General Debate 20 September 2026

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CJames

It is heartening to see EnZed Energy is planning to drill wells in the Kaheru prospect next year. This is one of the potential fields killed by the Captain’s Call. It is off the south Taranaki coast between Kupe and Patea so a lot of infrastructure there they can hook into. The onshore Kauri wells tapped into the edge of it. Other than the dry 2020 wildcat Tawhaki 1 well in the Great South Basin, this is the first exploration well since 2016.
The company have to hope the government doesn’t change. If the coalition is still in charge in December, then all they have to worry about is the nutters with their “save the dolphins” and “cultural fishing grounds” campaigns.
A successful strike there ,then a few other prospects, may even do away with need for LNG to reduce costs to NZ industry.
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September 20, 2026 8:01am
- Master Mariner
  
  The biggest issue exploring / Drilling there is the weather.
  The price of delivering and drilling by a Jack up Rig is currently through the roof.
  Looking at there Website gives me little confidence and personally think we may be risking too much for some potential short term gain.
  I sincerely hope they have deep pockets and in addition are successful but seems likely to me me that they will get bought out if they are successful.
  I see no experience in Drilling and exploration History on there Website.
  This gives me little confidence and tends me to think it is a “Knee Jerk” result due to lack of interest from Majors to say ” we have issued a Permit” for exploration.
  
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  September 20, 2026 8:27am
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Good news.
  
  I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that the story does not appear to be covered by the chicken littles of the MSM.
  
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  September 20, 2026 8:30am
KKNZ2025

Nicola Willis has betrayed the principles she once championed

“We must back our risk-takers, innovators, and entrepreneurs who put their capital and livelihoods on the line to produce a product, idea or new way of doing things.

We must back the hard workers, those who go the extra mile, who toil day in day out to make progress for themselves and their families. The dairy owner who works twelve hours a day, six days a week, with one week off at Christmas.”

Nicola Willis (maiden speech)

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/361035170/public-wants-villain-over-grocery-prices-willis-and-luxon-have-now-delivered-one
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September 20, 2026 8:02am
Scott

This from Fox news today:
“President Donald Trump struck a sweeping agreement with Denmark and Greenland this week granting the United States permanent military rights on the strategically placed Arctic island.

The U.S. will now have permanent access, basing and overflight rights in Greenland and the ability to establish additional military installations as needed, according to a senior U.S. official…

The deal bars China, Russia and other non-NATO countries from establishing military bases or maintaining troops in Greenland. It also restricts adversaries from investing in sensitive sectors that could pose a threat to U.S. national security.
This historic deal is a huge win for the United States and the American people,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News Digital. Thanks to President Trump’s vision and leadership, this historic agreement permanently guarantees U.S. security interests in the Arctic at zero cost to the U.S. taxpayer.”

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-declares-victory-historic-deal-greenland-secures-permanent-us-military-rights

This is a good move for America. Venezuela has gone. Greenland has gone. Iran is on the cusp. And Cuba is probably going to go soon as well. America is winning 😎
Previous presidents, like Obama and Biden, didn’t even try to win
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September 20, 2026 8:04am
Southern Raider

So another election and another Nicky Hagar expose. Just when you thought he had finally given up pretending he was a journalist he’s back.

What’s the big secret to be revealed? Luxon sleeps with a teddy bear?
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September 20, 2026 8:05am
CJames

In what is a very good encapsulation of the problems NZ faces in our managed decline, Forest & Bird (the twig & twitters) oppose expansion of Stockton coal mine south because of a lizard and a moth. Of course the insect recently got “bug of the year”. A important accolade showing why it is critical to protect – not.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/environment/1472509/forest-and-bird-calls-for-fast-tracked-coal-mining-application-to-be-declined
No-one wants to mention the Stockton snails (last failed campaign) or the Macraes’ skinks. Why is that?
The protests are apparently not supported by locals. In fact the local Mayor wants it to go ahead. The area is facing a precarious existence and jobs are valuable to more than just the workers. The government wants Westport moved as flood protection is too expensive. That is why the town is being a destination for first home buyers. However, how can it move if there is no future employment? But F&B don’t see the people as of importance. Maybe a “let them eat cake” moment.
I doubt whether most of the protesters have ever been up on the plateau, except maybe on the fine weather daytrips in cars built with steel made from the coal being mined there. No doubt they are oblivious of their hypocrisy, but those who indulge in virtue signalling and luxury beliefs aren’t known for self-awareness.
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September 20, 2026 8:10am
- Tomtoddy
  
  I know the plateau and have been on it many times. It is an ugly, barren, windswept rocky area with few plants and wildlife. The few areas of soil are heavily acidic, dominated by sulphur and struggle to grow anything.
  
  It is possible to find unique life in almost any area anywhere. Life in general is an endless progression of compromises. A protester going to Buller to take photographs to support their cause involves trade-offs – fuel, impacts, use of technology involving mining rare minerals etc.
  
  We need to improve the wellbeing of our people. That means compromise and trade-offs including mining the earth’s resources with care.
  
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  September 20, 2026 8:29am
  - Yvette
    
    Tomtoddy – We need to improve the wellbeing of our people. That means compromise and trade-offs including mining the earth’s resources with care.
    
