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September 20, 2026 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 20 September 2026

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General Debate

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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
  - Spam
    
    They’ll be looking at rig sharing. Not aware of any others who might want to share, but OMV probably needs a rig for their plug and abandon campaign.
    
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    September 20, 2026 11:57am
    - Master Mariner
      
      OMV are trying to sell, I’m very sure the only way they will continue drilling is some form of Government guarantee or in other words “Baksheesh”. Due to the “Captains Call”.
      
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      September 20, 2026 2:20pm
      - Spam
        
        Trying to sell? They gave up on that idea…
        
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        September 20, 2026 9:23pm
  - David Garrett
    
    MM: my experience is strictly the rig floor derrick and mud system kind, but you are right: it is very odd to grant a permit to an outfit no -one has ever heard of with no exploration history.
    
    What you day about taking a punt and banking on being bought out makes plenty of sense. A bloody expensive punt though!
    
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    September 20, 2026 11:58am
    - Taieri
      
      A bloody expensive punt though!
      ————
      
      The NZ Government had to pay nearly $300M for decommissioning of the Tui oilfield when the Tamarind Taranaki “collapsed”. And then, the Tamarind miraculously came back from the dead under the Matahio Energy nom-the-plume to acquire 6 onshore permits previously held by Tamarind. How was that possible is beyond my ability to comprehend….
      
      But the Australians were taken for a ride for even more money with decommissioning of the FPSO Northern Endeavour and the Laminaria/Coralina oilfield, which, when production dropped down to a tricle the Woodside Energy flogged its holdings off to some new to the industry fly-by-nighter from Perth. By that time the Northern Endeavour was in a very sorry state indeed, which I can personally verify, having delivered fuel to it numerous times.
      But, to make a long story short, the new owner had no money to bring the facility up to the required standard, eventually went bankrupt, and the Australian Government had to pick up the tab, which came up to the total of about AUD850M.
      
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      September 20, 2026 12:57pm
      - Master Mariner
        
        Tamarind cost more than 500m, MBIE got 3 incompatable ships for decommissioning. Right Fiasco.
        Northern Endeavour in Indo waters, Had a special dispensation whilst she was there and will go back to Indo waters. Total Wreck and uninsurable for transit as was supposed to be broken up in Europe for scrap of all places.
        Did a bit of decommissioning work on that.
        
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        September 20, 2026 2:26pm
    - