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September 11, 2026 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 11 September 2026

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General Debate

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NeverMindTheBollocks

Mum and Dad commit fraud equally; Dad gets 2 years in prison while Mum gets HomeD to look after the kids. No word on whether the reverse situation was considered.

Well done, that judge. Good, old fashioned sexism on display. Whatever happened to “girls can do anything”?

http://www.1news.co.nz/2026/09/10/children-saving-grace-auckland-mum-spared-jail-over-554k-tax-fraud/
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September 11, 2026 8:01am
- Crafty
  
  I get that not having a parent would be terrible for the kids but I agree with you as well in that the dad gets a much worse punishment purely because he isn’t a mother. It’s a tough one
  
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  September 11, 2026 10:29am
- Ghost
  
  The husband , despite the charges, was still working for himself. The husband did not comprehend the full gravity of his offending. The judge also considered that the husband had caused his wife to become involved in this crime.
  
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  September 11, 2026 11:41am
- NZer In Exile
  
  So home D for murder, rape, beating people into a coma, blindness and/or a life of disability and suffering, but prison for diddling one’s tax.
  
  But no no the justice system and the judiciary are just fine and dandy. Please “centre” right fix this insanity with extreme prejudice. Please!
  
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  September 11, 2026 4:10pm
Cassandra

All these left wing governments sanctioning Israel is a paradox. QV the NZ Greens supporting Hamas which would happily throw most of them from the top of a tall building.

Note that Marx (although a convert to Christianity), Trotsky and Zinoviev and hundreds of other early communists were Jews.
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September 11, 2026 8:04am
- Cassandra
  
  And I’ve just opened The Telegraph to see this headline: “Hamas praises Miliband over Israel sanctions.”
  
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  September 11, 2026 8:07am
  - igm
    
    Miliband, Starmer, Burnham, Albanese, Carey, even Hipkins . . . all supportive of anything anti-Israel.
    Thank The Lord for DJT!
    
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    September 11, 2026 8:18am
- kowtow
  
  It’s performative in order to appeal to their new citizens of a certain religious persuasion .Those votes can make a big difference in tight elections.
  Do we see sanctions against China or Turkey ( occupies north Cyprus , oppresses the Kurds , supports terror and is anti democratic).
  
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  September 11, 2026 8:14am
- SeanOConnor
  
  Marx did not convert.
  His father did, and had him baptised as a baby. And as far as we know, that was the extent of his Christian life, being an atheist from his childhood.
  
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  September 11, 2026 8:15am
- Taieri
  
  Marx (although a convert to Christianity)
  ————
  
  Marx’s father converted to Christianity before Karl was born.
  
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  September 11, 2026 9:07am
  - Cassandra
    
    True. I didn’t think it relevant.
    
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    September 11, 2026 10:01am
- Southern Raider
  
  And yet the Houthi have just attacked and captured another city in Yemen and its radio silence in the media and from the left
  
  Christian leaders in Nigeria are warning of more mass killings against Christians and its radio silence
  
  Israel isn’t perfect by any measure but it’s the only democracy in the Middle East, an open society and a safe haven for Druze, Ba Hai and many other minority cultures.
  
  If the west diverted as much energy into holding the Palestinians and Iranian proxies to account it would be a much more peaceful area.
  
  The PLO was started and backed by an Egyptian and the USSR.
  
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  September 11, 2026 10:15am
- the deity formerly known as nigel6888
  
  Yes, Gays for Palestine is one of the strangest slogans in human history!
  
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  September 11, 2026 11:20am
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Silly far-left gays for trendy suicidal-empathy causes would probably be more accurate.
    
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    September 11, 2026 4:18pm
- Ra Henare
  
  Palestine elections are coming.
  
  For those that don’t look beyond today’s headlines and regurgitating propoganda. ergo Sharia law(Hamas version) does NOT decree punishment by throwing homosexuals off tall buildings or execution by any means.
  
  Legislative elections will be held in Palestine on 28 November 2026 in order to elect the 3rd Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), the legislature of the Palestinian National Authority
  
  The last election was 20 years ago which saw Hamas & Fatah create a coalition.
  
  Standing by for the usual emotional responses to facts.
  
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  September 11, 2026 4:38pm
  - Scott
    
    Sure Ra, everything is fine under Hamas rule:
    
    “Sometimes, they would tie my feet up and beat them with a stick. After that, every few years, they would arrest me and torture me in the same way.”
    
    Over the course of five years, Abdul says Hamas would kidnap him off of the streets, torture him, and then rerelease him. Finally, at 22, they let him go for the last time.
    
    He was forced to take an oath on the Quran that he wouldn’t “be gay again.”
    
    For two years, Abdul lived on the streets until he managed to scrape together enough money to escape into Egypt and then make his way to Turkey.”
    
    https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/middle-east/palestinian-territories/1660138495-exclusive-gay-man-who-fled-gaza-speaks-about-experience-with-hamas
    
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    September 11, 2026 5:35pm
Scott

New British PM Andy Burnham has announced a ban on Israeli settlements on the West Bank :

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/09/britain-lines-up-against-israel.php

Why has he done this? We can argue the merits of the case, the Israelis building houses in the area. But given Britain’s immigrant crisis, overflowing prisons, rampant crime and economic doldrums you wouldn’t think it a high priority?
So why did he do it? According to the article:

“Because his hold on the revolving door of 10 Downing Street is tenuous, and he knows his Labour Party base is mostly anti-Semitic. So issuing anti-Israel proclamations that can’t have any practical effect is a sop thrown to British anti-Semites, not all of whom are Muslims.”

So his base is mostly antisemitic, not all of whom are Muslims. But then again, many of them are Muslims. Left wing politicians around the world are having to pander to the Muslim vote, because of mass immigration. A good example would be Minnesota that relies on Muslim Somalians to give them a lock on the state and permanent Democrat rule.

Has Great Britain gone the same way? That the Muslim vote is vital for the prime Minister’s political survival?

This could easily happen here. As it is our prime minister appears desperate to get the Indian immigrant vote. He’s always appearing at Indian festivals and literally bowing down to Indian gods.
Would a prime minister Chris Hipkins pander to the Muslim immigrant vote? You know he would. 😎
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September 11, 2026 8:04am
- imalwaysright
  
  Most modern day politicians are out for themselves.
  Its the only job where you can rob and destroy a country and then they give you a Knight/Damehood.
  They would adopt any ideology on the face of the Earth if it meant they could be in Government.
  
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  September 11, 2026 10:40am
- Jethrod
  
  The Muslim immigrant vote would be 10 to 20,000 and spread across, in the majority, only 3 or 4 seats in Auckland.
  
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  September 11, 2026 11:21am
  - OlderChas
    
    Yet there are two Mosques in Christchurch?
    
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    September 11, 2026 5:40pm
- Quail
  
  With Burnham’s problems at home ,IMHO he should be addressing those, long before becoming a international warrior !
  Where are these peoples values.
  
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  September 11, 2026 2:58pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  Importing the Islamic mind virus was a very very bad idea.
  
  I wish individual Muslims well. They belong in Muslim countries though.
  
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  September 11, 2026 4:24pm
- Kurious Kiwi
  
  Burnham was also outed for accepting political donations from the notorious pakistani muslim groups.
  
  Anti Israel posturing seems more significant with this in mind.
  
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  September 11, 2026 9:59pm
Simon

“May Budget initiatives are expected to add a “net average increase” of 1300 public service jobs a year, despite the Government’s tough talk on shrinking the state, Treasury documents released today show.”

From NZ hearld. National are just lying to you about getting the state sector shrinking.

The bloated state entities are massive. One in four working age is employed in some sort of govt entity. Massively bloated and useless at delivery. Govt garbage is core National.
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September 11, 2026 8:08am
- RoboRob
  
  Hard to believe their promises of big cuts next term based on this terms performance.
  
