General Debate 06 June 2026

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General Debate

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Cassandra

Secretary Hegseth has been lambasted (“idiotic” “bully”) for his actually quite measured speech at the Shangri La conference, by those who haven’t read his speech or are deliberately distorting it. His exhortation for 3.5% was consistent with his government’s policy and delivered without histrionics. Any mention of NZ was answering a question and acknowledged NZ Minister Penk and the country favourably.

Predictably lefties and much of the media have put the worst possible interpretation on it and the extensive quoting of the inane Topp twin about musicians repelling invaders demonstrates the weakness of their position.

There’s extensive quoting of 2% as a fact. It isn’t. It’s a target for 8 years time when most current politicians will be retired. And it won’t be nearly enough for 3 frigates, more P8s or the substantial manpower and infrastructure costs involved. We’re at 1.2% now and have been there or below for many years.

Another matter is Labour’s policy. Will they endorse these increases? I suspect that when the time comes the left wing of Labour will prevail. We certainly know what the position of Labour’s coalition partners is! Nada. In effect Ms Topp has announced a Labour-led government’s defence policy.
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June 6, 2026 8:01am
- herb1
  
  Cassandra I think you’re wrong about Topp twins. Having seen some of there past work, I actually they’re right about increasing expenditure for the arts. If we are invaded we just need to replay in loops their shows and I have no doubt the Chinese will be repelled from these shores. Never to return
  
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  June 6, 2026 8:21am
- imalwaysright
  
  Haven’t heard the reasoning for the 3.5% figure.
  
  Is there a plan that has been costed on this amount for a limited time until the threat is eliminated, or is it a subscription model that will be embedded in each economy?
  
  And, not to be flippant, but what if the bad guys spend 4%?
  
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  June 6, 2026 8:30am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Not to worry. Labour can kill two birds with one stone by establishing the Musicians Battalion. Linda Topp for Colonel!
  
  Unlikely? There is a precedent: the British Army’s Artists Rifles. From the url:
  
  “The Artists Rifles was perhaps the most curious regiment in the British Army. It was formed in 1860 by a group of painters, architects, poets, sculptors, musicians and actors concerned about a possible French invasion. The Pre-Raphaelites were early members as were William Morris, Frederic Leighton and even the poet Algernon Swinburne.
  The regiment was the natural choice for young men of an artistic persuasion at the outbreak of war in 1914. Artists like John and Paul Nash, the poets Edward Thomas and Wilfred Owen, and the playwright Noël Coward wore the uniform of the Artists Rifles”.
  
  http://www.nam.ac.uk/whats-on/artists-artists-rifles
  
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  June 6, 2026 8:49am
- Philview
  
  Imagine the media outcry if the US slapped a travel ban on our MPs. The Government needs to root out anti Western subversives in the media industry as they undermining the country.
  
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  June 6, 2026 8:52am
- Simon
  
  Has the enemy been named? China NZ largest trade partner. lol Cant even say because questions will arise that cant be answered by the war nuts.
  
  [Mod – deleted]
  
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  June 6, 2026 9:02am
- Jack5
  
  The Herald today continues the Left’s hammering that America’s Secretary of Defence accused NZ of free loading in defence spending.
  
  Why do Auckland Leftists in particular, dislike the US? It seems to go back to Lange shutting out the nuclear-powered US Navy. The Herald today brings its Hegseth accusation into the report that NZ is buying five helicopters from America.
  
  Here’s the Herald today:
  
  “The US approval for the sale follows comments from US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth that amounted to accusing New Zealand of ‘freeloading’ during a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore last month.”
  
  As our blog host DPF, posted yesterday, the truth is that Hegseth did not specifically target New Zealand
  
  DPF pointed out the question was aimed “at every ally and partner in the world. No mention of NZ.”
  
  Afterwards. journalist Anna Fifield asked Hegseth at the conference at which Hegseth was speaking whether he considered NZ would be a free rider.
  
  Hegseth’d response began:
  
  …if I’m being honest, 2 percent is not enough, and so 2 percent is free loading, but I don’t have anything against New Zealand. I want partners to step up. I didn’t intentionally leave it off my list. I look forward to working with the new Defence Minister there and enhancing those capabilities.
  
  Fifield’s an NZ journalist who went overseas at the age of 25, worked for the Financial Times and the pre-Bezos Washington Post before editing Stuff’s Dominion Post from October 2020 to December 2022.
  
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/new-zealand-to-buy-mh-60r-helicopters-mk-54-torpedoes-in-27b-us-deal/PHPGNFHER5GPRJDP7JTOC4ITBM/
  
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  June 6, 2026 9:17am
- Andrew Worth
  
  What evidence do you offer that a 67% increase in defense spending can’t finance a 50% increase in the number of frigates and P8’s we can afford, especially when those 2 systems consume less than 50% of defense spending? (The army along receives 35-40%).
  
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  June 6, 2026 9:23am
BarryB

Why anyone thinks that old harridan – who makes an expletive explosion of the brain – knows anything about international military importance is deluded.
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June 6, 2026 8:17am
Yvette

Al Capone v the Treaty …
The 5th Amendment stems from English common law, specifically the Magna Carta (1215), which established the right to due process. After the American Revolution, Anti-Federalists demanded a Bill of Rights to protect citizens from federal overreach. James Madison formally introduced it to Congress in 1789, drawing on early state constitutions.

Why did they not just say the essence of any desired 5th Amendment is contained in the Principles of the Constitution, namely that referring to freedom of speech, in this particular instance: being the freedom of not speak at all?
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June 6, 2026 8:40am
imalwaysright

Cops can’t find criminal they released on ‘compassionate grounds’ and didn’t return to jail.

Police say we should not approach him. (If he’s not safe to be approached then why did they release him?)

He doesn’t sound very compassionate…

Police hunt for Royal Hawea, after prison release | RNZ News https://share.google/7Ck1ttGFDFUOZE8CI
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June 6, 2026 8:49am
- Ghost
  
  police don’t release people from prison.
  
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  June 6, 2026 8:55am
  - pdm
    
    They do from Police cells Ghostie.
    
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    June 6, 2026 9:03am
    - Ghost
      
      Problem in your argument pms, the man was in prison, not in a police cell
      
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      June 6, 2026 9:11am
artemisia

A high profile New Zealander died at an event in 2024. The coroner’s report has been released. According to the Herald today, their partner pushed for an inquest and cited concerns about the event’s management. Including whether greater consideration should have been given to participants’ medical history and their risks, health and safety, whether there was an “avoidable delay” in sourcing the defibrillator, and the “assigning, and dividing, of responsibility in the event of a health emergency”.

The coroner decided against an inquest. She found significant health issues that were being addressed, including weight loss surgery and that cause of death was heart disease. She also found that the event was adequately managed. There is quite a lot of detail from medical experts plus some cultural reasons for an inquest.

Sounds like a lot of effort to blame the event and its organisers. However, there are personal responsibility options, for example to consider medical history and risks.
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June 6, 2026 8:52am
NeverMindTheBollocks

I was chatting to a young public servant the other day, who let slip that they have unlimited sick leave. I’m aware that Jacinda gave the public service this boon during Covid, but rightly or wrongly I thought that it was for the pandemic period only.

Is anyone aware of any research that looks at how much sick leave is taken by head office employees on an annual basis over the last ten years?
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June 6, 2026 9:05am

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