    Kiwiblog, September 18, in General Debate it was asked, in the case of Pike River Mine –
    
    … who is to blame: New Zealand Conservation, a lack of appropriate New Zealand mining regulations, fault of the mine designers, Management for not having a Ventilation Manager, or those responsible for removing a bass bush in the fan drive, which left a 20mm gap in the system for spark-over, or the miners for continuing to go down a mine which the knew was utterly unsafe, some being in negotiation apparently to leave Pike River and work elsewhere?
    
    The 2012 Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy found no evidence of any other underground coal mine in the world operating with its primary ventilation fan and electrical plant located underground within a gassy mine.
    In international coal mining—particularly in highly gassy seams like the Brunner coal seam at Pike River—standard practice and regulations mandate that main ventilation fans sit safely on the surface, outside the mine entry in fresh air.
    Pike River Coal chose an underground placement primarily to avoid environmental and noise objections associated with building a large surface installation in Paparoa National Park, while also reducing surface construction costs. At the time, New Zealand’s mining regulations lacked an explicit rule banning main primary fans from being placed underground.
    
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    September 20, 2026 8:42am
Tomtoddy

A growing area of Auckland city looks like this:

1. Narrow houses where you can almost stretch and touch both walls

2. Streets too narrow for two vehicles to pass at normal speed

3. Footpaths over 2 metres wide on both sides. rarely used by pedestrians.

4. Grass berms growing long grass, never mown and collecting rubbish

5. Cars at all angles, blocking streets, footpaths.

6. No garages. Railway station 2 – 3 kms away.

7. No trees or planted trees smashed by parking cars.

8. Slums in waiting.

If I was technically competent I could post a photo of what this looks like in Papakura. It is close to impossible to get down many streets after 5.30pm.
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September 20, 2026 8:16am
- kevn
  
  Tt… I have seen some of those Akld streets on wheelie bin rubbish day. The very high density localities look almost apocalyptic. No room for humans.
  
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  September 20, 2026 8:33am
  - artemisia
    
    Those wide footpaths are for the wheelie bins.
    
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    September 20, 2026 8:48am
- KKNZ2025
  
  …could be describing Wellington
  
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  September 20, 2026 8:34am
- AitchW
  
  Similar streets in parts of Hamilton. In no time they will be ghettos. Thanks Net Zero.
  No garages, pencil thin streets, row upon row of 3 story identical (apart from colour) town houses.
  Just looking at them you get depressed.
  Simply awful.
  
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  September 20, 2026 8:49am
Cassandra

Damien Grant, a right leaning columnist, in Stuff this morning: “This government has failed to significantly reduce state spending, deliver a fiscal surplus, reduce the number of core government servants, pass a replacement for the Resource Management Act, confront a crippling welfare bill, address the unsustainability of our universal pension regime and ignored the catastrophic funding gap bankrupting ACC.”

Grant didn’t address the elephant, for at least some, of Maori pandering.

Presumably this is all to pursue the elusive centre voter.
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September 20, 2026 8:17am
- Tomtoddy
  
  The trouble with that, Cass, is that it fuels antagonism toward the centre right and promotes the left by default.
  
  The Coalition and national particularly National can be criticised with some justification but the other crowd would be worse by country miles.
  
  The right is too hard on itself. Can’t we focus more on the gains even if they are few.
  
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  September 20, 2026 8:34am
  - Cassandra
    
    No, Tom, we can’t avoid the truth. Grant is not a shill for National. This supermarket plan is contrary to National policy and common sense. It is patently obvious that it is not going to happen in the end.
    
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    September 20, 2026 8:48am
    - Tomtoddy
      
      Cass the problem is voters don’t do any homework or rational thinking. They see National criticised and think – “can’t vote for them”.
      
      Of course, National backing interfering in the business of supermarkets is madness and dangerous. But it is not as mad and dangerous as the left getting back in power.
      
      I am not avoiding the truth. Its just I wish the media were as quick to critique the left as they are of the right. Grant is correct but unhelpful. Too much at stake.
      
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      September 20, 2026 9:03am
- artemisia
  
  Waiting to see if any party’s election policy includes a DOGE. Ministry for Regulation is a start, but only a start.
  
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  September 20, 2026 8:50am
Boy Geoff

Is Hager’s latest publication (due for release at 6pm this Tuesday) a balanced observation of the Taxpayers’ Union?
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September 20, 2026 8:38am
Master Mariner

Well this seems the most realistic scenario.
https://apnews.com/article/israel-netanyahu-hamas-war-gaza-warning-935c2cd82d3204d6dc859d296fc866e3
Was Israel pre warned prior Oct 7th ?
In addition , Egypt has pre warned Israel prior.
On the face of it, It never made sense. The most heavily guarded / Watched Border in the World .
If true, Then was it a Red Flag event gone horribly wrong or intentional?
Remember there has been a Media blackout on actual reporting and investigations into the lead up.
A bit of unemotional pragmatsim will need to be shown by all the down tickers.
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September 20, 2026 8:43am
Tauhei Notts

Surprise!
Her indoors had the kitchen radio on the National Programme from 8 a.m.
Surprise? There was no left wing bias. There was no febrile feminist crap.
It was brilliant radio.
Occasionally the National Programme is a New Zealand gem.
I think I posted something similar in about 2017.
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September 20, 2026 9:02am

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