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September 1, 2026 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 01 September 2026

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General Debate

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Yvette

If pigs could fly …
… Māori researchers Professor Amanda Black and Professor Phillip Wilcox told Our Changing World that Colossal Biosciences has not consulted properly with tangata whenua.
“We didn’t ask to have the moa back, whose decision was that?” asks Professor Black.
“The access and benefit sharing again, that’s our genome, why have you got it?”
Dr Andrew Pask explained the process of resurrecting the flightless bird after already taking DNA samples from moa bones.

“The plan is to do it across both Texas and New Zealand,” Dr Pask says.
“We’ve only just announced the project, we’re still sequencing the moa genome so there’s still lots of stuff to figure out.
“Where the genome engineering side would happen potentially at Dallas and then a lot of the assisted reproductive technology on different bird species, artifical egg technologies and things would all happen in New Zealand.”
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/science-and-technology/1202188/can-we-de-extinct-the-moa-and-more-importantly-should-we

“We didn’t ask to have the moa back, whose decision was that?” asks Professor Black.
Did Maori not indicate a decision on moa existence when they ate the last of them?
And would the programme here produce a moa or a modified emu?

Reminds one of the chook story of a farmer who developed a hen with three legs, which would have been a hit with KFC, when someone asked the farmer what these three-legged chooks tasted like, he said he didn’t know, because they hadn’t caught one yet.
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September 1, 2026 8:02am
- Cassandra
  
  Your last paragraph is a Reagan classic. See it on YouTube.
  
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  September 1, 2026 8:05am
  - Yvette
    
    Of course far better than my account –
    https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4lpNJiLBSGU
    
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    September 1, 2026 8:42am
- fightingtemeraire
  
  When I was at sea and chook was on the menu there was v little breast meat but plenty of legs. We thought that the shipowner had a farm somewhere that bred multi legged chooks!!!!
  
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  September 1, 2026 8:09am
- artemisia
  
  Follow the prospect of money, of course.
  
  (Can someone own the genome of an extinct species?)
  
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  September 1, 2026 8:23am
  - Scott
    
    Monumental cheek by the Maori researcher. The Maori killed the last moa, in fact they killed every species they could get their hands on including local penguins, seals, the huia bird, the Haast eagle and of course the moa.
    
    Why anyone would think they should have a say in the moa genome is beyond me? 🤔
    
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    September 1, 2026 9:31am
    - artemisia
      
      Scott, they will be expecting as ‘benefit sharing’ consultant rates to provide absolutely essential cultural input to the project. And restrictions? Looks like free trips to the US as well to do the cultural input there.
      
      Or the professors and their nominees could provide cultural input for no reward except mana and names in a footnote. Likely to be significant and very public ridicule though if they continue to claim ownership of the moa genome.
      
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      September 1, 2026 1:29pm
      - Don Beckett
        
        Yes, and they should be told to Foxtrot Oscar.
        
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        September 1, 2026 1:47pm
  - David Garrett
    
    Art: the clear answer to your question is “Of course not”…well, that’s the only logical answer. But we are not living in logical times.
    
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    September 1, 2026 10:12am
- Grumpy Silver Top
  
  “We didn’t ask to have it back.” Such an ironic remark! After all, when you have hunted something to extinction surely it has no value to you.
  
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  September 1, 2026 8:39am
- Paulus
  
  2026, How typical of so called part Maori who we must assume want money for themselves and not try reselect the Moa they extincted !
  
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  September 1, 2026 9:42am
- rouppe
  
  “Our genome”?
  
  Since when. It’s a moa’s genome, and you killed them all.
  
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  September 1, 2026 11:03am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  The moa lived in NZ for millions of years. By their own account, Maoris have been here for less than a thousand years.
  
  What a cheek to imply that Maoris own the moa. It’s almost as if they believe it was their right to colonise every living creature here.
  
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  September 1, 2026 12:27pm
Cassandra

Luxon and the Paris Agreement: he shouldn’t draw a line in the sand quite so deep. Always have a bit in reserve.

The Nat position should be fudge “Yes we support it but it does need some fine tuning.” Luxon does not seem to have the political or communication skills to do that.
Peters criticism of him is valid.
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September 1, 2026 8:02am
- Simon
  
  Utter Clown Show National have voluntarily chosen harsher Paris Agreement climate targets.
  
  Emission reductions not forced upon NZ but National willingly harming NZ economy to meet higher reductions.
  
  National are utter garbage, actively reducing NZ’s living standards over garbage. Garbage upon garbage.
  
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  September 1, 2026 8:19am
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Apparently to win over a small number of swinging wokesters, or they think they will fall out of favour with clown countries still captured by this self-destructive idiocy.
    
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    September 2, 2026 6:35pm
- pdm
  
  What is Luxon’s position with this hypothetical Party Vote election result?
  National 30%
  ACT 13%
  NZF 12%
  
  Both ACT and NZFirst say they want out of Paris so Luxons `bottom line’ does not look very strong with a result like that.
  
  Could it happen?
  
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  September 1, 2026 8:35am
  - Grumpy Silver Top
    
    I hope so.
    
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    September 1, 2026 8:39am
  - BeaB
    
    By now he should be able to keep himself out of these stupid media games and traps. Who gives a stuff about a bottom line? What even is it when you are entering negotiations where everything’s up for debate?
    If Luxon can’t deal with the gushing histrionics of the idiotic John Campbell he should appoint a spokesperson to do the job.
    
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    September 1, 2026 9:35am
  - Nikola Donatello
    
    What a farce. We can’t meet our obligations. We never could. But 2030 seemed a long way off… Ooops now 2030 is not far off.
    
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    September 1, 2026 10:07am
    - imalwaysright
      
      Self imposed obligations?
      
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      September 1, 2026 10:32am
  - OlderChas
    
    PDM – I’m pretty sure it can happen if NZ1st and ACT have more votes than National!
    
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    September 1, 2026 5:49pm
- kowtow
  
  Luxon comes out “tough guy” on all the wrong issues .
  
  There’s nothing I like ……re the non existent , political/judicial class created principles.
  
  Go do some reading re Maureen Pugh and the cliamte scam that the wet wing of the Nats have ’embraced” so firmly.
  
  These two major issues ; our once egalitarian constitution and the economy killing “nut zero” zealotry show how out of touch Luxon( and that wing of his party) is with, for want of a better word , the common man .Thus their slide in the polls.
  
