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July 21, 2026 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 21 July 2026

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General Debate

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Cassandra

It is very pleasing to see that National is scrapping the awful system whereby local government can enter into agreements with Maori tribes, unless it is as part of a Waitangi settlement.

There is no place in our system for councils to adopt racist agreements.

It would be even better if National scrapped the whole race-based setup. Why do we have a Maori ministry, for example? Why do universities have a Maori Deputy Vice Chancellor? And so on.
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July 21, 2026 8:02am
- KKNZ2025
  
  Thanks only to Nationals current polling, nothing to do with the equality they promised to deliver 3 years ago. They are virtue signaling for the election.
  
  We still have a racist health system including treatment priority assessment & medical school entry, which National have actively supported for decades (cf Wayne Mapp)….still waiting
  
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  July 21, 2026 8:18am
  - Pope Punctilious II
    
    Agreed it’s mostly about the polling. The Nats have been bleeding votes in more than one direction. Their solution to the rightward bleed is this belated attempt to signal opposition to co-governance in time for the election. Whereas I see the “consent” nonsense as an attempt to convince well-heeled women who think of themselves as feminists, but who privately aren’t thrilled about paying more tax. So those woman can now convince themselves there’s a “principled” reason to vote National.
    
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    July 21, 2026 10:04am
    - Positan
      
      Pope Punct, the Nats have bled so many votes it’s possible that, despite the size of their far larger war-chest, they’re going to be a junior part of the next coalition.
      
      National under Luxon isn’t even a parody of Sid Holland’s National and, for that reason, I and many other once-longtime Nats will not be according National our once-guaranteed vote.
      
      Given the plummeting credibility of what National actually “stands for” today – and it’s abdication of any action on maorification that it promised in 2023 – it’s pretty well certain I won’t ever be supporting them again in future.
      
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      July 21, 2026 1:55pm
  - keepcalmcarryon
    
    Yes in fact John Keys government brought in the legislation allowing the councils to do this co government by stealth.
    Now the Nats are backtracking.
    The real test is what it is replaced with – they are still going to allow these relationships but with “guardrails”.
    
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    July 21, 2026 10:10am
  - Simon
    
    “Nationals current polling, nothing to do with the equality they promised to deliver 3 years ago. They are virtue signaling for the election”
    
    100%.
    
    To be dropped shortly after the election due to some Mickey Mouse judicial commission
    
    “National’s hands will be tied”. National voters lose again but just don’t learn
    
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    July 21, 2026 10:16am
  - Paulus
    
    Wayne’s good wife Denise Henare is a well known and respected Maori too.
    
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    July 21, 2026 2:06pm
- Tricati
  
  I’m still uncomfortable Bishop saying that there will still be arrangements within tight guidelines to meet Treaty obligations.
  Lets see the detail to see if National have in fact changed anything or just gas-lighting.
  
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  July 21, 2026 8:25am
  - surfing
    
    The explanation is around sites of significance.
    
    For example, if council plan to build a housing estate on top of an old maori cemetery …. Maori can push against that.
    
    This seems reasonable but the devil will be in the details.
    
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    July 21, 2026 9:04am
    - G152
      
      And the house piles
      
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      July 21, 2026 9:21am
    - kowtow
      
      How is “significance” decided and by who.
      
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      July 21, 2026 9:33am
      - David George
        
        Exactly kowtow.
        And who decides that some cooked up woo-woo (that magically disappears once the extortion is agreed to) has any basis in reality?
        
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        July 21, 2026 11:07am
    - rouppe
      
      It seems reasonable until you find out who gets to say whether a site is significant.
      
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      July 21, 2026 9:43am
      - kowtow
        
        I’d guess that the rate payer is also forced to pay “those who get to say”.
        
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        July 21, 2026 10:40am
- artemisia
  
  There is a simmering undercurrent of disquiet or worse in this arena. Councils seem to be trying to keep their co-governance plans under the radar, so sunlight will help. The proposal in the Bill will garner votes but will there be enough of them to return a government that can pass this Bill?
  
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  July 21, 2026 8:37am
  - Nikola Donatello
    
    The Bill will be passed before the election.
    
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    July 21, 2026 8:53am
    - RoboRob
      
      There are 24 sitting days left this term. A number of other promised bills, such as the RMA and treaty clause removal, have yet to be passed. The new council agreement bill hasn’t been written yet, according to Bishop it will be available in the next couple of weeks.
      
      I’m not saying it cant be implemented, just that they will be pushing it to do so. As with so many other things, there was no need to leave this to the last minute. If it hadn’t been for the backlash around councils pushing these things in, National were quite happy to leave the status quo in place.
      
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      July 21, 2026 9:33am
      - R
        
        There are also 24 nights for urgency sittings, and getting NZm back onto a stable dconomic footing is rather urgent at present. Only the Marxist activists disagree.
        
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        July 21, 2026 10:40am
      - RoboRob
        
        @R
        
        I’m no marxist but I don’t think relying on Urgency is a great option. We have had almost three years for them to pass this. There was no need for rushed, poorly debated legislation.
        