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  September 11, 2026 9:47am
  - pdm
    
    Only ACT is committed to the cuts RR.
    
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    September 11, 2026 10:07am
  - leoj
    
    Hosking, this morning: National are chicken.
    
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    September 11, 2026 10:08am
    - RoboRob
      
      Roughly what time did he say that? Might have a listen.
      
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      September 11, 2026 11:46am
      - leoj
        
        Between 7:45 and 8:00 am?
        
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        September 11, 2026 4:28pm
  - MCōs
    
    The Act inspired Regulations Ministry employs about a hundred staff on an average annual salary in excess of $150k
    
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    September 11, 2026 11:34am
NeverMindTheBollocks

It’s funny watching the strangled outrage of Lefties to Donald Trump’s promise of $5,000 to adult US citizens should the Republicans be returned at the mid terms.

On the one hand, it’s an out and out bribe. On the other hand, how is it different to every other political promise to increase the incomes of voters?

If you think about it as a tax rebate, those of lower income will receive proportionally more than those with higher incomes. Being out-progressived by Donald is really what sticks in the craw of the Dems.
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September 11, 2026 8:08am
- RoboRob
  
  It is sad watching the Republicans throw out their principles to become a populist party. It is sad seeing them copy the bribery of the left. As I have always said, Trump would be a good fit in the Dem party.
  
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  September 11, 2026 9:49am
- MCōs
  
  You’re twisting yourself into a pretzel with that logic
  
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  September 11, 2026 11:40am
- sungsamning
  
  I don’t think its a good idea. More a brain fart.
  
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  September 11, 2026 1:33pm
David Garrett

Good morning from the Kingdom…a very pleasant cool morning up here
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September 11, 2026 8:09am
- lastmanstanding
  
  IMHO The PSA strikes are going to cost Labour for the following reasons.
  1. The public sector is paid on average 17% more than the private sector job for job.
  2. The vast majority of the private sector arent Union members even though there are Unions they could join.
  3. The private sector will see Labour who the PSA are campaigning for raising taxes to pay for PSA members pay increases.
  I expect Labour to continue their downward spiral in the Polls.
  
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  September 11, 2026 9:09am
  - keepcalmcarryon
    
    By deductive logic the strikes are a great thing: increasing the public service massively under Labour led to less efficiency and an apparent decrease in service delivery to the public.
    Therefore the more of these NPCs not working, the better.
    Let’s make it permanent and sack over half the bureaucracy, imagine the service!
    
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    September 11, 2026 9:15am
    - encee77
      
      Has anyone even noticed any affect in their day to day lives from the PSA strikes? Nope, me neither.
      
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      September 11, 2026 9:45am
      - imalwaysright
        
        I wonder if they will get their pay docked, or will it be quietly ignored?
        
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        September 11, 2026 10:53am
      - encee77
        
        hmm, bad gramma’ *effect
        
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        September 11, 2026 3:46pm
  - pdm
    
    `I expect Labour to continue their downward spiral in the Polls.’
    
    I agree with you there Ima.
    
    In fact yesterday I was wondering if Hipkins could do a Bill English in 2002 and take Labour below 20%.
    
    The imponderable if that was to happen is would/could National fall to say 25% at the same time?
    
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    September 11, 2026 9:15am
    - RoboRob
      
      As I have frequently said, they only thing keeping either Chris in the game is the weakness of the opposing Chris.
      
      Whilst I would love to see Labour drop even lower, historically I think it is pretty unlikely. Labour has a strong base of ‘always red’ voters (stronger then Nationals, who are a more thinking base). Labours worst result was 23.7% in 2928. The second worst was 26.9% in 2023 (under Hipkins, who regularly beats Luxon in the preferred leader polls) I cant see labour getting under 20% (even though they deserve to), If Hipkins was against Key it would be possible, but not against Luxon.
      
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      September 11, 2026 9:30am
      - Mobile Michael
        
        If Luxon can’t wipe the floor with Hipkins over his massive deficit blowout promises and a Labour led coalition taxing everything that moves then National deserve to lose.
        
        National may lose Wellington (specifically Hutt South) but they’ll keep the West Auckland support that won them last election, and also the provincial vote – which will get them home.
        
        Hipkins winning will be nothing short of a miracle with TPM and the Greens constantly coming up with ideas that verge on political suicide with the most likely voters.
        
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        September 11, 2026 9:39am
      - Jethrod
        
        Were they even around in 2928?
        
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        September 11, 2026 11:24am
      - RoboRob
        
        lol 2928, should be 1928. I am certainly not Nostradamus.
        
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        September 11, 2026 11:47am
      - AitchW
        
        I do wonder if, rather than attacking Hipkins, National would be better simply to keep plugging the 9 new taxes schtick and let the parties on the left keep talking themselves back into opposition.
        Labour’s free stuff and CGT, the Greens and their socialist supermarkets and TPM and their increasingly apartheid policies will certainly frighten a lot of the horses.
        
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        September 11, 2026 12:46pm
      - rouppe
        
        @aitch National MP’s need to quit with “the other lot” comments and get specific.
        
        1. Governments require coalition.
        2. Coalitions require policy compromise.
        3. Labour coalition partners have taxes a, b, c etc.
        
        Is that what you really want?
        
        Then pick apart the obvious fallacy that billions of dollars are going to be raised but 95% of people will be financially better off.
        
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        September 11, 2026 8:11pm
  - PurplePen
    
    What’s remarkable is that Labour has a downward spiral when your consider that since the beginning of this term of govt, TVNZ, RNZ, other media, some unions, govt agencies have all been continuously working against the govt and favouring anything left.
    
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    September 11, 2026 11:06am
Ipanema69

I listened to Shane Jones talking about the need for thermal (gas) generation being essential for energy security in dry year hydro scenarios on ZB this morning.

This guy was a minister in the government which stopped Oil and Gas exploration in this country putting us in to the current predicament. To be fair at the time he was occupied p******g away several billion dollars of tax payers money in the provinces.

All you NZ First fan boys and girls remember this prior to handing your vote over to Winston who will go with whoever offers the best deal.
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September 11, 2026 8:11am
- leoj
  
  If you have any semblance of memory, Winston f*#ked us over pretty good in 2017.
  
  Never again. He cannot be trusted.
  
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  September 11, 2026 10:12am
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Your choices are as follows:
    
    1. Somewhat shit with an element of risk, but likely overall good.
    
    2. Insanely bad. Prepare your escape plans as quickly as possible.
    
    There is no super-star saviour party.
    
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    September 11, 2026 4:29pm
- zulumonster
  
  I don’t think there is any need to be “fair” to him at all – he was standing right there when Ardern made the announcement. Sure he was making theatrical pained faces – but their claim that he / NZ First couldn’t have stopped it in its tracks is a(nother) bald faced lie.
  But people will still vote for the liars …
  
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  September 11, 2026 10:27am
  - Ghost
    
    Nz first voted in support of the oil and gas ban. They also voted in support of the legislation that created the woke public service. Nz first are hypocrites. But it’s OK, idiots will believe them this time and give them the vote because for the third? election Winston will promise a referendum on maori seats and they will believe his lies again.
    
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    September 11, 2026 10:33am
- virtualmark
  
  What’s essential for energy security in a dry year hydro scenario is alternative non-hydro generation.
  
  What’s not “essential” is that that be gas fired.
  
  What’s sensible is that the alternative generation be the most cost-effective option, so we avoid having electricity prices spiral further upwards.
  
  Genesis & Contact are the last players who have material thermal generation. They now (post-Methanexit) have enough gas to run till mid-2028. That’s about the time those plants end-of-life and will need upgrades and recertification.
  