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  September 1, 2026 8:52am
  - Pope Punctilious II
    
    Yes, Luxon’s a tough guy when he’s slapping down heresy in his own party e.g when Simon O’Connor hearted the Rowe vs Wade decision. So much for the Nats being a “broad church”.
    
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    September 1, 2026 9:55pm
- keepcalmcarryon
  
  National is Labour is National ,look at the agreeing on Facebook bans and co governance and climate change, don’t rock the boat, the wet centre (ugh) will vote for us.
  Look to Australia for where this ends for the Labour National uniparty- not this election here , but soon.
  Soon.
  
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  September 1, 2026 8:53am
- Ghost
  
  polling shows a large part of NZ voters are concerned about climate change. I would take a guess internal polling shows luxon’s comments are in line with what people are saying in polling, and yes pollsters have been asking questions around climate change, the paris agreement and nz’s commitments.
  
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  September 1, 2026 8:54am
  - RoboRob
    
    Agree. I am sure Luxon / National have extensive polling that shows this is the position they should have. For the smaller parties tapping into the ~30% who think otherwise provides useful votes.
    
    For what its worth I think, regardless of what you think of climate change, the Paris agreement is broken.
    
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    September 1, 2026 8:58am
    - Scott
      
      I agree with that assessment. National is a broad church party and they have to appeal to the environmentally conscious person who is concerned about climate change. The climate change world view is very strong and pushed by every major media outlet. So people believe it.
      
      So I suspect polling would indicate National’s view is a realistic one in today’s political climate. I wish he wouldn’t be so hard and fast on this issue but I guess he’s trying to stop people going to the Greens?
      
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      September 1, 2026 9:36am
    - imalwaysright
      
      This type of polling may suffer from people saying that what they think puts themselves in a better light with the pollster.
      
      The real poll would be to ask people if they are willing to sign up to an international scheme, that is ignored by the largest economies, that the New Zealand Government will use to self declare and impose levies and taxes on all New Zealanders for no discernable benefit.
      
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      September 1, 2026 9:52am
      - NeverMindTheBollocks
        
        The key follow up question to
        
        ‘Do you support the Paris agreement’
        
        is
        
        ‘Are you personally happy to write a cheque for $500 )(or whatever) each and every year from 2030?’
        
        Because I think that those who answered Yes to Q1 might answer No to Q2, yet it’s the same question.
        
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        September 1, 2026 12:34pm
      - imalwaysright
        
        Well put Never, except that we are probably paying $500+ for a long while now.
        
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        September 1, 2026 12:54pm
    - sungsamning
      
      Once the US decides it is not going to support an agreement, or treaty; its dead. The Paris Accord, Treaty of Versailles and League of Nations spring to mind.
      
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      September 1, 2026 11:10am
      - RoboRob
        
        The USA has already withdrawn from the Paris accord. Under the first Trump presidency, then Biden rejoined, now Trump has quit again.
        
        We need to wait to the EU countries to begin pulling out.
        
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        September 1, 2026 12:10pm
    - Interested Party
      
      Spot on – it’s not an issue worth losing votes over, as you say the Paris agreement is broken, and more and more countries will quietly recede from it – or loudly withdraw like Trump, and probably Farage if he wins the next election
      
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      September 1, 2026 11:46am
  - kowtow
    
    ‘polling shows a large part of NZ voters are concerned about climate change’
    
    Might that “concern” be based on how the questions are posed.
    We know the establishment is wedded to climate change .
    
    But we also know the Sun is the true driver of said climate cycles , and despite what some school girls and ‘neurodiverse’ types think, there’s absolutely nothing any of us can do to ‘fix it”.
    
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    September 1, 2026 9:17am
    - Bullion
      
      Wrap it up guys, kowtow has said its the sun. Dumb dumb us, we never thought of that!
      
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      September 1, 2026 6:58pm
      - All_on_Red
        
        How gracious of you to admit your ignorance
        ‘The world’s cloud cover has been shrinking significantly and may help explain the extraordinary heat of the last two years, new research led by NASA found.
        
        The research, published this month, analysed satellite observations during the past 24 years.
        
        It found areas over the ocean where storm clouds often form have dwindled by between 1.5 and 3 per cent per decade.
        
        It may not sound like much, but Monash University professor Christian Jakob, who leads the ARC’s 21st Century Weather Centre of Excellence, said that loss has amounted to a significant portion of sunlight being absorbed by the Earth instead of being reflected out to space.
        
        “So that increase is what’s providing extra warming to the climate in addition to the greenhouse effect, that’s also increasing,” Professor Jakob, who was a contributing author to the study, said.’
        https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-19/shrinking-cloud-cover-driving-temperature-records/105428180
        Peer Researched Paper here
        https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025GL114882
        
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        September 1, 2026 9:35pm
  - David Garrett
    
    Ghost: a slight segue, but I think it is criminal how governments around the world – including ours – have instilled massive fear into young people regarding so called climate change, and its effects on the future.
    
    My very bright daughter – aged 25 – is seriously worried to the point whether she is concerned about the morality of bringing children into such an uncertain world. she tells me most of her friends feel the same way.
    
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    September 1, 2026 10:05am
    - Dougal10
      
      David you know this is the socialist way, the lower classes dont pay any attention to the talking heads , keep breeding and voting for handouts , you dont want smartish people breeding as they may take your talking head job .
      
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      September 1, 2026 10:16am
    - Ghost
      
      What did your generation have, nuclear war? I really can’t think of anything apart from earthquakes drummed into us at school. But yes, it has caused a lot of mental health issues to kids
      
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      September 1, 2026 10:36am
      - SGA
        
        Yeah, Ghost. In some parts of the US, schools had nuclear bomb drills (although it escapes me what good they would possibly do). One need only look at the nuclear apocalypse and post-apocalypse movies and books that came out of that era (60s to 80s, say) to see how much it infested popular consciousness.
        
        But also the threat of war generally – parents of children born in the 60s had lived through WW2 and grown up with the knowledge of uncles and suchlike who headed of to WW1 and not returned. My mother always had a nagging worry that her four sons might be used as cannon fodder at some point.
        
        Mental health issues – it might well contribute, but I would treat that with some caution. There’s a lot going on – climate change, internet, smart phones, career prospects in a changing employment landscapes, not having the quality of life of their parents – and people worried about any of these issues are quick to make their concerns front-and-centre of mental health issues.
        
