research you would have found:
  
  1. St John is a registered charity.
  2. The recently announced funding from Government is an additional amount over 4 years.
  3. St John does not run at a profit.
  4. When you call for an Ambulance, you are asking a charity for assistance. While they receive some government funding, they still have a shortfall funded by charitable donations.
  
  https://www.stjohn.org.nz/support-us/how-we-are-funded/
  
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  May 23, 2026 11:41am
  - wsk12345
    
    Actually many of us are paying for that service or are annual members. So no we are not asking at John to do anything for us for free. Free rides are just for those that dont pay their bills.
    
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    May 23, 2026 1:09pm
    - crash
      
      You are paying a charity for that service – but non-members/subscribers are not.
      
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      May 23, 2026 9:12pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  To me it’s incomprehensible that the Police are funded by taxes and the Fire Service by insurance levies, while the ambulances have to hold the begging bowl out.
  
  Surely, the three emergency response services should be centrally funded.
  
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  May 23, 2026 1:28pm
  - AitchW
    
    I suspect that they run leaner because they are a charity. If it was to be fully funded watch the numbers of middle and senior managers explode.
    
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    May 23, 2026 7:25pm
- Paulus
  
  They will get more money from public donations, like our family, for the great work they do, when they get their name back not some Branch of Maoridom !
  
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  May 23, 2026 2:27pm
  - Quail
    
    St John is and has been one of NZ ‘s greatest services ! It needs our support.
    The Hate Hone name should ensure Rolls Royce ambulances etc , given the payouts given to various indigenous trusts.
    
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    May 23, 2026 6:04pm
- Ghost
  
  The ambulances got the paint job when they were purchased. Older ambulances didn’t get the new logo or the name that has racists whinging. But hey, good to know when you need them your racism will mean you wont call them. Oh, and for the record, when i had to use them, I didn’t a fuck what was written on their ambulance. Amazing staff who do a job I would never want to do, and they have to put up with people with this moronic attitude
  
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  May 23, 2026 9:16pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

Whisper it quietly, but I’m starting to warm to Andrew Little. The Angry Andy persona seems to have gone, and he’s starting to sound measured in his public statements – noticeably in response to the Moa Pt sewerage system fiasco.

I also think he’s being torpedoed by Council staff. In a building on the waterfront, who decided to give him an office facing a retaining wall?

More generally, the graphic circulated recently showing his salary sitting below 20-odd Council functionaries with mostly impenetrable titles, with him the Mayor of our Capital City – this needs a major rethink. My view is that Wellington City Council needs a major clean out in Level 2 and Level 3 management.
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May 23, 2026 8:42am
Jethrod

A lot of truths and parallels in the latest Friday Funnies-
https://www.malone.news?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web
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May 23, 2026 8:47am
NeverMindTheBollocks

A record number of 274 climbers scaled Mount Everest on Wednesday.

Not much chance of getting lost – just follow the queue.

http://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g07vng8z1o
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May 23, 2026 9:18am
R

According to the Waitangi Tribunal, and Maori activists; we should believe everything that they get published in the media: because in their minds it is all true, and we are only ignorant racists.
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May 23, 2026 9:32am
Ghost

The Pentagon on Friday released a new batch of 64 files related to UFOs, or UAPs, unveiling a second tranche of records that includes a 2025 first-hand account from an intelligence officer about an experience that left him “virtually speechless.”

Article

https://www.war.gov/UFO

Some that are very obvious what they are. For example a balloon being shot down.
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May 23, 2026 9:37am
- kowtow
  
  The whole thing is a load of hot air.
  
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  May 23, 2026 10:09am
  - sungsamning
    
    Yeah, I watched a couple minutes of UFO stuff today. I simply can’t be bothered.
    
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    May 23, 2026 11:29am
Boy Geoff

I picked Maiki to win the journalism award just like I picked Jacinda to win her book award!

Buddha I’m good!
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May 23, 2026 9:39am
- R
  
  With your talent for picking winners, you could become leader of the Labour party. They are berift at present.
  