  So NZ needs to decide on how best to replace that 400MW or so of nameplate generating capacity before mid-2028.
  
  The economics are *very* unlikely to land on spending on updated/new gas turbines. As I write this gas is generating 16MW. It’s very normal for NZ to have gas-fired plant generating <100MW. At that low utilisation the numbers just don't stack up to buy new gas-fired plant and pay for LNG import.
  
  (Note that as I write this solar + wind is generating 590MW vs 16MW from gas. From an economics point-of-view the highest return-on-investment post-2028 plan is more solar + a big investment in grid-scale batteries. For the capex cost of refurbing Stratford & Huntly gas + setting up LNG import you could build more than double the solar & battery capacity … and then have no ongoing fuel cost. Take a look at Australia where you already often have "free" electricity during the middle of the day, and then project that forward with much more battery storage. We could achieve the same here.)
  
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  September 11, 2026 10:28am
  - yobi
    
    Wow free electricity in the middle of the day, what about 7pm in the evening when it’s dark?
    
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    September 11, 2026 10:51am
    - virtualmark
      
      That’s what batteries are for. What part of that is hard?
      
      Right now as I write gas is generated zero MW. None. Nada. Zilch. Solar + wind is generating 1,140MW. There is gas there. They could run the CCGTs. But they won’t because the economics don’t work – gas is too expensive.
      
      I have nothing against thermal generation, but it has been displaced from the generation hierarchy. Trying to keep it in the mix is like insisting we keep horses when the motorcar is on sale.
      
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      September 11, 2026 3:45pm
      - rouppe
        
        This argument is also why I keep asking whether new frigates are the answer to end of life of frigates.
        
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        September 11, 2026 8:17pm
  - wsk12345
    
    You clearly know less than nothing about how to operate a power system.
    
    No it’s not about just having alternative non hydro generation. And doubling the non-firm renewables plus batteries will not come close to providing the service provided by flexible thermal plant.
    
    Geothermal is also not flexible though a certain amount of additional baseload is economic as dry year supply.
    
    We need highly flexible thermal plant – gas, coal or diesel will do. I’m for coal given we have plenty of it and don’t need an import terminal. Gas would be fine also. Diesel probably a bit expensive.
    
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    September 11, 2026 11:26am
    - virtualmark
      
      So you’re going to pay for that thermal plant? You likely wince when you look at your electricity bill today, but just you wait till we – in your world – build a new gas-fired plant to replace Huntly U5 and Stratford and commit to at least 15 years of LNG import.
      
      I do a lot of work with the gentailers. I know the outline of their capex plans. AFAIK none of them are planning on building new thermal plants. And they would laugh you out of their office if you suggested a new coal-fired plant.
      
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      September 11, 2026 3:49pm
      - CJames
        
        [Mod – no need to make this personal]
        
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        September 11, 2026 5:08pm
  - CJames
    
    That is just wrong on so many levels.
    You didn’t mention that at 7:40 this morning gas was generating 200MW and 100MW on coal. It was similar amounts at the peak last night. Go back to the peak on the 8th and it was double the amount of gas and coal with Sweet FA from the unreliables. Batteries were only 100MW and they ran out long before the peak did. The gas and coal can provide power when its needed, not like the unreliables.
    The wholesale electricity prices are spiralling upwards (only about a third of the cost of domestic power) because of all the unreliables being built and the plant that has to cover for them gets less running hours so has to charge more when needed.
    Most coal plants can do 250k running hours in their lifetime – that is at full noise. GTs need major overhauls about every 5k running hours. How long do solar cells last? About 20k running hours. Batteries are even less. Factor those capital costs in. Australia is now realising the big problems IBG causes and is bring in limits on how many can be on any grid load. Plus there is the Spain experience.
    Even here now, the SO has put minimum inertia requirements on the grid that the SI has breached, dispatching the solar/ wind off. The NI will probably reach those limits this summer so coal will be burnt while solar has to be idle.
    For Australia, you forgot to mention that the electricity from subsidised solar has to be otherwise dumped. They subsidise the unreliables, the generators to cover the unreliables, domestic solar and then the industrial/ domestic power price because it is so expensive. They can only do this because of their royalties from quarrying, and even then, their budget is in real trouble.
    
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    September 11, 2026 12:54pm
    - virtualmark
      
      Well I guess all the gentailers are wrong to? And you know more than the industry does?
      
      Question: Is there anyone planning to build a new thermal plant in NZ? Name them, the site, and what they would fuel it with.
      
      Maybe, maybe, Genesis refurbs its Huntly gas turbines. I’d put the chances at <20%, and if it happens it will become a very expensive peaker.
      
      I get to see the investment cases for this stuff, and the economics are so stark. There is just no rational economic case to build a thermal plant. If you had, say, $400 million to spend on a new generating plant then the rational economics says you spend it on:
      1) Solar + grid-scale batteries
      2) Repowering an old wind site.
      
      We are about a third of the way through a system transition from hydro/coal/gas dominant generation mix to a hydro/geothermal/wind/solar/battery dominant generation mix. Currently the wind/solar build has run ahead of the battery build, but that will change in the next 5 years.
      
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      September 11, 2026 4:00pm
      - CJames
        
        No-one is planning to build thermal plant because there is so much political opposition to anything like it. Boards are political, not engineers. After the next power cut, watch public opinion change.
        The grid is becoming more unstable. The SO is having to bring in changes to give a bigger reserve margin. Even then, they still have issue. Australia had a 800MW shortfall recently because solar just dropped off, fortunately they had their coal plant on to buffer it. We don’t have that luxury.
        Wind is more expensive than GTs. That is why Australia isn’t building wind despite the subsidies because gas is reliable.
        
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        September 11, 2026 4:46pm
      - CJames
        
        Wind is so “good” that they cannot make the economics work in Australia.
        https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-25/wind-farm-drought-threatens-australias-renewable-energy-target/107070744
        As the article shows, even battery and solar aren’t economic there. That is reality. It will only get built where it is subsidised. And the consumer pays the subsidy.
        
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        September 11, 2026 5:06pm
      - CJames
        
        Solar in NZ has become uneconomic. The published price of building the stations is just over $1M/GWh p.a. The average price they get for their power when they generate is south of $40/MWh. Often, like today, it was 1c/MWh for 3 hours. The owners that have to sell on the spot market must be hemorrhaging money. Even those with PPAs will be worried about the next round of price negotiations.
        NZ is now in the unenviable situation that the flood of uneconomic solar has so distorted the market that no-one will build uncommitted open market plant of any type because the cost of construction is greater than the income it can generate. Stations will need a firm buyer for their power (like a data centre) before they commit to building. This means that to give a guaranteed supply, the hydro, thermal and geothermal will run harder.
        
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        September 11, 2026 9:11pm
  - kowtow
    
    Coal. Local , plentiful , efficient , proven, reliable .
    
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    September 11, 2026 1:26pm
    - virtualmark
      
      Which coal do you intend to burn?
      
      Ain’t happening out of the Waikato any more. Ain’t going to be the Southland lignite, which is poor quality shit that wouldn’t give you any competitive thermal efficiency. Oh, you want to import it? Well good luck comparing your fuel costs with the fuel costs for wind & solar. Your capex is the same as theirs, but the fuel costs are going to kill you. And your utilisation … because you’re going to get crowded out of the dispatch queue for most of the day.
      