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        July 21, 2026 1:19pm
  - Grumpy Silver Top
    
    The insertion of Maori agendas into local council activities is yet again the result of decades of indoctrination that teaches that the stone age ancestors of today’s radical Maori cared for the land and husbanded resources for the future. So untrue.
    I long for (I would pray to a God if I thought it would help) a Government that is brave enough to cut a swathe through the stranglehold that a few radicals, who represent only themselves and whose genetics have long been mixed with Scots, English, Irish, Chinese (in fact all races who have settles this land) from destroying our society and resources.
    
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    July 21, 2026 9:01am
    - Nobby2
      
      Grumpy, I totally agree with you.
      
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      July 21, 2026 12:19pm
  - Quail
    
    As posted on GD @ 9.35 pm yesterday,it is pretty clear that there will be little more legislation passed on these matters ( or others )this electoral term.
    National are simply saying “ vote for us —- or else”!
    The fact is ,that they have had plenty of opportunities this term ( and in previous terms)to sort these matters!
    Just one opportunity was supporting ACT’s treaty bill.
    If National are re-elected ,the likelihood is rinse and repeat as has been their playbook in the past
    Trust is earned. Some of us have very little of that left!
    
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    July 21, 2026 9:20am
    - RoboRob
      
      Don’t judge people on what they say, judge them on what they do.
      
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      July 21, 2026 9:28am
      - David George
        
        “By their fruits you will know them”. JC
        
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        July 21, 2026 11:09am
  - Paulus
    
    Bay of Plenty Regional Council (Maori Chair women) with a $3 billion portfolio want to break it up so Maori can get easier control of each part.
    Has been short term stopped suddenly by current Government.
    
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    July 21, 2026 2:10pm
- kowtow
  
  Trotter on the Platform this am said National is wedded to the whole “90’s Treaty Settlement schtick.
  
  I feel that’s true and that’s one very big thing holding them back , that and the madness of internationalist anti carbonism.
  
  The former destroys our constitution, the latter our economy .
  The Nats aren’t nearly as smart as they think they are.
  
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  July 21, 2026 8:41am
  - Grumpy Silver Top
    
    The bureaucratic advisors are “true believers” in Maori wonderfulness and ceaselesslypeddle their agenda.
    
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    July 21, 2026 9:02am
    - Pope Punctilious II
      
      Yep, the rot runs deep through the public service.
      
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      July 21, 2026 10:07am
  - imalwaysright
    
    “The former destroys our constitution, the latter our economy.”
    
    Exactly.
    
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    July 21, 2026 9:05am
  - RoboRob
    
    If you actually look at what has been achieved for Maori vs the rhetoric, National have done far more then any other party. More then Labour, Maori Party and TPM combined. It is highly ironic that Maori generally shun National.
    
    The treaty settlements process was a good idea but it is grown out of control with settlements becoming more then land / cash payouts. The concept with full an final was never applied and the process has been allowed to drag on far too long. If a tribe doesn’t hasn’t reached settlement by now, then its not going to. Putting an end date on the process would push the remaining tribes to come to the table. The Tribunal is also out of control, thinking itself the equivalent of the US supreme court and issuing instructions to the government on what it can and cant do. The current National leadership isn’t going to make any changes here, it is too controversial and ‘not important’.
    
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    July 21, 2026 9:26am
    - R
      
      ‘too controversial..?. THE MSM are going full throttle, and have been for about two decades, to indoctrinate and misinform the public. The National leadership and the COALITION, have no control over editorial policy, nor media AGENDA’s
      
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      July 21, 2026 10:45am
      - RoboRob
        
        So? Are you saying the media determines government policy?
        
        Obviously just prior to election isn’t the time to address treaty settlement issues. But they had 2024 and 2025.
        
        Your continued excuse that the minor parties are blocking National doesn’t hold water. I listed the two National policies that I know of that were blocked by the minor parties.
        
        Do you think Act would block changes to the treaty stuff? Do you think NZF would? Perhaps you should take some time and reflect and apply ocams razor to exactly why policy isn’t getting implemented. Don’t you think National would be saying ‘we would like to do x but cant get support for it’ if their policy really was getting blocked? Certainly Act is saying that.
        
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        July 21, 2026 1:30pm
    - Wairoa Native
      
      “Democratic government can accommodate Maori political aspiration in many ways. It can allocate resources in ways which reflect the particular interests of Maori people. It can delegate authority, and allow the exercise of degrees of Maori autonomy. What it cannot do is acknowledge the existence of a separate sovereignty. As soon as it does that, it isn’t a democracy. We can have a democratic form of government or we can have indigenous sovereignty. They can’t coexist and we can’t have them both.” David Lange.
      
      An interesting political realignment is happening. National increasingly seems to attract professional and establishment Māori, lawyers, academics, senior public servants, iwi leaders and business people who broadly support the political direction that has developed under both National and Labour. Meanwhile, NZ First is attracting Māori candidates (including former Labour Māori MPs) and voters who reject that consensus and favour equal citizenship over race-based policies. The real divide is no longer simply Left versus Right, but between an elite Māori establishment and Māori who believe New Zealand should move back towards one law for all.
      
      https://www.brucejesson.com/david-lange-2000/
      
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      July 21, 2026 1:11pm
    - Paulus
      
      Ngapuhi are only holding on settlement in the expectation that they longer they wait the more money they will get !
      