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  May 23, 2026 2:28pm
  - G the giant from Dunedin
    
    Hipkins Hipkins of the year Lal was a fantastic win, hahahaga, I still laugh when I see that pic of Hipkins with Lal standing behind him with his younger right out of his head
    
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    May 24, 2026 12:44am
- AitchW
  
  Would you be so good as to pick me winning Lotto powerball next Daturday?
  
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  May 23, 2026 7:26pm
artemisia

Wellington mayor Andrew Little was surprised by announced public service cuts.

Andrew Little confirmed a meeting with Willis had now been arranged for 12 June after he publicly called for talks over the future of the public service and the impact on Wellington’s economy.

Talks. Good luck with that.

Mr Little is a fairly new mayor of course but he has been around the political traps for decades. Maybe his surprise is due to not noticing the bulge in public service numbers in recent years, because reasons or not. Or maybe he considered it a good thing at the time.

‘Surprised’ is very surprising.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/596092/nicola-willis-plan-to-slash-public-sector-takes-wellington-mayor-andrew-little-by-surprise
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May 23, 2026 9:56am
- Benedict Yu
  
  Nicola Willis should tell him to focus on his business.
  
  One problem in New Zealand is the inability of New Zealand media to employ basic facts. People actually believe that the current government has already imposed severe cuts on the public service. The data tells us otherwise. All they did was halt the obscene ballooning of the public service that occurred betwen 2017 and 2023 and recently numbers have started going up again.
  
  I of course blame the last government. But senior public servants were complicit in using the largesse to build empires. The Ministry for the Environment went from circa 270 staff to over 1,000 in five years.
  
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  May 23, 2026 10:14am
  - Yvette
    
    From 2017, the start of Ardernity, 16,000 positions were added to the public ‘service’ – so Nicola Willis still have a little way yet to go.
    
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    May 23, 2026 10:24am
  - Bullion
    
    There was a 200% increase in the use of contractors and consultants in the decade prior to 2017 – what happened after is mostly a shift from contractors and consultants to fte.
    
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    May 23, 2026 12:01pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Meh. It’s right for Andrew Little to advocate on behalf of Wellington ratepayers.
  
  Furthermore:
  
  “It’s not clear what ministers mean when they say they want to use more AI in government because that on its own is a pretty meaningless statement” – true, that.
  
  The Post had an article asking Ministers where they saw use of AI improving their Departments. The answers were not very enlightening.
  
  The rest of Andrew’s comments in the RNZ story referenced were thoughtful, in my view.
  
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  May 23, 2026 10:19am
  - Bullion
    
    Also somewhat concerning is reducing the money in circulation in the economy, we’re just going to give billions to an overseas ai domiciled in a tax haven.
    
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    May 23, 2026 12:04pm
- rouppe
  
  Little still thinks he has the gravitas of a minister of the crown.
  
  Hopefully he’ll find out shortly that he doesn’t
  
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  May 23, 2026 10:31am
- Paulus
  
  Difference is that Angry remains as ignorant as pig shit and has a superior belief in his own intelligence.
  No wonder Labour got him out of the way as soon as they could to somewhere he remains useless,
  
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  May 23, 2026 10:38am
  - Ian Boag
    
    a superior belief in his own intelligence
    
    You obviously understand that sort of stuff 🙂
    
    Doesn’t it disgust you that you live in a city where he was elected with a large majority? I suppose all that campaign work you did – knocking on doors for Chung and cash donations to his campaign etc – wasn’t enough. But it’s great that there are people like you who know what is best for the city … 🙂 🙂
    
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    May 23, 2026 4:20pm
    - Eastlander
      
      The spectacle of Andy-boy floundering and failing in his current job, just as he did as a ditch digger, should inspire a little more humility in a future austerity casualty like yourself.
      
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      May 23, 2026 5:27pm
      - Ian Boag
        
        Oooh. I am so wounded.
        
        Nice to know that Chung would have had the water thing under control by now and Moa Point would still be filtering stuff. No floundering there … 🙂
        
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        May 23, 2026 11:10pm
- Ra Henare
  
  and of coures dont forget the slump in Wellington Housing Pricing as thousands of ex gummint workers head for the hills and employment in other places.
  