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      September 11, 2026 4:02pm
      - CJames
        
        The plans are still in the archives for using 1000MW Maramarua coal plus another 1000MW usigh the stuff at Aria. Switch off the lights and see what people think. Gas is only expensive because of NZ First support of the Captain’s call. Even now, no-one will drill because Labour has promised to do it again.
        Lignite is such poor shitty stuff that it is the cheapest power in Australia – Yallourn and the Loy Yangs. About $4/MWh.
        How much can wind and solar generate at 7pm on a frosty July night? That is why your taunt is stupid -the facts do not support you. Remember the August power cuts a few years ago. It was because wind dropped 300MW when it was too late to start up Huntly. That is reality and it will happen again
        
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        September 11, 2026 4:56pm
      - nz_aj
        
        There is currently 100,000 tonnes per annum of Maramarua coal being mined for Huntly. There is plenty more in the vicinity.
        This makes the most sense due to proximity to the electricty demand.
        Southland lignite burns just fine to make steam and generate electrity, e.g. Fonterra. But it’s at the wrong end of the country, on the wrong island. It’s best left for gasification and conversion to Fertiliser or liquid fuels.
        
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        September 11, 2026 6:26pm
mike

I see Trump’s master plan for a republican midterm victory is to add $1 trillion to the national debt.
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September 11, 2026 8:19am
- David Garrett
  
  An uptick from me Mikey…this is becoming something of a trend…the man is seriously deranged
  
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  September 11, 2026 8:21am
  - mike
    
    I see you noted the other day that Kiwiblog support for Trump is very thin now. It would be interesting to hear from former fans their reasons for abandoning their saviour.
    
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    September 11, 2026 8:24am
    - David Garrett
      
      You are misquoting me. I never said support for The Narcissist was “very thin” on here…what I said was support for Trump is markedly less now than it was a year or 18 months ago
      
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      September 11, 2026 8:29am
      - Dougal10
        
        Poor mike he thought you had joined his team.
        
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        September 11, 2026 8:49am
      - Charlotte Wells
        
        [Mod – take the abuse elsewhere]
        
        It’s never going to happen. Eventually, one gives up.
        
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        September 11, 2026 9:53am
      - MCōs
        
        I don’t recall in the time I’ve perused the comments on this forum that any contributors have actually realigned their basic political philosophies and joined another side.
        Plenty of people have become disillusioned with politicians who they once thought were the bees’ knees.
        
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        September 11, 2026 11:55am
    - Nikola Donatello
      
      I was never a fan. I did conclude that the other candidate was so awful that Trump was probably preferable. I now have reversed that conclusion.
      
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      September 11, 2026 8:37am
      - David Garrett
        
        Niko: I am with you. Harris would – at worst – have been totally ineffectual. This guy has begun a war which has tangible effects on half the world – including us; a war which shows no sign of ending any time soon.
        
        If, before his election this time, pundits had said he will evince a willingness to buy Greenland, and offer to make Canada the 51st state – as well as start a war with Iran – just about everyone would have accused the maker of such predictions an outrageous liar, and being in the pay of the American left.
        
        Did you note his latest proposal, to build an “arc de Trump” in Washington? You must have seen his chart showing himself as the greatest president of all time?
        
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        September 11, 2026 9:03am
      - Taieri
        
        greatest president of all time
        ————
        
        And one of the greatest cartographers…
        
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        September 11, 2026 9:08am
      - keepcalmcarryon
        
        Yet without Trump, what cliff would the woke have ridden the USA off with open borders, trans madness and DEI and critical race and gender theory splintering their country.
        Choose your insanity carefully.
        
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        September 11, 2026 9:22am
      - David Garrett
        
        Darn…awillingess should have been WISH…willingness implies Greenland offered itself for sale, and that most definitely is not the case – in fact both the Danes and the Greenlanders have soundly rejected any such idea.
        
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        September 11, 2026 9:32am
      - Nikola Donatello
        
        It is everything. The tariffs. The war. They are the shocking damaging things. Then there are the psycho things. Appointing a maniac in RFK Junior as Health Secretary. Actually that is damaging. His decisions kill people.
        
        Psycho things.. Putting his name on the Kennedy Center. Renaming Lakes. Putting his picture on passports. I could go on and on.
        
        So yes I admit. I was totally wrong. The crazy laughing woman would have been far, far, better.
        
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        September 11, 2026 9:58am
      - David Garrett
        
        keep calm: Valid points I guess…but hard to say which is worse
        
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        September 11, 2026 10:12am
      - Nikola Donatello
        
        What scares me is that despite the damage, the cruelty, the megalomania, the appointment of an anti vaccine activist as health secretary,.. There are so many apparantly intelligent people that are blinded and think that Trump is fine.
        
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        September 11, 2026 11:01am
      - nigel2010
        
        Nikola the [Mod – use her real name] which was the alternative would off turned the whole of the US into California, it’s now a shit hole the whole state,it was once great and I would of gone back anytime i could but now its a hard no, democrat/socialist policies have turned a vibrant city into a drepressed hell hole
        
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        September 11, 2026 11:49am
      - NZer In Exile
        
        KCCO: “Choose your insanity carefully.”
        
        Yes. That’s where we are at. Most of us are too apathetic and indifferent (or burnt out) to get off our arses and protest at a lot of the insanity so we’ve only earned ourselves garbage choices.
        
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        September 11, 2026 4:33pm
      - rouppe
        
        The biggest problem is that plenty of people cannot envisage any other position than two: you hate everything about him; you love everything about him.
        
        I’m tired of that nonsense. I notice that in your list of things you hate about him you haven’t mentioned: illegal border crossings doing 90%; millions of illegal immigrants deported, the majority SELF deported.
        
        Others, but I’m about to do some sightseeing in Duoro.
        
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        September 11, 2026 8:27pm
    - notreadyet
      
      While I agreed and supported his policies ( as opposed to the left) and trying to strengthen his country but never liked the man he has definitely lost his way.
      How many in NZ and other countries follow and vote for a leader but never look in depth at policies
      
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      September 11, 2026 8:42am
      - Taieri
        
        vote for a leader
        ———
        
        I don’t want a leader. I want an effective and industrious manager. A public SERVANT (because that’s what they really are or should be) with a knowledge, ethics and sense of responsibility.
        
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        September 11, 2026 12:09pm
    - imalwaysright
      
      I was a fan until Netanyahu took over the Presidency…
      
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      September 11, 2026 9:01am
  - MCōs
    
    Here’s an article about a 68yo British chap who sent all his money to some obscure bank account on the promise of untold riches.
    https://aseannow.com/thailand-news/brit-pensioner-repatriated-after-bangkok-romance-scam-r3699/
    
    The principle is the same.
    Most people, the vast majority of people see right through the scam, but once in awhile some senile old bugger falls in the trap.
    
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    September 11, 2026 8:58am
    - David Garrett
      
      MCos: The old “fees needed to obtain an inheritance of millions” scam. I am the same age as this guy…he must be incredibly stupid.
      
      The article says he was a “UN flight operator” before retiring…I hope that doesn’t mean he was an air traffic controller. If so thank God he’s retired!
      
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      September 11, 2026 9:11am
      - MCōs
        
        I read a lot of the comments and they were pretty merciless.
        To me, on the face of it, the guy has mental issues.
        
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        September 11, 2026 9:27am
    - ISeeRed
      
      MCos, when I lived in Thailand I knew an Aussie who fell for the classic gem scam. Twice. Suffice it to say I didn’t hang out with him much.
      
      4 0
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      September 11, 2026 1:36pm
      - David Garrett
        
        Isee: Some years back a Maori lawyer in Rotorua – senior lawyer – fell for a Nigerian scam…paid over NZD250,000 to the scammers – half of it clients money.
        
        The guy went to Nigeria to try and get it back – and lost a further 50,000…God only knows how he managed to get a law degree. You don’t have to be a genius – but you do need an IQ comfortably north of 100.
        