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        September 1, 2026 11:04am
    - Flossie
      
      Some of our grandchildren of potential reproductive age are voicing similar thoughts re to have/not have children. It’s not all about climate change though. Finances are playing a very large part
      
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      September 1, 2026 11:01am
      - RoboRob
        
        I think for many it is ‘in vogue’ to blame not wanting children on climate change but as you say there are other causes. Not feeling like you can afford it (does anybody ever feel they can?), wanting to travel / existing lifestyle.
        
        The sad thing is, in popular culture having kids is no longer emphasised and the myth that you can just leave it to your late 30s and 40s to get started is strong.
        
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        September 1, 2026 12:14pm
      - NeverMindTheBollocks
        
        One of feminism’s nasty secrets is that undergoing IVF is often a very unpleasant process, with negative physical effects suffered by the mother.
        
        Anyone who suggests that freezing eggs as a lifestyle choice has no idea of the harm that they can do.
        
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        September 1, 2026 12:37pm
  - Nikola Donatello
    
    How many people are happy to pay for reduced emissions? Not many when they wail about energy prices.
    
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    September 1, 2026 10:08am
  - Dougal10
    
    Ghost If they keep following this polling they may end up at 22%, like they did last time they stopped listening to their actual voters . Some of us have never gone back to them with our party vote.
    
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    September 1, 2026 10:19am
    - Ghost
      
      83% of new Zealanders believe climate change is real. 69% are concerned about its impact on NZ.
      
      So do you as a main party appeal to the ones who don’t when the majority do, or leave that for the minor parties? Personally, I’d leave it for the minor parties
      
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      September 1, 2026 10:40am
      - kowtow
        
        Climate change is real . it always has been .
        
        The question is does destroying the economy and therefor society through nut zero and de industrialisation to China make sense when we have no control over Sun cycles .
        
        Never did and never will.
        
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        September 1, 2026 10:53am
      - Ghost
        
        I doubt the average voter thinks of anything more than the headlines of policy
        
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        September 1, 2026 12:04pm
      - Flossie
        
        I believe climate change is real. But I also believe it’s not caused by us. Just as it has for millions of years nature has been changing earth’s climate, and will continue to do so for the rest of the planet’s life. Giving up fossil fuels, or shoveling bucket loads of money out in exchange for climate credits won’t make an iota if difference.
        
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        September 1, 2026 12:26pm
      - Paulus
        
        Why does nobody ever ask me to answer such options – I suppose it is because I am 86 and was born in London at the start of WWII.
        Too old to know anything anway !
        
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        September 1, 2026 12:55pm
      - Fender
        
        Disagree, leaving it to smaller parties is just lazy , if you truly believe in the stupidity it is not a stretch to just quietly keep educating people with facts and figures until they finally understand and think it through for themselves
        As people have pointed out its not hard when you mention the personal costs
        Just stay consistent on topic, call out misrepresentation by media when attacked
        People look to strong leaders with beliefs
        
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        September 1, 2026 1:10pm
  - rouppe
    
    Being concerned about climate change and agreeing to spending billions of dollars to not affect it one iota are different questions.
    
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    September 1, 2026 11:00am
- imalwaysright
  
  Ardernesque.
  
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  September 1, 2026 9:21am
  - Jethrod
    
    Unfortunately your comment is soooo far downfrom the initial comment , that it is nearly irrelevant.
    However I agree totally with you!
    
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    September 1, 2026 12:49pm
    - imalwaysright
      
      Thanks J, I will settle for “nearly irrelevant”.
      Its the best we can hope for.
      
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      September 1, 2026 1:00pm
- Nūhaka Native
  
  New Zealand is already the 5th best country in the world for renewable energy used as a percentage of total energy use.
  
  New Zealand emits 0.08%–0.10% of global CO₂ emissions. 6–7 tonnes CO₂ per person per year
  China emits about 30% of global CO₂ emissions. Per-capita CO₂ emissions are about 8–9 tonnes CO₂ per person.
  
  NZ scientist Dave Frame argues GWP100 overstates steady farm methane’s warming, often claimed as “by 4 times its real effect.”
  
  The UN counts farm emissions, but many countries don’t put full carbon charges on farming, often carving agriculture out of carbon pricing due to food security concerns.
  
  For the record, here are the NZ Dept of Statistics climate trends. There is no climate ’emergency’.
  
  The annual maximum rainfall in a single day likely or very likely increased at 12 of 30 sites and decreased at 10 across Aotearoa New Zealand. Between 1960 and 2022
  
  So no trend overall. It increased by up to 4mm per decade in some sites and decreased by 4mm per decade at other sites. About 30% of sites show no change.
  
  The annual average of the daily maximum wind gust (windiness) likely or very likely decreased at 14 of 17 sites across Aotearoa New Zealand. So the trend is mostly for less extreme wind. Between 1980 and 2022
  
  New Zealand’s annual average temperature has increased by 1.26 degrees Celsius, based on linear trend analysis assessed at the 95 percent confidence over the last 100 years.
  
  We don’t keep good enough records of floods for the Department of Statistics to do a trend analysis.
  
  “Annual mean coastal sea levels rose faster (relative to land) at all four longer-term monitoring sites around Aotearoa New Zealand Between 1961 and 2020 compared with between 1901 and 1960.”
  
  In Wellington, the increase went from about a 2 mm per year rise to a 2.8 mm rise (and Wellington has tectonic subsidence as well)
  
  https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/coastal-sea-level-rise/
  
  https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/extreme-wind/
  
  https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/temperature/
  
  https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/extreme-rainfall/
  
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  September 1, 2026 9:37am
  - Debsta
    
    Precisely Nūhaka! And a strong leader (or just anyone with principles & intellect really) would be repeating these facts relentlessly and thereby educating the 86% believers, rather than nodding along with the ill-informed ‘majority’ to garner votes. Democracy sucks when the stakes are this high.
    
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    September 1, 2026 2:34pm
- alloytoo
  
  Luxon has lost my votes.
  
  His energy policies are suicidal.
  
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  September 1, 2026 9:49am
  - keepcalmcarryon
    
    Data centers of course ! The answer, add in the massive emissions to build, to build new generation capacity, or more imported dirty coal from Indonesia burned?, and diesel back up generators.
    Luxon is going have the country sacrificing a lot of cows and money for his idiotic policies.
    Higher prices for all!
    
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    September 1, 2026 12:44pm
  - David Garrett
    
    alloy: Luxon never had my vote…but if he had, he would have lost it over the worse than useless replacement of the Real Three Strikes Law, and his unwillingness to support Seymour’s treaty principles Bill past first reading.
    
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    September 1, 2026 2:05pm
    - Ghost
      
      So did Seymour lose your vote for agreeing in the coalition agreement that it would only have support to the first reading? A government couldn’t form if ACT stood tougher on that.
      
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      September 1, 2026 2:10pm
  - OlderChas
    
    Mine too Alloy – 80 years old next month and voted National all my voting life. When Luxon utterly dismissed the Treaty Principles bill out of hand I decided never again National.
    I feel better about that decision every time I see a road or rail station or ANY sign with a maori word in larger print above the name in English and smaller print. Or when I see a gummint department advertising a job with maori wonderfulness being the main requirement. Or any other maori woo hoo.
    Disclosure – My whole family are brown.
    
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    September 1, 2026 6:05pm
- Philview
  
  Will he walk National away from Government or resign as leader? Chris Hipkins says he will resign rather than introduce the taxes proposed by the Greens, TPM or Opportunity. I hope the media remember that pledge.
  
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  September 1, 2026 11:11am
  - Fender
    
    Tbf that would be the smartest move though
    Would you want your name etched in history over those taxes. The pay aint that great for pm and he could probably get something a lot less confrontational, who would want to be pm really because for any party, its all downhill isn’t it
    You either have the passion or you don’t and I don’t believe Hipkins does, he can see Jacinda’s basically been banned from living here now
    
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    September 1, 2026 3:19pm
    - OlderChas
      
      The scariest thing about Hipkins possibly resigning is – who the hell will replace him??
      
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      September 1, 2026 6:07pm
- leoj
  
  Still waiting to learn what our $24 billion over 10 years is used for.
  
  The Paris Accord looks like a scam because it is.
  
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  September 1, 2026 11:54am
- Taieri
  
  The Nat position should be fudge
  ———–
  
  Sitting on the fence and watching, which way the wind is blowing, is the only position that the country of NZ size and importance should take.
  
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  September 1, 2026 12:09pm
Cassandra

Labour says it will ensure every nursing graduate gets a job. That’ll cost just over half a billion dollars. It’ll come from the Health Budget ie not new money, which means something – actually a lot of things – will not be funded.

This is not a joke. Better starts now is really worse starts now.

Promise less and deliver more has escaped Hipkins. Some people never learn.
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September 1, 2026 8:03am
- Tricati
  
  Maybe bring back the nurses who lost their jobs for refusing to get the covid vaccination – Remember, it was Hipkins who said it wasn’t compulsory, so the nurses should be sweet (sarc).
  
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  September 1, 2026 8:18am
  - MCōs
    
    About a hundred nurses lost their jobs and another hundred resigned.
    There were about 30-35k nurses in the public sector at the time.
    Make of that what you will to suit your agenda.
    
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    September 1, 2026 2:22pm
  - Ghost
    
    maybe those who want to be nurses came back a long time ago.
    
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    September 1, 2026 2:23pm
- Albie
  
  If you are guaranteed a job on graduation where is the incentive to do well in your studies? Near enough will be good enough.
  
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  September 1, 2026 8:29am
  - MCōs
    
    Didn’t say where they’d be guaranteed a job.
    Quite obviously the better graduates would get the better jobs and those who only did enough to scrape through might be offered the least desirable positions
    
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    September 1, 2026 3:35pm
- Ghost
  
  coming soon, labours announcement of nurses in every school, public loo, park. need a nurse, it’s ok, labour’s new taxi nurse drivers service mean you can be seen by a nurse while travelling. the shortage isn’t with unexperienced graduate nurses, so unless labour plan to use graduates to fill the mental health and addiction nursing, Perioperative and emergency, it won’t do anything for the shortage.
  
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  September 1, 2026 8:37am
  - Ian Boag
    
    On the radio this morning I did hear a suggestion that of the roughly 2400 nurses that graduate something like 2100 find NZ employment. So we aren’t talking about the whole cohort. Given that we have chronic understaffing (?) … what to do?
    
    And of course the ones who go offshore because they fail to find NZ employment have to start paying interest on their student loans – bit of a shit sandwich really.
    
    Obviously the simple answer is to train fewer by restricting the number of funded training places ….. Now why didn’t anyone think of that great idea … ? 🙂
    
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    September 1, 2026 9:02am
    - Ghost
      
      our chronic understaffing is with experienced nurses, something that a new graduate won’t be able to fill, nor would you want them to.
      
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      September 1, 2026 9:06am
      - Ian Boag
        
        The “enough experience” chestnut leads to the perfectly reasonable question of how this experience is to be acquired.
        
        The old “apprenticeship style training” for nurses has been abandoned pretty much everywhere. Worth noting that is is not used for doctors or engineers or scientists or lawyers …
        
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        September 1, 2026 9:15am
      - rouppe
        
        @Ian.
        
        You could still have a “gang boss” experienced nurse with 3 or 4 graduates under their wing.
        
        “You, change that dressing, you, wash that patient, you, this patient is asking for more pain meds. What is your assessment?”
        
        That sort of arrangement.
        
        Expecting every new graduate nurse to be able to operate in a busy environment with no oversight is like expecting a graduate electrician to set up a power plant.
        
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        September 1, 2026 10:56am
    - pdm
      
      Part of the problem is probably that in health the Middle Managers remain to the detriment of having sufficient front line Nursing Staff.
      
      The Health budget is said to have been significantly increased by the Coalition Government so obviously the dollars are still going to the backroom `make work and look after no1′ people and not to nurses and other frontline staff.
      
      The next Government must sort `the wheat from the chaff ‘ as the old saying goes.
      
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      September 1, 2026 9:28am
      - imalwaysright
        
        In better times the Matron ran the ward, not HR, IT, Accounts, and the treaty.
        
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        September 1, 2026 10:35am
      - Ginger Cat
        
        Reply to Ian Boag – these “gang bosses” used to be called ward sisters.
        
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        September 2, 2026 12:30pm
    - wsk12345
      
      The other 300 prob miss out for a reason….
      