  So, by extension, lower house prices means (by my calculation) increases in rates. Rates are relateddto housing prices…
  
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  May 23, 2026 1:12pm
MCōs

I see Donald Trump has expunged Tulsi Gabbard.
Anyone familiar with The Tragedie of Macbeth can see where this is going
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May 23, 2026 10:00am
- Ghost
  
  good, her family needs her
  
  Gabbard, 45, announced her plans on X, writing, “Unfortunately, I must submit my resignation, effective June 30, 2026. My husband, Abraham, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer.”
  
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  May 23, 2026 10:10am
  - Swifty
    
    A Maori/Samoan bloke born in Otahuhu.
    
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    May 23, 2026 10:27am
  - trout
    
    from BeachGrit
    ‘Gabbard met her “raffish” man Abraham Williams, a part-Maori, part-Samoan filmmaker and ripper from Aukland, when he was shooting campaign film back in 2012. The pair, it is reported, fell in love over their surfing passion and Williams proposed out in the lineup, duct-taping the diamond bauble onto a flotation device and dragging it behind. They were married in a Hindu wedding ceremony on Oahu in 2015.’
    Williams was born in Otahuhu.
    
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    May 23, 2026 10:46am
    - David Garrett
      
      Trout: Well I guess a Hindu wedding ceremony makes a change from the Buddhist ones so favored by the Look-at-me’s…
      
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      May 23, 2026 2:08pm
- kowtow
  
  She’s resigned as her husband has cancer.
  
  That’s another thing that happens to TDS sufferers , they lose all sense of rationality and compassion.
  
  Same thing happened to lefties with Thatcher derangement syndrome.
  
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  May 23, 2026 10:11am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Macbeth? Perhaps King Lear also.
  
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  May 23, 2026 10:14am
- Sane Voice
  
  [Understand your sentiment, but let’s not proffer medical advice to posters. Let the votes be the advice. holy mod.]
  
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  May 23, 2026 11:30am
- sungsamning
  
  Her husband has bone cancer. So, she is leaving government to be with him. Any decent person would under those circumstances. I hope he makes a full recovery.
  
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  May 23, 2026 11:31am
david in Aus

Tulsi likely resigned in anticipation of a kinetic strike this weekend. Hence the timing, which is similar to Joe Kent’s.

My reasoning why an attack this weekend is likely:
-Tulsi Gabbard resigning
-long weekend (the markets are closed)
-Iran has closed their airspace this weekend
-Iran drawing a red-line on nuclear
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May 23, 2026 10:20am
- david in Aus
  
  -Also Trump cannot go to his son’s wedding in the Bahamas this weekend because of an “Iranian matter”.
  That is a big tell. Either he has fallen out with his son or something is going to happen.
  
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  May 23, 2026 11:20am
  - Graeme Hall
    
    No worries. Trump Senior can always attend Don Jnr’s next wedding.
    
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    May 23, 2026 3:48pm
- Charlotte Wells
  
  Tulsi resigned because she wants to spend all the time possbile with her husband while he is gravely ill.
  
  Does it bother you that your outlook toward any part of the current US administration has warped your mind and turned you into a caricature.
  
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  May 23, 2026 11:27am
  - david in Aus
    
    That may be true. But there is tradition with those in power that unless you want to make a fuss and enemies of those in power; one says they want to spend more time with their families when resigning.
    
    Its no secret that Tulsi and Joe Kent were against the Iran war. Tusli probably tried to persuade Trump from within the administration. She lost his ear, and for her own ambitions/conscience is distancing herself. The neocons have won.
    
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    May 23, 2026 11:52am
    - Don Beckett
      
      I thought Trump was he one who lost his ear. 😆
      
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      May 23, 2026 12:29pm
      - Pope Punctilious II
        
        I thought it was Vincent Van Gogh who lost his ear.
        
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        May 23, 2026 8:11pm
    - Charlotte Wells
      
      In the words of the greatest (only?) ozzie philosopher “yer dreamin”.
      