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        September 11, 2026 2:02pm
- virtualmark
  
  That $5,000 “Trump dividend” will arrive shortly after the $5,000 DOGE dividend, and the $2,000 tariff cheque, and the healthcare money he was going to send out.
  
  But Trump will be right on to it, just got to refund the creditors from his 7 bankruptcies first.
  
  Honestly, if you still believe a word he says then you’re an idiot. Please go home. Your village is missing you.
  
  Trump is proof that a con-man doesn’t need to be intelligent, just as long as his victims are dumber than he is. (Oh, and dumb has a “b” in it. Did anyone know that?)
  
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  September 11, 2026 8:33am
  - artemisia
    
    Judge people by what they do, not what they say. Or as that other chap said quite a while ago – By their deeds you will know them.
    
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    September 11, 2026 10:03am
  - Handyman
    
    Another brilliant move by Trump.
    To get the “Trump Dividend” you must be registered as a US citizen and deposit the cheque in a real US bank account.
    What a great way to clean the electoral rolls prior to the 2028 Presidential election. Millions of dead and fake people will be erased from the rolls.
    The money doesn’t matter because if the Democrats get elected, they will waste even more, so could be a net saving.
    
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    September 11, 2026 11:32am
    - virtualmark
      
      There’s one born every minute …
      
      3 3
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      September 11, 2026 4:04pm
- Dougal10
  
  Is it any different than our lefty politicians offering free stuff if they get elected , but its different if the left do it I know . I think its nuts when either side do it as its not their money they are giving away.
  
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  September 11, 2026 8:47am
  - David Garrett
    
    Dougal: Indeed…as the old truism has it: “The government has no money…they use ours”.
    
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    September 11, 2026 10:14am
    - Jethrod
      
      That’s a Thatcherism slightly changed!
      
      3 0
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      September 11, 2026 11:37am
      - David Garrett
        
        Jethrod: No, it pre-dates Thatcher…and she often referred to the left “running out of other people’s money”.
        
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        September 11, 2026 2:29pm
  - kowtow
    
    Amazing how the TDS is triggered by his , admittedly profligate election bribe, and yet where has all the commentary been re the other big spending news story , Eyebrows Andy .
    UK bond market at multi decade highs ( remember Liz Truss was ousted for same) because Burnham has made all manner of uncosted spending promises on welfare , ahead of national defence .
    
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    September 11, 2026 10:44am
  - NZer In Exile
    
    The left wrap their scumbaggery up in deviously crafted turd-polishing . Trump just socks you in the face with the turd itself.
    
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    September 11, 2026 4:42pm
Akitio

Hipkins and Labour are not floundering; they are succeeding in their plan. They have no desire to win the election, knowing that they are totally incompetent they realise if they win this year, with no idea of how to repair the damage we’re still suffering from their last debacle another three year of Labour would wreak havoc so badly it would be the death knell of Labour and no one from Labour would be employable following the 2029 election thereby goodbye easy street for the majority of them. Opposition still pays very well. Chipmunks’ store nuts for the future.
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September 11, 2026 8:25am
- graham71
  
  Hipkins will be rolled before Christmas if he loses
  
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  September 11, 2026 5:10pm
  - Colville
    
    He will fall on his sword if he loses.
    
    And he will lose.
    
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    September 11, 2026 10:01pm
burt

I see the flabby-moob guy from BHN decided that he had to get arrested and make an ACT meeting all about himself.

See here:
Podgy BHN guy shows off his moobs and jelly-belly
16 1
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September 11, 2026 8:36am
- MCōs
  
  That chap might be scruffy, he might be out of shape, but there was nothing wrong with his line of questioning
  
  3 19
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  September 11, 2026 9:11am
  - RoboRob
    
    Sure but his story doesn’t add up. His claim that the police ejected him and afterwards said he was leaving and was then put in an arm bar by police sounds like he has omitted a large part of the story.
    
    I suspect when video comes out we will discover the story as not how ‘the victim’ portrays it.
    
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    September 11, 2026 9:18am
    - greybeard
      
      Exactly: let’s face it, his entire life is dedicated to putting himself in the public eye. A big ego, and more than a bit delusional.
      
      19 1
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      September 11, 2026 9:43am
    - Colville
      
      Robo.
      He was asked for his details for a trespass notice and he tried to brush them off and walk away. Plod understandably didn’t appreciate the disrespect and put him in the car for a ride to the station.
      
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      September 11, 2026 8:46pm
  - David Garrett
    
    MCos: It wasn’t his question – a perfectly reasonable one – that was the problem; it was him shouting out accusations that Henry was lying.
    
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    September 11, 2026 10:16am
- Southern Raider
  
  I shouldn’t be surprised but the Stuff article seemed to spend a lot of time promoting his podcast, mentioning it multiple times and even referring to him by his self proclaimed nickname of Chewie
  
  Didn’t seem much of a fact based and coherent media story
  
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  September 11, 2026 10:21am
sungsamning

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/the-afds-victory-accelerates-the-demise-of-germanys-fake-conservatives/
The AFDs Victory Acellerates the Demise of Germanys Fake Conservatives.
Saxony-Anhalt was once part of the heartland of East Germany. Today it is a German flyover state, with one of the lowest per capita incomes in the Federal Republic. Yet, like our own Mississippi, Saxony-Anhalt has many historical treasures for visitors who explore its small towns and villages. Martin Luther’s church in Wittenberg is in Saxony-Anhalt; the architect Walter Gropius’s Bauhaus Museum is in the small city of Dessau. As the Hitler regime collapsed in 1945, American GIs conquered the state, sweeping to its capital of Magdeburg before pulling back and handing the region over to the Russians. Four decades of communism followed. Predictably; the fake news says the AFD are Nazis, and ‘raycists’. Not a lot of Nazis are gay, and married to an Asian; I’d have thought. and all the other usual lies too. ]
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September 11, 2026 8:50am
- Taieri
  
  Today it is a German flyover state, with one of the lowest per capita incomes in the Federal Republic.
  ———-
  
  Saxony-Anhalt is the land with the oldest population in Germany. The median age is 48.3, 3.4 years above the national median. The net reproduction rate is about 70%. The place is simply dying out, in the last 30 years it lost about 25% of its population.
  
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  September 11, 2026 10:19am
sungsamning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlblS-zYLiA
ANNOUNCED: Our policy to wind up the Waitangi Tribunal.
ACT will complete the remaining historical Treaty claims, end the Waitangi Tribunal’s contemporary jurisdiction, and wind it up once its historical work is finished.
The Waitangi Tribunal has been part of New Zealand’s constitutional landscape for more than fifty years. It has made an important contribution, particularly in helping address historical grievances. But no institution should exist just because it always has. [About time this rort was wound up. I hope they can coordinate with NZ First on this issue. The gravy train needs to be scrapped.]
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September 11, 2026 8:50am
- RoboRob
  
  I think NZF are in favour, they had a review of the tribunal as a coalition policy. National have stated this morning that they don’t support this policy and would block it.
  
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  September 11, 2026 9:44am
  - leoj
    
    Yet another reason to give the chicken Nats the heave-ho.
    
    25 3
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    September 11, 2026 10:17am
    - Colville
      
      And then what? Hipkins?
      
      0 1
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      September 11, 2026 8:46pm
  - David Garrett
    
    Robo: Excellent…more Nat votes lost to ACT.
    
    No sensible person who follows the doings of the WT would have a problem with this. And just for those who aren’t sure, they are now campaigning for their rulings to be binding on governments. Fuck that.
    
    30 2
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    September 11, 2026 10:20am
    - Bobba Fret
      
      There is a lot of talk online about electorate voting Nat, and party voting Act. I live Brooke Van V’s electorate so I’m still thinking it will be two ticks for Act from me.
      