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      September 1, 2026 10:03am
- RoboRob
  
  Hipkins does have a point on this stuff. It seems very strange that we pay to train Nurses and then dont hire them. When are also hiring foreign nurses. Seems somewhat sensible to prioritise hiring NZ trained nurses. If we are training more then we can hire we should cap the level of training placements.
  
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  September 1, 2026 9:01am
  - Ian Boag
    
    When are also hiring better qualified more experienced foreign nurses
    
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    September 1, 2026 9:16am
  - Flossie
    
    I’ve noted when visiting hospitals that most nurses seem to be those for whom English is a second language. Not dissing them at all – the patients I was there to see have always said they couldn’t fault their nursing care.
    
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    September 1, 2026 9:17am
    - Don Beckett
      
      One of my grand-daughter graduated from Vic. uni. with her nursing degree last year & immediately got a job at Wellington hospital, & so did a couple of her friends.
      
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      September 1, 2026 10:33am
      - igm
        
        MSM will never report this as it will affect their union financial support.
        
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        September 1, 2026 10:47am
  - AitchW
    
    I’d guess that many of the nurses we don’t hire go overseas. How many young New Zealanders go offshore almost immediately after finishing studies?
    Auckland University VC was bemoaning the fact that we can’t keep our new graduates here, I say that it’s a good thing. Many of them return in a few years, older, wiser and more experienced.
    
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    September 1, 2026 3:37pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

The things you don’t know, eh.

Perhaps naively, I had always assumed that people with PR would be, well, permanently resident in NZ.

Turns out, not. Once you gain PR, you can live overseas indefinitely.

ACT are now campaigning to make residency compulsory for a minimum of 730 days in any five year period.

Good, but that still seems modest. Why not 4 1/2 years out of five years? Immigrants can spend their holidays back home if they like, but otherwise need to be here, working and contributing.

Because that’s what PR is all about, right? Actually being in NZ, rather than it merely being a passport stamp of convenience?

http://www.rnz.co.nz/news/politics_election-2026/1202164/act-to-introduce-physical-presence-requirements-for-permanent-residents-if-elected
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September 1, 2026 8:04am
- BeaB
  
  Why? No one makes native born NZers stay here. Do we really care if they get PR and then live and work elsewhere? I can’t see any issue.
  
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  September 1, 2026 9:38am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    Then take the PR off them. If they don’t want to be here, why would we bother letting them come & go as they please?
    
    They are foreigners, BeaB. If they ain’t contributing then they’re no good to us.
    
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    September 1, 2026 12:42pm
- Nikola Donatello
  
  4 and a half years out of 5 years? Come on. It is not a prison. That is crazy.
  
  Maybe 3 years out of the 5 years.
  
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  September 1, 2026 10:44am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    No, NZ is not a prison. But, I thought that the point of PR is to live in NZ. My very generous six months out of every sixty months covers 4 weeks of annual leave plus some stat hols. I could be persuaded to drop to 12 months every sixty months (though it would be nice if migrants to NZ spent some of their holiday time getting out to see the country they’ve moved to).
    
    But, the purpose of PR should be for migrants to come here, live among us, work and pay tax.
    
    If they’re not doing the latter, how are they contributing to NZ society? What are they doing for us?
    
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    September 1, 2026 11:21am
    - Taieri
      
      If they’re not doing the latter, how are they contributing to NZ society?
      ———
      
      By not using the resources they haven’t paid for. And then if and when they come they spend their money earned elsewhere.
      
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      September 1, 2026 12:12pm
      - NeverMindTheBollocks
        
        There’s no shortage of tourists, Taieri. Why have a special category, with rights such as being able to vote?
        
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        September 1, 2026 12:44pm
      - Taieri
        
        being able to vote?
        ———–
        
        Do you really think that PRs overseas go out of their way to vote?
        (BTW: I think voting should be for the citizens only)
        
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        September 1, 2026 1:03pm
Stephen Russell

For those following US politics:
I have for some time been thinking that the Dems are getting a little ahead of themselves in their expectations of what the November election will bring.
Yesterday, I found an excellent analysis that backs up this instinct:
DDHQ Podcast Ep. 41: Are Senate Polls Overrating Democrats’ Chances?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ee58f6vBL0&t=2042s

Key takeaways:
• Senate polls (over last 6 elections) always shift rightward in last 100 days. And especially so in mid-term elections;
• Final polls have been pretty accurate in mid-terms, but this is where that late polling shift is stronger;
• Overestimation of Dems’ chances is strongest in red states (such as Ohio, Alaska and Iowa),
More detail in the video…
While Democrats hold a lead in polls of many key Senate swing states, these leads are mostly very small – less than three percent. So even a small shift could see their hoped-for gains completely evaporate.
Of course, every election has its own unique character. History is not destiny. There is no guarantee that the pattern will repeat. Also, I present this as interesting data, not as endorsement of either side.
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September 1, 2026 8:11am
- RoboRob
  
  Both Dems and Reps have regularly overestimated their performance while in opposition. Blue waves have turned into trickles and visa versa. It turns out that there are very few actual swing seats in the US, I recently heard comment there might be 25 competitive seats this election. Kind of hard to have a major flip in this situation.
  
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  September 1, 2026 9:03am
  - Cassandra
    
    It’s all very close, a % either way is all it needs. And a majority of 1 is still a majority.
    
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    September 1, 2026 9:47am
- mike
  
  One trend is clear from the special elections since 2024: Democrats have flipped 12 seats, with an average swing of 23%.
  
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  September 1, 2026 10:51am
  - RoboRob
    
    That’s mostly state seats, so local issues based. Not sure if that means anything much at all.
    
    It is normal for a party holding Pres, Senate and House (as the Reps do), to lose at least the house in mid terms. The questions are, will it be a landslide or will the Reps hold, those are the ‘unusual’ events.
    
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    September 1, 2026 12:26pm
- Philview
  
  I listened to a podcast yesterday talking about a couple of recent candidates who polled as strong favourites to win as the Democrats nominated candidate then lost. The polls were very wrong.
  
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  September 1, 2026 11:18am
  - RoboRob
    
    Heard discussion on this. Turns out some of the polls were totally made up. One by a student doing a test to see what effect for a candidate having strong polling would have. The media reported the polling but failed to check the quality of the polling outfits.
    
    Remember in the last election Trump was forecast to lose Ohio (I think) by 10% in a late ‘shock’ poll. The pollster, how had a good record, was picking a massive swing away from Trump who most other polling showed winning by a similar margin. After Trump won the seat ‘bigly’, she has retired from polling. It felt like a fake poll trying to change the results.
    