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      July 21, 2026 2:13pm
  - David George
    
    Chris Trotter has an excellent essay on this up on The Good Oil website*.
    Conclusion:
    “That is why, before the votes are counted on the evening of Saturday, 7th November 2026, the three parties making up the current coalition Government must rededicate themselves to the ‘de-woking’ of New Zealand that so many of those who voted for them in 2023 were promised, had every right to expect and which is very far from being completed.
    
    If the National Party cannot commit itself to fulfilling the promises it made (or allowed the voters to believe it supported) back in 2023, then it must say so plainly and proudly. If National is determined to preserve the Māori elite it did so much to create – even at the price of accepting the revisionists’ illiberal interpretation of the Treaty – then it must appraise the voters of that fact.
    
    Even at the price of attracting a party vote in the teens.
    
    Even at the price of forfeiting the support of its donors.
    
    Even at the price of ceasing to be.”
    
    * https://goodoil.news/there-are-three-ways-to-kill-projects-that-have-gone-rogue/
    Paywalled but viewable for 99 cents one off payment.
    
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    July 21, 2026 11:15am
- RoboRob
  
  It was great to see. A shame that it was fronted better, as I said previously I don’t think Bishop was the man for the job. Pretty weak messaging from what I heard with HDPA last night. Very concerning that Bishop believes that councils are bound by treaty agreements and yeah we don’t have co governance we some other waffle that means the same.
  
  My major concern is that National felt the need to replace the agreements with a whole new, as yet undefined, set of agreements. It would be ‘ok’ if the new system is very limited but it is also quite possible that the new system is a renamed version of the system it is replacing and that this is yet another bait and switch.
  
  Interestingly the article on RNZ makes the changes sound much better, including that the new system will be narrowly focused and designed to stop creep. Sounds good.
  
  https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/politics/752505/prime-minister-christopher-luxon-speaks-on-resource-management-act-reforms
  
  Again, my point is that we needed a good messenger. A lot of Nationals issue has been its inability to properly communicate policy and achievements.
  
  If it is as outlined in the RNZ story says, National has done very well policy wise.
  
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  July 21, 2026 8:59am
  - pdm
    
    `If it is as outlined in the RNZ story says, National has done very well policy wise.’
    
    Simon Court (ACT) is probably the one to credit with that if what you say is correct RR.
    
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    July 21, 2026 9:08am
    - RoboRob
      
      National allowed it through this time, so I’ll give them the credit. I already knew Act wanted to end this rubbish.
      
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      July 21, 2026 9:17am
    - R
      
      Simon Court was conveying a COALITION cabinet decision; not ACT policy. Keep your finger on the pulse!
      
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      July 21, 2026 9:21am
      - RoboRob
        
        No, that’s not true. Simon Court has been on about this stuff since at least last year. Bishop, wrote the RMA to lock in the ‘Te…’ agreements. It is only the backlash against council rushing in new agreements (to be locked in under Bishops RMA) that has forced National to Act.
        
        I give National credit for doing so, but please don’t pretend that Act haven’t been all over these issues and that National haven’t been ignoring them.
        
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        July 21, 2026 9:42am
- Nobby2
  
  Cass; They have still not done enough on dismantling the maorification of NZ as they promised in their 2023 pre – election proposals. They are turning out to be as woke about maori as labour, greens, the partly maori and the opportunity party. I am thinking very strongly about not giving my vote to National after 55 years of doing so.
  
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  July 21, 2026 12:15pm
- Paulus
  
  Do we not apprear to have a Maori Department in every Government Ministry ?
  Do not all Government Departments have Quasi named Maori Departments, for which fat lady is to lead the wailing every morning ?
  
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  July 21, 2026 2:04pm
artemisia

Creative New Zealand says it’s cutting staff by about a third, with half of those being vacancies. Will anyone notice? Still seems a lot of warm bodies to dish out OPM, I think quite a bit is from lotteries. Still OPM though.

Of course there is also local arts funding, thanks ratepayers, though in Wellington at least some comes from Creative NZ as well.
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July 21, 2026 8:30am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  Which creative arts warrant public funding?
  
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  July 21, 2026 8:37am
  - Ian
    
    Pole dancing, don’cha know…
    
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    July 21, 2026 8:50am
  - Nikola Donatello
    
    The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Because I attend regularly.
    
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    July 21, 2026 8:54am
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Actually, that’s funded from a separate budget.
      https://www.mch.govt.nz/publications/budget-2024#baseline-operating-funding-for-each-agency
      
      I s’pose I should have been more specific and queried how much of Creative NZ’s funding to aspiring or established creative artists is warranted.
      https://creativenz.govt.nz/funding-and-support
      
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      July 21, 2026 9:03am
      - pdm
        
        NZCPR had something on Lotto Grants which I think is related.
        
        Sorry don’t have time to look for a link but written by Greg Thomas I think.
        
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        July 21, 2026 9:09am
    - Jigsaw
      
      Then you and the others who attend and presumably appreciate the experience, should pay- why do you expect the general public to pay?
      
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      July 21, 2026 9:29am
    - imalwaysright
      
      “Which creative arts warrant public funding?”
      