      7 1
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      September 11, 2026 12:25pm
  - sungsamning
    
    The two parties need to coordinate effectively, and push this issue until National have no alternative but to accept it.
    
    6 1
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    September 11, 2026 1:45pm
- PurplePen
  
  I looked up the act and the work they’re doing isn’t outside their responsibilities. Clearly a mistake that needs fixing.
  
  It’s scope of responsibilities are investigating and reporting on claims brought by Maori regarding Crown actions that breach the ToW principles.
  
  Defined by the Act:
  
  Investigating claims submitted by any person with Maori genealogy who feels prejudicially affected by Crown policies, legislation, actions, or omissions.
  
  Determining the meaning and effect of the ToW: The Tribunal holds the exclusive authority to interpret the text.
  
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  September 11, 2026 11:16am
  - RoboRob
    
    Yup, sounds like the act needs an update. Especially … ‘Investigating claims submitted by any person with Maori genealogy who feels prejudicially affected by Crown policies, legislation, actions, or omissions.’
    
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    September 11, 2026 1:20pm
- cmm (semi-retired edition)
  
  Laudable, but easier to say than accomplish.
  
  I remember that soon after I first came to NZ in 1992 the “full and final” settlements were started. Still not complete 34 years later. And those that have been settled were not final. They’ve been topped up.
  
  Back then I was naive. I thought that reaching a quick settlement and getting it all over with was a great idea. The Kiwis I spoke to rolled their eyes, saying this would not be the end of it. They were right.
  
  So here we sit 30+ years later. Still no full and final settlements. Can Act achieve it? I don’t think they can unless there is multi-party support.
  
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  September 12, 2026 10:06am
Raphael

Raising a glass in memory of Charlie Kirk.

We need to keep conversations going. Because bad things happen when the talking stops.
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September 11, 2026 9:02am
- leoj
  
  One of the all-time great logical thinkers.
  
  10 4
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  September 11, 2026 10:15am
  - Groggy
    
    Not about gun ownership
    
    0 13
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    September 11, 2026 12:02pm
- sungsamning
  
  There is a branch of Turning Point in Christchurch. I guess other cities have one too.
  
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  September 11, 2026 1:46pm
RoboRob

Just to resolve any confusion with the died in the wool ‘two ticks blue’ voters here. This morning Minister Goldsmith confirmed in an interview on tv3 with Ryan that National would absolutely block Acts proposed changes to the Waitangi tribunal. In his words, it is going nowhere. When Goldsmith promises to do nothing you can trust him to fulfil the promise 🙂

This would also explain why the coalition has sat on their hands with the review into the tribunal that was completed almost a year ago. For the people on this board who claiming that National really want to make changes, here is the proof that they really don’t.

This is a National party without principle, vision or leadership. They are happy to just manage the status quo.
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September 11, 2026 9:06am
- Raphael
  
  As I mentioned before, National lost my party vote a while ago.
  
  I was 2 Ticks Blue.
  
  But since they took out Simon Bridges (who was only polling low because our former Glorious Leader was speaking to a gushing media every day, and the media repeatedly attacked him for doing his job and daring to question the Narrative™) they’ve been largely fairly dysfunctional, with repeated coup attempts, and a number of the MPs I respected are gone.
  
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  September 11, 2026 9:17am
  - Bobba Fret
    
    Same with me. I live in Brooke Van V’s electorate, and it was two ticks Act last time and seems like it will be the same this time.
    
    8 1
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    September 11, 2026 12:27pm
    - lifesgood
      
      Bvv only got in because of the unfair anti Simon O’Connor vote. Simon was good for the electorate.
      
      3 1
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      September 11, 2026 2:33pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  I had a thought about National last night:
  
  They know the country is totally fckd and it would take a very brave person to wade in and make meaningful positive changes for the future.
  
  So they figure they will just feel proud putting their names to this or that minor victory while the whole country slides generally into ever worse division and squalor.
  
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  September 11, 2026 4:49pm
- Northshoredoc
  
  Goldsmith’s special skill – doing nothing.
  
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  September 12, 2026 2:30am
slightlyrighty

The failure to pay the Winter Energy Payment is being laid by the media at the feet of the government.

Lets get this straight. The Government didn’t stop it. MBIE Staff didn’t highlight issues in 3 months that could have been addressed in 2 days.

Perhaps we could ask the Secretary of the PSA as to why the employees that they represent dropped the ball so badly?
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September 11, 2026 9:19am
- Prince
  
  It appears the legislation was faulty, and the staff simply enacted what the new law required.
  Now maybe they should have checked earlier given the push-back, but it seems to me the basic problem was the legislation.
  The minister has to own that.
  
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  September 11, 2026 11:32am
- Dougal10
  
  It always amazes me that the psa is so self righteous about stuff , but if the govt stopped paying wages on a monday there would be no psa members left on a friday.
  
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  September 11, 2026 11:47am
- Damocles11
  
  Multi-millionaires didn’t get a socialist ‘Winter Energy Payment’. 😔 How terrible.
  
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  September 11, 2026 12:41pm
pdm

`When Goldsmith promises to do nothing you can trust him to fulfil the promise 🙂’

Doing nothing and dithering are Goldsmith’s default positions particularly on legislation that National promised before the 2023 Election.

Wide coverage of this attitude could see my question above (9.15am) as to whether National could slump to about 25% of the Party Vote on 7 November answered in the affirmative.
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September 11, 2026 9:21am
- keepcalmcarryon
  
  I’ll do my best, no ticks blue from me.
  
  18 2
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  September 11, 2026 9:24am
  - OlderChas
    
    No blue ticks from me either.
    
    3 0
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    September 11, 2026 6:04pm
- RoboRob
  
  HDPA described Goldsmith as a nice guy but also the man they assign policy to when they want it to disappear. This nicely explains why Goldsmith holds the most portfolios.
  
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  September 11, 2026 9:38am
- Damocles11
  
  Do-nothing Labour Lite just want to row the boat around in circles until the far left take over and drive the last nails into this nations coffin. 3 years utterly wasted.
  
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  September 11, 2026 9:46am
- MCōs
  
  At the last election the Nats polled 38% so where has there support gone?
  Act has remained at about 8-9% throughout NZF has gone from 5-11% Greens have gone from 11.6 to 14%
  Labour has gone from 27-25% and Opportunities have appeared from nowhere to about 6%
  TPM doesn’t matter much because they rely on winning seats
  So NZF gained most, but they hardly have any sort of mandate for their wild policies. Same with all the other minor parties wild policies.
  So when they talk about buying supermarkets or restricting benefits to NZ citizens or whatever, it ain’t going to happen
  What the country wants is workable hospitals, affordable essentials . . . . .
  
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  September 11, 2026 10:01am
  - greybeard
    
    Maybe you are placing too much credence on poll results: people are more likely to tell the truth at the election than they are in response to a poll. Hang in there !
    
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    September 11, 2026 1:40pm
Southern Raider

Surely immigrants who carry out serious criminal acts should just be deported immediately. Jailing them is just a significant cost to taxpayers and he now can’t drive taxis when he gets out so will be unemployed and an ongoing cost to us.

Indian immigrant Uber driver sexually assaults 16 year old passenger https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/361031236/uber-driver-guilty-abducting-and-sexually-assaulting-16-year-old-boy
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September 11, 2026 9:28am
- Swifty
  
  No.
  
  The risk is you then encourage lots of people to come here on tourist visas for criminal purposes in the firm knowledge that the worst that can happen is that they get a free ticket home.
  
  No, as painful and as costly as it is foreign criminals need a punishment before being ejected.
  
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  September 11, 2026 10:06am
  - Mr Nobody NZ
    
    It’s a fair point, so let’s go the other way criminal offending by non citizens is automatically made more extreme for non citizens.
    