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    September 1, 2026 12:30pm
    - Steve Todd
      
      That was the Iowa ‘Queen of polling’, J Ann Selzer.
      
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      September 1, 2026 1:52pm
- Tom Barker
  
  I like Talarico’s chances of flipping the Texas Senate seat.
  
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  September 1, 2026 3:00pm
Prince

Trainwreck interview this morning on Ryan Bridges show with Act MP Parmjeet Parmar.
She couldn’t answer any questions, had no figures to support the policy.
Enough to put me off voting ACT, if this is the quality of their candidates.
I trust she is low on their list.
https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/early-edition-with-ryan-bridge/audio/full-show-podcast-01-september-2026/
(from around 10.30)
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September 1, 2026 8:31am
Nūhaka Native

The latest Roy Morgan poll shows the Coalition ahead of the current opposition parties, but new kids on the block TOP on 9.5%, hold the balance of power.

To me, TOP are just Labour/Greens dressed in Teal clothes. Their general manager is Iain Lees-Galloway, a former Labour cabinet minister. Their leader, an upper middle class progressive full of luxury beliefs, typical of left wing parties these days.

As I’ve written here before, she can’t even say what a woman is, quote “I’m not a Dr”.

I’m not a vet, but I know what a cat is. Hard won, female and same sex attracted people’s sex based rights are important. If TOP deny that reality, what else do they get wrong?

Whatever the accuracy of the Roy Morgan poll, it is a disturbing trend. Are there really enough gullible New Zealanders out there falling for TOP’s (helped by our biased media) crazy spin?

https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/10321-nz-national-voting-intention-august-2026
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September 1, 2026 8:32am
- Prince
  
  Labour at 24% !.
  Remember the gloating in the media when National fell under 30% earlier this year.
  
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  September 1, 2026 12:20pm
  - Bobba Fret
    
    Like Hosking said on the radio this morning, when the Nats were at 25%, media were baying for Luxon to be rolled, should Hipkins now be rolled?………..crickets!
    
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    September 1, 2026 3:26pm
- RoboRob
  
  I’m hoping the people saying they will vote TOP are the kind of people that can’t be bothered to vote on the day.
  
  One thing NZ polls seem to miss is the ‘likely voter’ criteria. That’s why the Greens historically poll way higher per election compared to the actual results. Its easy to say ‘Green’ when asked but actually getting out of bed and voting is a different thing.
  
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  September 1, 2026 12:34pm
- julesnzuk
  
  Agreed. Never trust anyone who can’t answer the basic “what is a woman” question with anything other than “adult human female”. Who the hell wants to vote for these clowns (and who the hell downticks posts like this)?
  
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  September 3, 2026 4:06am
imalwaysright

Michael Laws on the Platform suggesting that a Centre Left Government, qualified through an overhang, vs a Centre Right Opposition, with more votes, as a possibility, and, if it happened, civil unrest may not be out of the question…
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September 1, 2026 10:21am
- RoboRob
  
  Sounds desperate. I like Michael but he is a NZF candidate now and his views should be viewed through that prism. I see NZF is down in that poll.
  
  If any civil unrest was to occur in NZ it is much more likely to be the Mintos of this world losing their rags with the right winning via an overhang. At the moment it seems likely the right will get more seats via overhang then anything TPM can concoct.
  
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  September 1, 2026 12:39pm
- Ian Boag
  
  with more votes, as a possibility
  
  Was not uncommon with FPP. A bit harder to make it happen with MMP, but obviously not impossible.
  
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  September 1, 2026 1:02pm
Bobba Fret

It always amuses me, that according to the left, that someone who has a high income and has paid say, $100k plus in tax has not paid their fair share, and yet a person who is on a benefit (which is taxed as they point out), has paid too much tax! (even though they effectively are not net tax payers).
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September 1, 2026 10:44am
Nikola Donatello

From the PSA today..

“These public servants are facing pay offers well below inflation while working amid the devastating consequences of the Government’s public service cuts,” PSA national secretary Duane Leo said.”

What gaslighting. There have been no public service cuts let alone devastating consequences.
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September 1, 2026 11:01am
- Gravelroad
  
  It is electioneering by the left, for the left.
  
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  September 1, 2026 11:09am
  - Nikola Donatello
    
    I’ll say it again. The government should have dealt to the public service because the propaganda is that they did so! Honestly so disappointed in National.
    
    I honestly think that they are going to lose the election. History will blame Luxon.
    
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    September 1, 2026 11:26am
    - kowtow
      
      I have no evidence but I firmly believe the Nats ( and ppossibly NZF for slightly different reasons) opposed the cuts that Act wanted and certainly campaigned on because they are so wet and wedded to Maori, environmental and other woke causes were out to protect the legions of DEI hires who infest the public service and that number of very high paying jobsworths would have meant their mates in the Maoriocracy would have been screaming bloody murder .
      
      And it’s the same across local govt .
      
      Between them the hard pressed rate /taxpayer is being crucified and gets nothing from them other than a kia ora and nga mihi.
      
      Only a very strong Act return in terms of MPs can change the disasterous course this country is on.
      
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      September 1, 2026 12:34pm
      - Ian Boag
        
        I have no evidence but I firmly believe
        
        that the moon is made of green cheese 🙂
        
        Who needs evidence anyway ….
        
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        September 1, 2026 1:04pm
    - RoboRob
      
      Yup National reaping all the flack for Austerity and Massive public server cuts but without the benefit of actually having cut anything.
      
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      September 1, 2026 12:41pm
- greybeard
  
  I Googled “average pay for NZ public servants.
  
  “The average salary for a New Zealand public servant sits at approximately $101,700 per year, with a median salary of around $90,200. Department Pay Variations :Average pay differs widely depending on the specific government agency or ministry:Higher-paying agencies: Police and specialized departments like the Social Investment Agency average around $156,600, and the Public Service Commission averages about $151,700.Mid-to-lower-paying agencies: Service delivery and operational departments like the Ministry of Social Development average around $93,400, and the Department of Corrections averages about $89,100.
  
  One has to ask: how on earth can they not live on that sort of income ?
  
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  September 1, 2026 11:52am
  - kowtow
    
    AI for police says ;
    
    ‘General market estimates: Independent job boards like Seek estimate average annual earnings for general police roles range between $80,000 and $90,000 depending on overtime and location.’
    