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      May 23, 2026 12:31pm
      - Ra Henare
        
        The Castle
        Tell em hes dreaming
        
        also
        
        Straight to the pool room
        
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        May 23, 2026 2:10pm
  - MCōs
    
    So her husband is ‘gravely ill’
    He deteriorated quickly considering his cancer has been known about for awhile and she’s staying in the job for another six weeks
    
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    May 23, 2026 2:11pm
    - Quail
      
      Mcos
      That is what cancer does.
      It does not fit in with anyones life!
      
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      May 23, 2026 7:19pm
- kowtow
  
  Yes strike soon , given how the media were seeded that story about Bibi’s hair on fire after phone call with Orange Warlord of Pennsylvania Ave.And non attendance of impending family wedding.
  
  Nek minute we’ll be studying entrails.
  
  What is for sure is , while there mightn’t be any hot ops at the mo , there’s plenty of psy ops.
  
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  May 23, 2026 11:27am
- David Garrett
  
  What is a “kinetic strike”??
  
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  May 23, 2026 11:50am
  - Charlotte Wells
    
    The opposite of a lethargic strike maybe?
    
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    May 23, 2026 12:29pm
  - rouppe
    
    A strike that expends a lot of kinetic energy.
    
    As opposed to explosive energy.
    
    Or nuclear energy.
    
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    May 23, 2026 1:14pm
Swifty

The saxophonist Dick Parry died today – a key contributor to the Pink Floyd sound.

https://x.com/davidgilmour/status/2057899099731726550?s=46
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May 23, 2026 11:39am
- David Garrett
  
  Swifty: Yes…the tenor sax parts in Pink Floyd tracks were a big part of me trying to learn that lovely instrument…started too late…
  
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  May 23, 2026 2:13pm
  - Quail
    
    Nothing quite like a wailing saxophone!
    
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    May 23, 2026 7:20pm
sungsamning

The Iran story isn’t about Iran. Every move Trump makes is hitting the City of London’s network from a different angle — the financing, the Muslim Brotherhood, Turkey, the chaos infrastructure they’ve built over decades. This is a coordinated dismantling and most people are still watching the wrong thing. [This didn’t start recently. It has roots in WW2. [The City’s fingerprints are all over it. The Muslim Brotherhood wasn’t just meant as an Egyptian thing. MI6 used as a counterweight to Nasser. London became a safe haven for them, and their NGOs. Qatar is a major sponsor.]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL-49OJOY-A
Every Angle of the Iran War Hits the City of London. That’s Not a Coincidence
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May 23, 2026 11:44am
- Charlotte Wells
  
  I haven’t studied enough to know about all that.
  
  Commentators are also not seeing the full picture with regard to China and a possible invasion of Taiwan.
  
  The Trump administration have defanged China and made the invasion unlikely.
  
  Trump prevents a major war with a nuclear power. Credit will be given when history is written years from now.
  
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  May 23, 2026 12:35pm
  - David Garrett
    
    Charlotte: Do explain how Trump has “defanged China”
    
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    May 23, 2026 2:15pm
    - MCōs
      
      The easy questions first, eh
      
      2 3
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      May 23, 2026 2:25pm
    - Charlotte Wells
      
      I have popped in for a moment. Haven’t got time to expand in full but do check back around 6.30 and I will lay it out.
      
      4 2
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      May 23, 2026 3:51pm
      - Charlotte Wells
        
        China has stated the intention to reunite Taiwan within 2 years.
        
        In that timeframe there are only 2 periods when the weather is suitable for an invasion.
        
        When Trump came to office China had possession of facilities at both ends of the Panama Canal. It also had involvement in Venezuela.
        
        The canal could be rendered inoperable, requiring US ships to take the long way around South America.
        
        Chinese missiles based in Venezuela could control the entire Gulf of America and attack the major US oil installations on the south coast.
        
        China has lost the canal and access to Venezuela.
        
        China gets most of its oil via Iran. The US banging heads with Iran has the chinese oil supply in a precarious position. China has to decide if the reserves should go to the military of the civilian population.
        
        Two points; Logisitics win wars, and don’t give your enemy a problem, give them a dilemma.
        