      “The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Because I attend regularly.”
      
      Tickets to the NZSO are $15–$37
      
      Tickets to Split Enz were ten times that amount…
      
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      July 21, 2026 9:46am
      - Ghost
        
        People want to see split enz
        
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        July 21, 2026 1:25pm
      - imalwaysright
        
        Presactly
        
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        July 21, 2026 2:03pm
    - R
      
      I hope that you pay full price for your ticket, and don’t accept a subsidized ticket!
      I have nothing against symphony, in fact I enjoy such music, but do believe in user pays.
      
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      July 21, 2026 9:58am
    - mogg
      
      How about Opera Planet on YouTube.
      https://youtu.be/1HupnMOWKTU
      
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      July 21, 2026 1:22pm
  - kowtow
    
    None, cos it’s just more taxpayer exploitation to give “artists” an income they don’t deserve and bored people some entertainment they should pay for themselves.
    
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    July 21, 2026 9:07am
  - Pope Punctilious II
    
    Oh come on Maggy, where would we be without Tusiata Avia MNZM? https://creativenz.govt.nz/news-and-blog/2023/02/28/22/07/54/creative-new-zealand-response-to-commentary-regarding-the-savage-coloniser
    
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    July 21, 2026 10:10am
- imalwaysright
  
  Distilling spirits is an art.
  Can I get a grant to pay for my yeasts and grains with enough left over that I can quit my job?
  
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  July 21, 2026 8:47am
  - RoboRob
    
    Can I get funding to pay for transport to your place to quality control the output?
    
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    July 21, 2026 9:01am
    - imalwaysright
      
      I’ll put you down as ‘Cultural Advisor’ on my application Rapata…
      
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      July 21, 2026 9:31am
Jethrod

This was on Stuff yesterday and sums up Ryan Fox I think.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/361008284/golfing-world-falls-love-tour-grinder-turned-open-winner-ryan-fox
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July 21, 2026 8:38am
- Observant Octagenarian
  
  Best comment: It used to be “Ryan Fox, son of All Black great Grant Fox.
  Now it’s Grant Fox, father of Ryan Fox, golfing great”
  
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  July 21, 2026 9:50am
- Flossie
  
  Peter Williams has a piece in Brash and Mitchell today commenting how this magnificent win by Ryan Fox was only mentioned after about 15 minutes of FIFA World Cup spiel on TV One news last night. Bit disappointing, and reinforces our decision that that show is not worth a minute of our time.
  
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  July 21, 2026 11:47am
  - Jethrod
    
    Hi -lights were Argentina handing out the bash!
    
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    July 21, 2026 1:27pm
- Hugh Jarse
  
  It’s a very proud moment for all New Zealanders, except for TVNZ that didn’t recognise his efforts first up instead relegating him for many minutes into thr “news”. But then he is clearly white and seemingly Hetro, doesn’t appear to be transitioning, so not much for TVNZ to celebrate I suppose.
  
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  July 21, 2026 12:42pm
  - Ghost
    
    Only natural that the World Cup would get the prime time lead in. No doubt if it didn’t then there would be people complaining that it didn’t
    
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    July 21, 2026 2:06pm
    - Hugh Jarse
      
      I would argue that the win by Fox, the first New Zealander to win a men’s championship since Michael Campbell won the US Open in 2005 is actually of a bigger New Zealand interest than a football World Cup which we are no longer paying in, is a relatively small sport in NZ (but growing). It’s aspirational for young New Zealanders as opposed to two foreign teams playing a football final. In my view the Fox win should have been first followed by the football World Cup. PS I don’t play golf.
      
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      July 21, 2026 3:22pm
      - Ghost
        
        761,000 Nz’ers watched the soccer final. Over a million watched the All Whites. How many do you think watched the golf?
        
        The viewership is with the soccer, which is why it was the lead story
        
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        July 21, 2026 3:51pm
- Paulus
  
  I understand that comment has been made from the US players that the Linked Course is too difficult because the grass is too long.
  In the US the courses are primed entirely for the US Players.
  Hand cut with scissors probably.
  
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  July 21, 2026 2:21pm
surfing

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/tauranga-mans-petition-challenges-councils-welcome-bay-rd-roading-plan/II6PMLPFCFCU7HTBFKMJENV43Y/

Everything that is wrong with Tauranga council and probably all councils.

Local residents say the planned roading re-design is unnecessary, emergency services agree.

Yet, council bullies say they’re still going to spend the 2.5 million dollars on unwanted roading changes anyway.

This is Tauranga council, who regularly increase rates by 10%, showing total disregard to spending and disrespect to those who pay!

This is an instant saving of 2.5 million dollars on a wasteful project. Council aren’t interested. They’ll just raise rates by another 10% next year!
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July 21, 2026 8:51am
- R
  
  This is the result you get when Marxist activists are elected to any organisation. Something that applies to practically all organisation’s spending OPM, and voters don’t all have ‘real capital’ in the equation
  
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  July 21, 2026 10:02am
  - kowtow
    
    This is the result of 70 % of voters not turning out for local elections.
    
    I believe the solution to be the franchise shold be limited to rate payers only. One vote per ratepayer.
    