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    September 1, 2026 12:37pm
  - RoboRob
    
    They can. This is the usual election year strike(s) from the various unions.
    
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    September 1, 2026 12:42pm
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    Now ask about how many holidays they get, and the average length of their working day, compared to their equivalents in the private sector.
    
    My thesis is that public servants record noticeably fewer hours per annum than do their private sector counterparts.
    
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    September 1, 2026 12:47pm
  - Gussy
    
    ‘How on earth can they not live on that sort of income?’
    
    Have you seen the price of cat food lately?
    
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    September 1, 2026 7:08pm
- Taieri
  
  If they are still working they aren’t suffering any consequences, let alone “devastating”.
  
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  September 1, 2026 12:14pm
- Prince
  
  Public Service pay rates are well over those in the private sector, and the leave entitlements outstrip them by 25%.
  Let them strike and strike again. Don’t pay them while on strike. Will anyone notice ?
  
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  September 1, 2026 12:23pm
- AitchW
  
  Gosh, Public Servants striking while their unions catastrophise their plight. You’d almost think there was a general election soon.
  
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  September 1, 2026 3:39pm
Nikola Donatello

This is excellent news. COVID vaccines could be approved off label to treat cancer.

https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2026/08/26/john-fraser-covid-vaccine-to-fight-cancer-study.html
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September 1, 2026 11:04am
- mandk
  
  And you get myocarditis at no extra cost!
  
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  September 1, 2026 1:17pm
sungsamning

https://redstate.com/kyle-becker/2026/08/29/president-trumps-new-order-on-h-1b-visas-sends-shockwaves-through-migrant-communities-n2206241
President Trump’s New Order on H-1B Visas Sends Shockwaves Through Immigrant Communities.

The Trump administration is widening its crackdown on the H-1B system, targeting two major benefits tied to the program: work permits for certain visa holders’ spouses and the grace period that allows laid-off foreign workers to remain in the country while seeking another job.

The Department of Homeland Security has revived a plan to eliminate employment authorization for certain spouses of H-1B workers who are in the United States on H-4 dependent visas.

At the same time, a separate DHS proposal to eliminate the current 60-day grace period for H-1B workers after they lose their jobs has cleared review at the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, putting that rule on track for public release. [Wot! abuses of the system? Well, I never! Its good to see him paying attention to this issue. Looks like there might be more jobs for locals. Promises made and kept.]
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September 1, 2026 11:04am
sungsamning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnoCSV63eoY
4% rates cap? We can do that.
Selwyn Mayor Lydia Gliddon says the district can operate within the Government’s planned 4% rates cap, but warns councils will need greater tools to ensure rapid population growth pays for the infrastructure it requires. [The current council in Selwyn aren’t the incompetent spendthrifts the last lot were. And they don’t want to amalgamate. Ministers need to be given responsibility though. And who has to interact with which department needs to be clarified.]
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September 1, 2026 11:05am
- kowtow
  
  If they fired all the DEI hires working in climate change ( not the real stuff like river management etc) and the hordes of race engagement types , our rates would prolly be very manageable.
  
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  September 1, 2026 12:39pm
  - sungsamning
    
    Yes, I agree. Same for the ‘public service’.
    
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    September 1, 2026 5:58pm
Master Mariner

Any one still think closing down NZ strategic Built Refinery was a good idea ?
Incidently it should never had been privatised.
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Why-More-Venezuelan-Oil-Wont-Solve-Americas-Gasoline-Problem.html
There is not only a shortage of the “Right” type of Oil but just importantly there is a massive shortage World wide in Refinery capacity.
The more immediate constraint on gasoline prices is refining capacity.
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September 1, 2026 11:25am
- pb
  
  I recall being shocked how efficient the Dunedin council was in processing my application to install a wood fire burnder, many years ago. I had been programmed to think that all government was hopeless. But they turned it around and approved it in less than 3 days.
  
  In the same vein, some tariffs are good, if imposed by wise people. Government systems can be very beneficial.
  
  Marsen was shut because “oil is bad”. All such politicians ought carry that albatross as a forehead tattoo, so we know who to blame when petrol prices, power prices, diesel prices rise.
  
  https://www.engineeringnz.org/programmes/heritage/engineering-heritage-records/industry-processes/marsden-point-oil-refinery/
  
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  September 1, 2026 2:25pm
  - virtualmark
    
    Marsden was closed because it needed a large maintenance and upgrade spend and its private-sector owners couldn’t get the numbers to work.
    
    A refinery adds no energy independence – in fact it makes you more energy dependent because it is configured to run against a specific grade of crude that typically only comes from a handful of fields.
    
    I am totally for New Zealand pursuing energy independence. That should be a top priority for any New Zealand government. But a refinery that is totally dependent on ships coming over the horizon is no help there.
    
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    September 1, 2026 4:45pm
I remember when

According to the Roy Morgan poll, one of every ten voters want the Opportunities Party to decide who the next Government will be.
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September 1, 2026 11:35am
- Gravelroad
  
  But there won’t be any deciding, will there?
  Mr Luxon has reportedly ruled out working with the TOPpers in a coalition.
  So the one in every ten voters might just as well vote for a left wing party (which most will anyway no matter what they claim now).
  They are nuts and the Opportunities Party is exploiting them and their ignorance big time.
  
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  September 1, 2026 12:39pm
- Blog-aholic
  
  We have gone from Godzone to Godforsaken.
  
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  September 1, 2026 12:52pm
KKNZ2025

The TPM policy to implement their racist ethnostate:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/politics_election-2026/1207353/te-pati-maori-vows-major-constitutional-reform-by-making-te-tiriti-binding-for-crown
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September 1, 2026 11:43am
- Yvette
  
  Is He Puapua copyright to Labour?
  
  Te Pāti Māori vows major constitutional reform by making Te Tiriti binding for Crown
  Te Pāti Māori are promising major constitutional reform by entrenching Te Tiriti o Waitangi into lawmaking and binding the Crown to honour it, if elected.
  The party would set up an independent Te Tiriti Commission with power to investigate Treaty breaches by the Crown, make Waitangi Tribunal recommendations binding, and set a 2040 target for constitutional transformation.
  They also want to set a $220 million Mātike Mai Fund over four years to resource constitutional reforms and properly implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) within their first 100 days in power.
  https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/politics_election-2026/1207353/te-pati-maori-vows-major-constitutional-reform-by-making-te-tiriti-binding-for-crown
  
  • So the Maori Party wants to purposely create a Parliamentary overhang of seats, or win perhaps 4 Maori seats without a party list, so reducing all other parties t0 portions of 116 seats not 120.
  