        The strategic initiative has been reclaimed from China.
        
        If invasion has been prevented then the greatest achievement of the Trump administration will be something that never happened.
        
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        May 23, 2026 7:05pm
      - Ghost
        
        A lot of fantsy in your post, but to be expected
        
        China never had missiles in Venezuela, that’s just a fantasy. Iran supplied about 13–15% of chinas oil, not most of it. Stop making things up. China gets about 20% of their oil from Russia, if you don’t know that is already more than they get from Iran. 14% from Saudi Arabia. The rest is from UAE, Iraq, Brazil, Oman and Malaysia.
        
        China isn’t defanged, nowhere near it
        
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        May 23, 2026 7:14pm
    - sungsamning
      
      A three person meeting between Xi, President Trump, and Xi’s daughter. She acted as interpreter. Trump has got the Chinese buying oil from the US, not Iran. He may have got bank details of how Iran was laundering money to terrorists. Some chips have been taken off the forbidden list. President trump got a very war m welcome compared to Obama. And there probably won’t be an invasion of Taiwan. But aside from that; the trip was an abject failure. Because Orange man Bad.
      
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      May 23, 2026 4:34pm
  - Ra Henare
    
    Interesting to see the hypocracy of the USA Dictator continues.
    
    Political theatre in full sight.
    
    Re Cuba. They indict a 94 year old for an event that happened in 1996.
    For more detail of the event
    https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/trump-administrations-indictment-of-raul-castro-is-pretext-for-war-on-cuba/
    
    The hype Headline
    Shooting down civilians in “”international”” waters.
    
    The hypocracy comes when looking at the shooting down/up of Civilian boats in International waters (no warnings) . Ie the Narco Terrorist Boats.
    
    This time there is a twist. Russia has announced its full support for Cuba.
    https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/russia-says-it-supports-cuba-after-trump-says-he-will-take-communist-republic-2026-03-17/
    
    I have read a lot about the Cuban situation since the popular (Castro) Lead revolution removed Batista(American Puppet)
    
    Other than some political theatre(Latino Votes in Miami) I can see no valid reason for the USA dictator to punish the Cuban people to the extent they have no fuel oil, no electricity to survive on.
    
    A candidate for a war crime???. ie punishing innocent civillians.
    
    Under Article 54 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, it is forbidden to attack, destroy, or remove objects essential to civilian survival.
    
    So why is the USA Dictator going all out on Cuba, they dont have OIL. Present no military threat to USA>
    
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    May 23, 2026 2:21pm
    - Charlotte Wells
      
      The civilian narco-terrorist boats.
      
      A contradiction in terms right there.
      
      3 2
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      May 23, 2026 7:11pm
      - Ra Henare
        
        The term Narco Terrorists invented bythe great Dicator to gain theotrical attention.
        
        In the past, smugglers, ie their true description, would have been intercepted by the the US Coastguard. But that did not provide good theatre.
        
        And of course the guys that died on those boats were just couriers to the US Drug dealers, so no way actual terrorists.
        
        So MR TV needed theatre, so attacks on civilian boats arbitrarily labelled narco terrorits, then releasing video footage of said attacks, met the required Theatrical/News worthy TV coverage he desired.
        
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        May 23, 2026 9:07pm
  - sungsamning
    
    Yes, I agree there’s more going than one sees in the fake news. Check out Promeathean Action.
    
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    May 23, 2026 4:29pm
sungsamning

A woman allegedly tied to Minnesota’s massive “Feeding Our Future” scandal has been charged in a daycare fraud scheme after being featured in a viral video by influencer Nick Shirley, authorities said. [Every one of these cases should get the full RICO treatment. Dems are knee deep in this. Its one of several areas where they’ve stolen billions for years.]

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/owner-daycare-viral-nick-shirley-video-charged-daycare-fraud-scheme-prosecutors-say
Owner of daycare in viral Nick Shirley video charged in $4.6M daycare fraud scheme, prosecutors say.
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May 23, 2026 11:45am
mogg

According to TV3 News the Israeli govt has “Fascist like tendencies”. Whereas Neither Hamas nor Hezbollah ever have terror like tendencies.
29 3
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May 23, 2026 11:53am
- Charlotte Wells
  
  As the saying goes; ‘my enemies enemy is my friend’.
  