    No one should be entitled to have a deciding voice on how opm is spent.
    
    The same principle could as easily be applied to the universal franchise , it’s the details that need to be worked on.
    
    We already don’t allow criminals , psychotic crims and the corrupt a vote.
    
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    July 21, 2026 10:51am
Ian

From Newstalk ZB site – “Burnham, 56, pledged to re-industrialise Britain and end sleeping rough on the streets.” Under Burnham, the Labour Party is described as more left leaning than before.

Back home, the Labour Party is all against efforts to end rough sleeping…
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July 21, 2026 8:58am
- RoboRob
  
  350m pounds over 3 years to end rough sleeping. Yeah, sure. Burnham sounds good but lets see in practice.
  
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  July 21, 2026 9:15am
  - imalwaysright
    
    Homelessness in America is big business.
    
    The management model involves keeping the homeless drugged, fed, and alive for as long as possible so as to allow the ‘service providers’ a near continuous income stream.
    
    Its similar to the cancer drug industry– the last thing they want to do is actually give us the cure.
    
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    July 21, 2026 10:16am
  - kowtow
    
    According to informed sources he doesn’t sound good , he’s just another far left , long time Labour Establishment insider ,word salad spewer.
    
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    July 21, 2026 10:54am
- R
  
  Burnham sounds like a reincarnation of Michael Foote!
  
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  July 21, 2026 10:03am
  - mogg
    
    Luddite Michael Foot is “Burnham’s role model’.
    This nationalisation of industry was tried in the 1970s, it was an unmitigated disaster, it gave the unions licence to destroy everything. Margaret Thatcher eventually took office and passed laws controlling union power.
    
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    July 21, 2026 1:35pm
- imalwaysright
  
  The British media have been relatively quiet about, Joshua Kerry, a 28-year-old man from Rotherham, the alleged murderer of Anne Widdicombe.
  
  If he wasn’t from the Left we would be subjected to a forensic level media onslaught of every detail of his life and his politics.
  
  Naturally, the NZ ME would have parroted it ad nauseum.
  
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  July 21, 2026 11:07am
- Dudley Quaffquaff
  
  Any detail on how exactly he thinks he’s going to “re-industrialise Britain”? Not with private money, that’s for sure
  
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  July 21, 2026 2:20pm
Damocles11

Central bank and government policies since the GFC – namely ultra-low interest rates, QE, mass immigration, high government spending – have led to a bubble economy, rampant inequality, a high cost of living (persistent inflation) and disgruntled and disaffected cohorts of younger voters. In this environment State encroachment into the provision of services & outright socialism to ‘level the playing field’ are now increasingly popular with the ‘have nots’. This was the clear and obvious danger in pulling all available levers to boost asset prices for a decade and a half: the people who missed out on the gains are unhappy and will vote for parties who offer them perceived solutions. So in addition to Labour with their suite of freebies you have NZ First campaigning on buying back the BNZ and spending $1 billion on an oil and gas survey, and you have the Greens promising zero-interest clean energy loans, a $200 million investment into community energy projects, and the creation of a publicly-owned entity called Kiwipower to deliver what the ‘market has failed to build’. Kiwipower would be funded through a four-year $980 million appropriation – with $100 million per year for operating and $142 million per year for new investment. This would be paid by the Greens’ Super Rich Tax.
The momentum is building on the Left for higher taxes, higher levels of taxation, and higher levels of spending. How this can be countered is not immediately obvious.
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July 21, 2026 9:07am
- R
  
  Not immed obvious……it will become very obvious about 15 to 20 years after the last of the motivated people have departed NZ
  
  4 0
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  July 21, 2026 10:25am
- Paulus
  
  Didn’t know the BNZ was for sale ?
  Called an Emmachisit deal surely.
  
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  July 21, 2026 2:24pm
RoboRob

Chloe was on with HDPA last night discussing the Greens energy policy, Kiwi Power. Just about wet my pants when she talked about more Hydro and Geo to be used instead of Gas / Coal to cover peak demand / shortages.

In what world do the Greens ever issue a permit for a new hydro plant? They have actively worked to block every permit request for decades.
If the Greens were in power you can guaranty that every permit request for any kind of construction, not just generation, would be declined. I’m not sure what the greens think about Geo but I am pretty sure they would be against construction there too. The Greens have long had a trend of supporting new power generation methods right up until they become commercially viable.

Oh and yeah GEO gives great baseload power but isn’t appropriate for peak coverage. You cant just turn it up or down. Hydro is, ok, except part of the reason gas is needed is to cover high demand periods when hydro lakes are low.
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July 21, 2026 9:13am
- G152
  
  Only power the greens are interested is political so they can pretend they are worth the money and the time they waste
  
  20 1
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  July 21, 2026 9:33am
- rouppe
  
  I’m not sure you’re right about geothermal and peak coverage vs gas being the thing that does that.
  
  Gas plants burn gas to boil water to create steam to spin turbines. Geothermal takes the already high temperature high pressure steam to spin turbines. In terms of being able to spin turbines faster they’d either be on a par or geothermal would be quicker to access more steam?
  
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  July 21, 2026 10:04am
  - Ian Boag
    
    Rankine (eg Huntly) work like you said.
    