  • The Maori Party wants to entrench the Treaty but would “not constitute, define, replace, limit or domesticate Te Tiriti”, so embed it in Law without clarity, and
  
  • Properly implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) within their first 100 days in power.
  
  The Late Maori King rejected the idea of legally redefining or creating new “principles” for te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi). He meant the original text stands on its own and does not need legislative interpretation. Kiingi Tūheitia, famously called for hope over protest, “There’s no principles, the Treaty is written. That’s it.”
  He advised people not to rely on the courts or politicians to understand the true meaning of the Treaty.
  
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  September 1, 2026 12:26pm
  - Ian
    
    And the late Maori King was often derided as just being a truck driver….
    
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    September 1, 2026 12:50pm
    - Taieri
      
      Nothing wrong with king driving a truck. The late Russian archdukes and counts often worked in Paris as taxi drivers or hotel doormen when their empire collapsed. At least they still kept their heads on their shoulders.
      
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      September 1, 2026 1:06pm
  - Paulus
    
    Great, but first, when will so called Maori Honour the original Treaty ?
    
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    September 1, 2026 1:06pm
- KH
  
  If we operated according to the treaty TPM would be horrified.
  New Zealanders would be equal, Maori seats would be gone. The raft of cultural advisors and unelected councillors would be history.
  Support the treaty. Yes.
  
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  September 1, 2026 1:23pm
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    And all Maoris would have to sell their land to the Crown.
    
    Can’t see that one being a flyer.
    
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    September 1, 2026 6:23pm
Ghost

The United States has thrown down the gauntlet in the Pacific revealing it’s to develop a deep sea port on a former military base in the Cook Islands – with New Zealand playing a core role and contributing to the cost.

Article

a good deal for NZ to be part of
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September 1, 2026 1:01pm
- Ian Boag
  
  An interesting place – look up Penrhyn on Wikipedia. Population about 250 – flights (4 hours) from Raro every few weeks. Ships every few months ….
  
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  September 1, 2026 1:42pm
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    Penrhyn is one of the best island/ atoll ports in the Pacific. Good to see someone preventing the PRC Navy rocking up & taking possession (or advancing a ridiculous loan which the Cooks would be unable to repay, thereby triggering penalties of China’s choice – see the Solomons).
    
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    September 1, 2026 6:27pm
- sungsamning
  
  Oh, that’s excellent mews. And NZ not recognizing ‘Palestine’ won’t have gone unnoticed either.
  
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  September 1, 2026 6:01pm
imalwaysright

Is KB becoming a historical and censored record of some’s opinion ?
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September 1, 2026 1:33pm
Jack5

Lobbying from the owner of one of NZ’s leading technology companies backs President Trump in allowing temporary beef imports that will be sold at a 25 per cent discount to US market prices.

Scott Technology, of Dunedin, is just over 50 per cent owned by Brazil’s JBS, the world’s biggest meat processor. Scott is a leader in meat-processing robotics.

Joesley Batista, the Brazilian billionaire who shares control of JBS with his brother, Wesley Batista, met President Trump at the Oval Office 12 days ago. That day, Brazil’s President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, held an 80-minute call with Trump that touched on tariffs.

A US cattle shortage has driven up livestock prices, and in turn, beef prices. Lowering tariffs on beef imports has upset American ranchers, however.

You have to wonder what the American meat shortage is contributing to consumer meat prices in NZ.

Brazil is the world’s largest producer of beef and rising beef prices have been a conundrum for the Trump administration in its effort to lower costs on everyday goods, reports the Wall Street Journal. JBS began as a family-owned rural slaughterhouse in Brazil. It now employs about 280,000 people in more than 20 countries.

Pilgrim’s Pride, a JBS-owned chicken processor, was the biggest donor to Trump’s inauguration, giving $US5 million.
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September 1, 2026 2:14pm
Jack5

Stuff’s Leftism is obvious as the election nears.

Examples:

An old “National won’t apologise” tabloid jibe in this headline:

Minister won’t apologise to
beneficiaries whose payments
were wrongfully suspended

Perhaps Stuff wants cabinets to include a Minister of Apologies.

And, linking an NZ investment liquidation to Donald Trump:

More than $54m tied up in
collapse of ‘NZ’s Donald Trump’
investment companies

Bernard Whimp, the man six failed companies were linked to, “previously dubbed himself ‘NZ’s Donald Trump’,” says Stuff.

What sane analyst would parallel Whimp to Trump?

What will Stuff’s headliners do if some modern nutter calling himself Jesus Christ runs amok?
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September 1, 2026 3:23pm
Swifty

Luxon could take a look at this vid of Lee Quan Yew discussing his response to the Singapore pilot’s strike:

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1LERUXP4o7

I understand too that our civil servants earn a good 20-25 percent more than their equivalent private sector counterparts.

I wonder if the average taxpayer knows this?
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September 1, 2026 3:32pm
Rumblestrip

Joke of the day comes to you from the USA:

Through the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the U.S. Department of the Interior’ National Park Service at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado plans to repatriate bags of human feces to tribes for reburial.

https://www.skeptic.com/article/repatriation-and-reburial-of-sh-t-needs-to-be-stopped/
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September 1, 2026 3:57pm
- sungsamning
  
  Don’t tell the Maori Party. It’ll only give them ideas.
  
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  September 1, 2026 6:04pm
Pope Punctilious II

RNZ continues to hammer the “pay gaps” BS. They do it ever few months. Gail Pacheco’s job title is Equal Opportunities Commissioner, but she appears fixated on equal outcomes.
https://share.google/gCWZwCvksurYGkDO6
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September 1, 2026 6:04pm
MCōs

This is interesting
https://x.com/doctor_rahmeh/status/2093800325270397126/video/1?s=61
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September 1, 2026 7:45pm
Ghost

Shouldn’t be allowed to update the record with their vote, they failed to vote at the correct time

The government has progressed legislation for its cap on council rates increases through a first reading in Parliament.

The bill initially sailed through the first reading unopposed, as those disagreeing with it missed their window for voting.

Article
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September 1, 2026 10:13pm

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