  8 2
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  May 23, 2026 12:39pm
- sungsamning
  
  That’s why TV3 are fake news. Nobody should believe a word they say.
  
  5 1
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  May 23, 2026 4:35pm
Swifty

Stephen Colbert’s last show:

https://x.com/realDonaldTrump/status/2057968277062582378/video/1?s=46
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May 23, 2026 11:56am
- rouppe
  
  As soon as I heard that Bruce Springsteen was on the show, that scuppered any residual interest.
  
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  May 23, 2026 1:16pm
  - MCōs
    
    He wasn’t on his last show
    
    2 3
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    May 23, 2026 2:21pm
- Paulus
  
  Is he part of the Trump Administration as I do not know who he is/was ?
  
  1 4
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  May 23, 2026 2:35pm
  - sungsamning
    
    Colbert was a late night TV show host. Some think he was a ‘comedian’. The show was wall to wall TDS. Ratings plummeted. So, bye bye Colbert.
    
    5 1
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    May 23, 2026 4:37pm
imalwaysright

Did they say the quiet bit out loud?

‘World class’: TVNZ current affairs, news honoured at NZ Media Awards https://share.google/DjFJ3cgR9qVKfUzX6

From the article: ‘TVNZ’s excellence in “world class” agenda-setting current affairs and investigative reporting has been honoured at the 2026 New Zealand Media Awards.’

“Agenda setting”…?

Isn’t it their job to report?
What do they mean about ‘agenda’.

Whose agenda, and what is it?
21 1
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May 23, 2026 1:12pm
- Hugh Jarse
  
  World class, hahahaha, world famous in Auckland. That being the case I presume they are up for some global news awards then ?. Or is it just another media induced circle jerk ?
  
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  May 23, 2026 1:35pm
- MCōs
  
  It was Q & A that was described as world class and in particular Jack Tame’s interview of the former police commissioner, not their reporting in general
  
  2 6
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  May 23, 2026 2:18pm
  - Hugh Jarse
    
    So my question stands, presumably that programme has been nominated or has won a global news award ?
    
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    May 23, 2026 2:33pm
    - MCōs
      
      Ring them up and ask
      In the meantime google reminds us that John Campbell, not everyone’s cup of tea, once won an international award for Best Radio Host
      Personally I’ve always thought terms like World Class, along with Educated Boot, knowledgeable crowd, and words such as Iconic, cliches at best used by reporters, sports commentators, politicians to fill a vacuum
      
      3 3
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      May 23, 2026 3:04pm
      - Hugh Jarse
        
        Radio Host award isn’t for TVNZ though is it ? Seems like I don’t need to ring them up, obviously your googling didn’t reveal such an award if it had you would have provided clarity I am sure. I agree with your view of superlatives, great for encouraging babies to crawl or walk but totally overdone describing a bunch of government servants such as state media.
        
        5 0
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        May 23, 2026 3:17pm
- Paulus
  
  Whaddaya mean – Their Agenda, twerp !
  
  5 1
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  May 23, 2026 2:36pm
- sungsamning
  
  Their agenda is to help put a Labour/’Green/TPM ‘government’ in office. Whatever aids that is ‘news’.
  
  3 1
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  May 23, 2026 4:38pm
Ghost

Rumours are attack on Iran is imminent. GPS jamming Has begun, Trump reportedly canceled plans and headed back to DC. Time will tell
4 0
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May 23, 2026 3:03pm
- kowtow
  
  Overnight pizza orders for the Pentagon is the new ‘tell’.
  
  5 1
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  May 23, 2026 3:05pm
  - Ghost
    
    Currently at doughcon 3. Domino’s had a 250% spike when Iran closed their airspace
    
    4 0
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    May 23, 2026 3:14pm
- MCōs
  
  I checked Al Jazeera, BBC, NYT
  You’re way ahead of those people with their world class reporters
  
  10 1
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  May 23, 2026 3:28pm

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