    Most gas power plants are gas turbines – basically jet engines where air is compressed, gas is lit, hot compressed gases go through a turbine. Can be spun up and down fairly quickly.
    
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    July 21, 2026 10:08am
    - rouppe
      
      I defer…
      
      6 0
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      July 21, 2026 10:23am
    - Taieri
      
      That’s an open cycle plant. Not very efficient but very quick to start.
      Usually, they are built as combined cycle plants with heat recovery steam generator and steam turbine, with over 50% efficiency.
      
      4 0
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      July 21, 2026 12:15pm
  - RoboRob
    
    The issue is when you need an extra 200MW of generation. You can startup / turn on your Huntly turbine and generate that. With Geo they consistently output about 90% of their max capacity. So if you need extra you can turn it up to 100% but that extra 10% might only be 50MW.
    
    So the Gas sits as unused generation ready in case of emergency rather then other generation that is consistently used.
    
    Oh and pretty much all non hydro / wind use steam to turn the turbines, incl Nuclear.
    
    11 1
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    July 21, 2026 10:14am
    - kevn
      
      I like the 24/7 element…
      https://www.rolls-royce.com/innovation/small-modular-reactors.aspx#/
      
      5 1
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      July 21, 2026 11:33am
- Bullion
  
  The idea is that with more generation, hydro becomes less baseload and more a battery (you don’t need to use it as often so dry year risk decreases).
  
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  July 21, 2026 12:37pm
Ghost

An 18-year-old’s Kiwi’s first overseas trip has ended with him detained in a Thai jail after a watch incident at airport security.

Stuff reported that Loukas told his mother he has been left “completely confused” by the turn of events.

He told his mum the watch was on the airport tray he had his bags on in security, so he “just picked it up too”.

Article

You stole, you got caught, tough shit.
21 5
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July 21, 2026 9:36am
- rouppe
  
  From a Stuff article on the same matter:
  
  Natasha said her son had no idea it was a crime.
  
  “That watch… he told me it was on the airport tray with his belongings… so he just picked it up too.
  
  Are you serious?
  
  Something you know is not yours is there at a security checkpoint, so you think what: manna from heaven? In a country with the death penalty?
  
  Plus, for ANYONE who has gone through airport security, that story is bogus. You pick up a tray from a stack, put your stuff in it and move on. No one EVER puts their stuff in someone else’s tray, and there’s next to ZERO chance that a tray with something like a watch on it gets back into the stack.
  
  15 1
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  July 21, 2026 10:19am
  - R
    
    Story reads like ‘dishonesty’ is a family trait. Mentored by example from a young age perhaps
    
    6 0
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    July 21, 2026 10:32am
    - greybeard
      
      Agreed. I am amazed that he could afford to go on such a trip at such an age: assume parental help was needed.
      
      1 4
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      July 21, 2026 2:32pm
      - Ghost
        
        Why? My nephew has in the last year been to Australia, Canada, and Thailand. He was 17/18. All paid for by himself from working. As did his friends that went with him.
        
        A friends 17 year old son is currently travelling before starting university next year. Again paid by himself from working while at school.
        
        2 1
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        July 21, 2026 2:46pm
  - Swifty
    
    He picked up just so it could have a rest in his pocket.
    
    He is entirely innocent!
    
    5 0
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    July 21, 2026 10:37am
  - mandk
    
    The lad was clearly guilty of theft, but I can imagine a situation in which someone gets flustered going through security, suddenly remembers they haven’t removed their watch just as they reach the metal detector, and then inadvertently drops it into the wrong tray.
    
    Many millions of people pass through airport security every day, so possessions probably end up in the wrong tray fairly often. (Copilot says 40,000-50,000 people a day go through AVSEC in NZ alone).
    
    2 3
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    July 21, 2026 10:48am
    - rouppe
      
      The woman inadvertently drops it in the wrong tray, then forgets to grab it again and only remembers hours later according to the story.
      
      Anything is possible but what a sequence of flustered inadvertency
      
      3 0
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      July 21, 2026 1:15pm
    - Ghost
      
      Yeah, and you know what often happens? People return it to the airport when they realise what they have done,
      
      1 0
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      July 21, 2026 1:21pm
    - Master Mariner
      
      Try going through forgetting you have your steel toe boots on.
      
      2 0
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      July 21, 2026 2:04pm
- kowtow
  
  Tired , hasseled travellers can make innocent mistakes .
  
  3 4
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  July 21, 2026 11:01am
  - Ghost
    
    Bullshit. When someone typically picks up something at the airport that isn’t theirs, the wrong bag, etc, they return it. 2 weeks this thief walked around with the person’s watch, never turned it in, actually did nothing until he got caught then he apologised.
    
    5 1
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    July 21, 2026 1:15pm
  - Paulus
    
    Try going through with a Heart Monitor and no certificate.
    
    2 0
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    July 21, 2026 2:35pm
- Nukuleka
  
  C’mon. The Thai authorities seem to be way OTT in their response to this situation. Have a wee bit of empathy for what appears to be a foolish spur of the moment act. Put yourself in the shoes of the mother, and of the son being incarcerated in a Thai prison. There’s no way anyone would receive this sort of treatment for this type of offence in NZ.
  