    Or perhaps manditory death penalties for non citizens regardless of the crime.
    
    Speeding – Death
    Shop lifting – Death
    etc etc
    
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    September 11, 2026 10:46am
  - kowtow
    
    By the same token our short sentences in relatively nice accomodation is hardly a deterrent.
    
    I wonder how Singapore does it.
    
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    September 11, 2026 10:49am
    - Colville
      
      Kowtow.
      Ever set foot in a prison?
      I have done work in cell blocks and I would never want to spend one day in there.
      
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      September 11, 2026 8:50pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  I’d like it tacked on to the Free Trade Agreement that any immigrant who comes here & offends is sent home to serve out the sentence in the local prison system.
  
  No cost to us and an unpleasant experience for the convict.
  
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  September 11, 2026 12:27pm
- Sir Henry Morgan
  
  One way to reduce migrant crime might be look into bringing back the death penalty for various categories of non-citizens – e.g. “asylum seekers”, those arriving under UN refugee resettlement programs, those on working visas but without PR, or even those who have PR but have not applied for citizenship.
  
  In some cases you could even let the person sentenced to death make a modest donation to charity in exchange for the opportunity of being deported.
  
  In countries across Europe the prisons seem to be filled with foreigners. Housing so many foreign criminals seems like a complete waste of resources. Would save indigenous European tax payers lots of money to just do away with criminal foreigners.
  
  New Zealand loves to lead the way on social policies, so should look into this one.
  
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  September 11, 2026 2:42pm
Damocles11

‘NZ First has unveiled a sweeping suite of immigration proposals aiming to substantially curb non-essential migration and restrict rights for non-citizens.’

https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/361031983/nz-first-pushes-20000-migrant-cap-referendum-increased-deportation-powers-new-policy
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September 11, 2026 9:44am
- Taieri
  
  substantially curb non-essential migration
  ————-
  
  Winnie is right on this one.
  
  8 0
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  September 11, 2026 12:13pm
  - Colville
    
    Winnie can be right about it but you know 100% he will never carry thru with any action.
    
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    September 11, 2026 8:51pm
Yvette

Waitangi Tribunal

1 – Apparently the Tribunal was created under the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975 to provide a formal legal process for Māori to challenge Crown actions, omissions, policies, or legislation that breach the principles of the Treaty. Its purpose was to inquire into these claims and make non-binding recommendations to the Crown for redress and reconciliation.

2 – When Historic Claims Research Started
When established in 1975, the Tribunal could only hear contemporary claims. Parliament expanded its scope in 1985 through the Treaty of Waitangi Amendment Act, which extended its jurisdiction retroactively to 6 February 1840 and allowed research into historical land alienations, confiscations, and grievances to begin.

The Waitangi Tribunal was established in response to decades of unaddressed Māori grievances, rising civil unrest in the 1970s, and the complete lack of a legal forum to recognize or test Crown compliance with Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
⚬ The 1967 “Land Grab” Legislation sparked massive outrage and served as a major breaking point for Māori communities suffering under continuous land loss.
⚬ Escalating Public Activism: The late 1960s and early 1970s saw a surge in organized protest led by groups like Ngā Tamatoa, culminating in the 1975 Māori Land March (Hīkoi) led by Whina Cooper.
⚬ No Legal Standing for Te Tiriti: Courts historically dismissed the Treaty as a “simple nullity” (following an 1877 judicial ruling).
⚬ Post-WWII industrial development and public works were damaging traditional waterways, fishing grounds, and sacred sites without local Māori consultation or oversight.
⚬ Minister of Māori Affairs Matiu Rata recognized that without an official, peaceful avenue to hear complaints and educate the wider public, racial tensions would escalate.

So the original 1975 purpose was deliberately limited to contemporary issues: providing a peaceful commission of inquiry to investigate current and future Crown actions from 1975 onward, ensuring ongoing legislation respected Treaty principles before problems worsened. The clarity which the Coalition is supposedly presently giving Treaty references in laws should reduce the need for the Tribunal to consider anything. Grievances can be taken to court or lobbied against, petitioned or dealt with as any other ethnic group is now obliged to.

Now that it seems the Tribunal will by 2030 (in their own estimation) have dealt with the historical cases, ACT should bring their 2040 conclusion forward a decade.
And although it was their original raison d’être, they should be straight after the Election, if the Right prevails, be stopped from being a “legal process for Māori to challenge Crown actions, omissions, policies, or legislation that breach the principles of the Treaty.”
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September 11, 2026 10:18am
- Damocles11
  
  Vote ACT to scrap the divisive and disastrous Waitangi Tribunal.
  
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  September 11, 2026 11:13am
artemisia

The Hobson’s Pledge petition to end the Waitangi Tribunal is very close to its goal of 50,000.

One might think many have signed it due to widespread media interest. One might be incorrect.

https://www.hobsonspledge.nz/end-the-waitangi-tribunal
21 1
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September 11, 2026 11:21am
- KKNZ2025
  
  The MSM are too busy promoting their own agenda
  
  “A Ngāti Kahungunu petition calling for a halt on government plans to amend references to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in legislation has attracted more than 20,000 signatures.”
  
  https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-ao-maori/1326196/thousands-support-petition-against-proposed-amendments-to-treaty-references-in-legislation
  
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  September 11, 2026 2:26pm
Yvette

India free trade deal moves step closer as Select Committee backs bill

It seems the signed FTA text explicitly includes a provision affirming the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Because treaty texts cannot be retroactively altered by Parliament during domestic ratification, this affirmation remains part of the agreement.

The National Party and New Zealand First Coalition Agreement explicitly addresses UNDRIP under its policy commitments regarding governance and national sovereignty.
“Confirm that the Coalition Government does not recognise the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) as having any binding legal effect on New Zealand.”

In direct connection to the UNDRIP clause, the agreement also specifies to “Stop all work on He Puapua”—the strategic plan previously commissioned to fulfill New Zealand’s commitments under the declaration.
The provision serves to formalize the Coalition Government’s position that international declarations carry no statutory authority over domestic law, ensuring that legal and constitutional frameworks in New Zealand remain governed strictly by Parliament and domestic courts.

• Is there still any attempt being made to ascertain who added the clause to the NZ/India FTA and be accountable for that? Surely random people adding things to legislation should be discouraged :o)
• Will National still honouring the Coalition Agreement with New Zealand First negate the FTA reference?
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September 11, 2026 11:43am
- Jigsaw
  
  Yvette – Being concise is a real advantage and a skill that can be learned.
  
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  September 11, 2026 11:51am
  - Yvette
    
    Jigsaw, I agree
    
    3 1
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    September 11, 2026 3:25pm
Ghost

While unconfirmed, this would mark a huge escalation of the Houthi entry into what’s been creeping all summer into a regional war:

Yemen’s armed forces targeted Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline; satellite data shows fires at six points along the route that transports crude oil from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea. (IRIB News)

Article

Well, that’s not going to play into the election very well. Fuel will go back up, cost of living and all the flow on
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September 11, 2026 11:44am
Damocles11

‘A 21-year-old who turned her parents onto Opportunity but loves Jacinda Ardern.’

How gormless are her parents????

https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/10-09-2026/the-21-year-old-who-turned-her-parents-onto-opportunity-but-loves-jacinda-ardern

https://x.com/PronouncedHare/status/2098147523131277522
9 3
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September 11, 2026 11:56am
- Prince
  
  The Spinoff…’As told to Lyric Waiwiri-Smith’.
  Nuff said.
  Does she know about the 2,000 public sector jobs Opportunity has said will be cut to pay for their policy ?
  
  7 1
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  September 11, 2026 3:33pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  The comments are such fun!
  
  “ Jacinda was our Mamdani and we let the Social Darwinist punks living pre-Pasteur in ACT and NZ First chase her off”.
  