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  July 21, 2026 11:10am
  - [email protected]
    
    Yeah but he wasn’t in NZ was he? He was in a country well known for having quite harsh penalties for what we consider relatively minor infractions.
    
    I dunno about you but my first impulse would be to tell someone on the security checkout that someone had obviously forgotten a watch and hand it over to them. Especially when you consider it was a ladies watch and clearly not something he owned.
    
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    July 21, 2026 11:27am
    - imalwaysright
      
      Yep.
      
      5 0
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      July 21, 2026 1:41pm
  - rouppe
    
    Don’t you think that might be why it’s a lot more prevalent here than there?
    
    8 1
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    July 21, 2026 12:18pm
    - Ghost
      
      Yeah, bit problem in NZ, we are soft on crime and no politician wants to change the sentencing act.
      
      5 1
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      July 21, 2026 1:16pm
Yvette

‘New’ New Zealand First candidates with Māori ancestry / identifying as Māori
• Dover Samuels: Has iwi affiliations with Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kurī, Ngāti Kura, and Ngāti Rēhia. He previously served as the Minister of Māori Affairs.
• Rino Tirikatene: Has Ngāi Tahu and Ngāti Hine descent. He comes from a long-standing Māori political family (the grandson of Sir Eruera Tirikatene) and formerly held the Te Tai Tonga Māori electorate seat.
• Harete Hipango-Brownlie: Has iwi affiliations including Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi (Whanganui), Ngāti Apa, Ngā Rauru Kītahi, Ngāti Tamakōpiri, and Ngāti Whitikaupeka.
• George Ngatai: Has iwi affiliations including Ngāti Porou, Te Arawa, and Ngāi Te Rangi.

Ethnic Backgrounds of the Remaining Candidates
• Alfred Ngaro: Of Cook Islands descent (the first New Zealand-born Cook Islander elected to Parliament).
• Bernadette Soares: Of Indian descent (born and raised in Mumbai).
• Stuart Nash: Of Pākehā / European descent (great-grandson of former Labour Prime Minister Sir Walter Nash).
• Michael Laws: Of Pākehā / European descent. – Gemini AI

Why, again, do Maori need Special Maori Electorate Seats?
20 3
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July 21, 2026 9:39am
- imalwaysright
  
  Michael Laws is part Moriori.
  
  8 3
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  July 21, 2026 9:49am
- Cassandra
  
  Nash is the adopted son of Walter’s son. He has no genetic connection to Walter.
  
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  July 21, 2026 10:34am
- Swifty
  
  One small point – I think I’ve read that Nash was adopted so not a blood rellie of Sir Walter.
  
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  July 21, 2026 10:35am
- OTGO
  
  NZ First. The thinking mans maori party.
  
  6 2
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  July 21, 2026 11:40am
- Damocles11
  
  Samuels is 87, he was at the conference as a delegate, not a candidate. Tirikatene is also not a candidate.
  
  ‘Tirikatene – who was not at the conference due to family illness – told RNZ that he was not running for Parliament, but supported the party’s principles and policies.’
  
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  July 21, 2026 12:12pm
- rjay
  
  George was a previous Maori Party candidate
  
  2 0
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  July 21, 2026 12:49pm
- Jethrod
  
  Tane Randall missing?
  
  3 0
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  July 21, 2026 1:30pm
Im Right

C’mon Yvette, it’s NEVER enough for maori till their 17% of the population is at least 50%+ in parliament, otherwise it’s racist.
Look on it like a union, getting workers to strike for higher pay, company agreed to higher pay, union bemoan it should be more.
The maori party (and the greens) play to their activists base and as such more maori in parliament will never be enough maori in parliament.
Never forget, any maori in parliament that sit on the right are not real maori (as per the Labour maori caucus, maori party, greens) they are belittled for not thinking like them and not counted by the left as real maori
16 2
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July 21, 2026 10:10am
- R
  
  Not real Maori, as decreed by that ethnic expert Willy Jackson!
  
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  July 21, 2026 10:36am
Simon

Inflation at 4.1 pa. National are useless garbage

Warned months ago how to handle increasing petrol prices. But that had Bishop in charge. Lol
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July 21, 2026 10:52am
- Albie
  
  Don’t forget National fully on board with Paris, ETS, Net Zero which is driving up our energy costs, the fallout from which we are now witnessing with business closures, job losses and now cement works bail outs.
  
  8 2
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  July 21, 2026 12:43pm
  - Nikola Donatello
    
    The ETS increases petrol prices currently by about 10 cents per litre at the pump.
    
    Are you sure that your problem diagnosis is correct?
    
    3 1
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    July 21, 2026 2:07pm
- imalwaysright
  
  Rates, electricity, and food.
  All within Government control.
  
  2 2
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  July 21, 2026 1:26pm
- Jethrod
  
  It’s legacy, my dear boy, from that totally useless bunch that you fervently support, with eye-patch in place!
  
  3 1
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  July 21, 2026 1:32pm
- mogg
  
  No Labour and Greens are useless garbage for banning oil and gas, energy and petroleum prices are behind the rise in inflation
  
  4 0
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  July 21, 2026 1:41pm
  - Nikola Donatello
    
    How is that possibly correct?
    
    2 0
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    July 21, 2026 2:09pm
    - rouppe
      
      On the radio just now was the statement that if petrol and diesel were taken out of the inflation figures, cpi increase would have been 2.9%
      
      1 0
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      July 21, 2026 5:12pm
  - Ghost
    
    Strange, why do you refuse to hold to account for the banning of oil and gas the other party who supported and voted for the ban? New Zealand First
    
    3 1
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    July 21, 2026 2:14pm
    - imalwaysright
      
      Its a bit like mum has the cashcard at the drive thru and she’s told the rest that they are on a cheeseburger and chips.
      But you can’t comprehend that…
      
      2 0
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      July 21, 2026 2:58pm
    - mogg
      
      Do you understand MMP?
      
      0 0
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      July 21, 2026 3:09pm
      - Ghost
        
        How gutless can you be. Typical, refusing to hold one of the parties responsible for this to account for this ban
        
        Btw, for the gutless people, here is Winston commenting on the ban he supported
        
        https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/politics/367220/official-oil-and-gas-analysis-is-flimsy-peters
        
        Sadly there will always be people like you who refuse to hold Winston to account for what he does in government, because you fall for his shit and vote the liar back in.
        
        Heard of having a back bone? Probably not. Winston First did not have to support this ban. A back bone would see them refuse and go back to the polls. A back bone would see Winston First refuse to support the legislation that allowed DEI in the public service. Na, Winston only says no when it’s a free trade deal
        
        2 2
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        July 21, 2026 3:14pm
- Nikola Donatello
  
  Honestly your constant rantings about “useless garbage” seem unhinged. What could the current government do about the recent petroleum price increases?
  
  5 0
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  July 21, 2026 2:08pm
  - Paulus
    
    Reduce Fuel Taxes perhaps ?
    
    3 0
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    July 21, 2026 2:39pm
  - rouppe
    
    Set aside the ETS
    
    0 0
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    July 21, 2026 5:14pm
artemisia

The community safety and compliance manager at Central Hawke’s Bay District Council needs to brush up on compliance. In the linked article – The council couldn’t provide RNZ with figures showing how many dogs it impounded each year, but said the data could be requested through the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act.

The Act is very specific – a request does not need to refer to the Act. (Same with the Official Information Act.)

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/regions_hawkes-bay/756799/it-s-absolutely-devastating-ruahine-animal-rescue-evicted-from-council-site
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July 21, 2026 10:59am
Jack5

A new, Chris-ian era for NZ?

Chris Hipkins is lashing into NZ First. If should be called “Labour’s seconds,” he jeers.

Hell’s teeth!

What if the election leaves us with a new coalition — of National and Labour?

A New Zealand Christopher era, with Chris Luxon and Chris Hipkins alternating as Prime Minister? Chris A and Chris B.

With the bonus of news media a 100 per cent Government poodle?

https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/361008826/hipkins-jibes-nz-first-now-labours-seconds-after-string-former-labour-recruits
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July 21, 2026 11:13am
- RoboRob
  
  Hipkins knows he can have a crack at Winston and still bribe him as needed.
  
  Actually the large number of failed Labour politicians in NZF if more proof of NZFs ability to go into coalition with Labour.
  
  5 2
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  July 21, 2026 1:38pm
  - mike
    
    Someone might want to check, but I think more NZ first MPs have come from National than Labour.
    
    2 0
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    July 21, 2026 1:51pm
    - RoboRob
      
      You appear to be correct. It looks like three ex Labour and 5 ex Nats (give or take). Of course Winston counts as a Nat but with the time period involved not sure if this is true.
      
      1 0
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      July 21, 2026 3:57pm
  - kevn
    
    So, who will offer WP the PM job? The ultimate bauble.
    
    1 1
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    July 21, 2026 2:53pm
imalwaysright

Apparently the lady who leads TOP applied for the job on Seek.
4 1
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July 21, 2026 1:33pm
- Nikola Donatello
  
  What is wrong with Seek?
  
  1 3
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  July 21, 2026 2:11pm
  - imalwaysright
    
    “What is wrong with Seek”
    
    Its not the usual route to leadership of a political party.
    
    That you ask that question suggests your understanding of politics may be limited.
    
    7 4
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    July 21, 2026 2:45pm
David Garrett

Meanwhile in breaking news on Stuff, an Aussie politician shouts at his dog while being interviewed…God save us
9 2
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July 21, 2026 1:52pm
Ghost

Labour is putting extra effort into ensuring people are enrolled to vote this election, with one of its MPs accusing the coalition of having an “evil agenda” to disallow its opponents’ ballots.

Article

You have up until 13 days before the election to register. Māori have up to 3 months before the election to change rolls, yet that isn’t evil? There are 96 days left to register for the general roll….
5 3
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July 21, 2026 1:54pm
- rouppe
  
  Sigh…
  
  “If you’re an average Kiwi at the moment, facing the cost of living and struggling to get the basics done, you probably don’t have time to do it.”
  
  O’Connor is a moron. An absolute, A Grade, monumental, deceitful moron.
  
  You can enrol entirely online.
  
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  July 21, 2026 5:01pm

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