  I laughed, even though I’ve got no idea what the comment means.
  
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  September 11, 2026 5:52pm
- Hugh Jarse
  
  One of her statements outlining her position was “in my lifetime” inferring she has gained huge insight in her long and rich lifetime.
  
  LOl she is 21, a student, so not employed, flatting so not a property owner or a ratepayer, not a parent, 3 years out of high school, 8 years out of primary school, 3 years since the law found her responsible enough to drink, 5 years since the law found her responsible enough to learn to drive a car.
  
  As wise and smart as she may be, her “lifetime” of being aware enough of the world, political events, economical events, social change is in reality very limited, only coming from what she has got from the education system. But I am sure she will make a great critical thinking political scientist after four years of studying how wonderful and kind Jacinda was.
  
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  September 11, 2026 6:53pm
  - Ghost
    
    Is she wrong? I don’t think she is, so why does her age matter.
    
    I’ve seen quite quickly an erosion of social cohesion. People don’t seem to want to listen to each other anymore, and I’m not a fan of the sort of short-sighted policy-making that feels like people are just making policy to get votes and not thinking longterm
    
    Nothing in there that people haven’t mentioned on this blog many times.
    
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    September 11, 2026 8:00pm
Ian

From the ODT – paywalled, but basically people behind the proposal to implement the large pumped hydro scheme at Lake Onslow have run out of money and have brought in some high profile backers including Sir Stephen Tindall. What’s the bet any money put in will never see the surface of the lake? Still trying to champion the scheme floated under the “who ate all the pies” Labour Christchurch MP…
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September 11, 2026 1:04pm
- CJames
  
  As well as that scheme never being viable, there is competition from a smaller scheme in that area with different backer. The big problem, disregarding white elephant status, is it is in the wrong part of the country. To make anything like economic sense, it should be at a site like Whakamaru Ridge and do day trading, replacing all the godawful batteries.
  
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  September 11, 2026 1:55pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Oh dear, oh dear…

Not everyone is in awe of Maori performance

https://www.chrislynchmedia.com/news-items/japanese-backlash-over-maori-poi-performance-at-sacred-kyoto-shrine-as-aut-lecturer-apologises/
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September 11, 2026 1:47pm
- Southern Raider
  
  If it happened the other way around it would be number one item on the news about the cultural insult
  
  It shows how ignorant this person was to go to a well known religious shrine and think let’s turn this into some Maori cultural cringe tik Tok video
  
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  September 11, 2026 1:58pm
- Ian
  
  He’s a man? Wonder why this bit “His research has focused on gender roles and their impact on forms of Māori performance.”
  
  5 1
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  September 11, 2026 2:13pm
- Sir Henry Morgan
  
  Has anyone actually read the apology from “Doctor” Tangaroa Paora? How can someone so utterly illiterate by any sort of academic, even at a joint like AUT? The first sentence of his apology is garbled, self-contradictory nonsense, and things only go downhill from there. How can anyone justify allowing AUT to take money from students in exchange for “education” from this idiot?
  
  Also note that, even in apologizing, he still takes time out to blame Japanese people at the shrine for giving his group permission to film.
  
  Predictably, he’s also “gender fluid”. I guess in his case, merely being Maori was never going to be get him into the hallowed halls of academia and so he had to activate Plan B. No problem though, because even gender crazyville no longer enforces actual standards, meaning that under Plan B you get to keep your dick and can just pretend to be special.
  
  Jason Arday was just the tip of the iceberg. Across the western world, academia is a giant cesspit of frauds.
  
  11 1
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  September 11, 2026 3:09pm
  - Maggy Wassilieff
    
    Has anyone actually read the apology from “Doctor” Tangaroa Paora? How can someone so utterly illiterate
    
    What an embarrassment.
    
    I’ve had a quick glance through his/(their) PhD thesis….Thank goodness he had the sense to submit it to a proof-reader before he formally handed it in.
    
    https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/items/e8d5200e-35e9-4d1a-8a3f-7a65f182b84d/full
    
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    September 11, 2026 4:52pm
    - Swifty
      
      Why when I clicked that did I think a 99.9% likelihood that the doctorate was in gayness or identity politics.
      
      Just once, just once, wouldn’t it be great to see Maori academics, especially trans or gay ones, having reached advanced levels in hard science, engineering, medicine, economics.
      
      I’m sure there’ll be some out there but hell they’re thin in the ground.
      
      6 1
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      September 11, 2026 6:30pm
    - cmm (semi-retired edition)
      
      I can only think that if a Maori had come up with such word salad in the 1600s, he would have been judged as mentally deficient, bumped on the head and thrown in the hangi pit.
      
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      September 12, 2026 10:11am
  - Eastlander
    
    ‘gender-fluid’ of necessity because obesity has smothered sexual dimorphism.
    
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    September 11, 2026 6:10pm
Swifty

Senior Labour MP Willie Jackson hasn’t a clue about his party’s flagship policy and resorts to calling his opponents liars (for saying what the ASA has confirmed is true) and attacking the media for asking questions of him.

https://www.facebook.com/share/19PQAn2DgM/
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September 11, 2026 2:28pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Own Goal Willie.
  
  Keep up the good work, brother!
  
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  September 11, 2026 5:54pm
Scooter

Michael Laws talking about the Auckland Transport job listing for a person responsible for Maori outcomes. What, do Maori use transport differently to other ethnicities? Not only that but AT will be favouring Maori businesses when it comes to tenders for transport services and infrastructure. Now turn that around and imagine a job posting for person responsible for Indian or Chinese or pakeha outcomes or tenders being given priority to a certain group. NZ is well past saving from this race based madness where Maori are concerned.

https://youtu.be/Bgp5i6G0aYA?is=5netyOmZhOrlMKfv
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September 11, 2026 5:16pm
NZer In Exile

From Rick at The Anglo Saxon Show.

Further very well explained advice on how and why you should vote tactically to keep the left out of power this November.

https://youtu.be/vpq_uxCZFOA
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September 11, 2026 6:51pm
Ghost

If this is the level of care Mt Albert Medical believe in, then they should be avoided, closed down

Two women who performed chest compressions on a man outside an Auckland doctor’s surgery say staff refused access to a life-saving defibrillator as he died just metres away.

McInroe, who also has CPR training, took over chest compressions while the Good Samaritan went inside herself to ask for the defibrillator.

Staff inside the doctor’s surgery refused her as well, the Good Samaritan told Stuff, calling the decision “mind-boggling”.

“She went back in and she asked for a pillow, she asked for something for under his head, and they refused… and she saw a pillow and she just took it.”

Article

What a bunch of wankers
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September 11, 2026 7:48pm
- Ghost
  
  Different article that shows what a bunch of banned word these people are
  
  A medical centre refused to lend its defibrillator or send a doctor to help bystanders giving CPR to a man on the footpath outside because he was “not our patient”, a witness claims.
  
  Article
  
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  September 11, 2026 7:51pm
- Tauhei Notts
  
  My good friend’s father-in-law was a doctor in southern Wairarapa fifty years ago. His wife has told us stories about her father’s jobs.
  We are now seeing an extremely worrying situation develop. The medical profession has morphed into the medical industry. The actions of the Mt Albert Medical Centre are symptomatic of that change.
  This is not nice.
  
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  September 11, 2026 8:50pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  Yes on the face of it it looks very bad.
  
  Diving in early with abuse I see. Maybe we should “wait for the outcome of the investigation” as a certain person often likes to finger-wag to others on here. 😛
  
  I would like to see the video from the clinic if there is one. It would also be interesting to know the level of experience/education of the person at the med centre concerned and what training/instructions he/she was given.
  
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  September 12, 2026 3:58pm

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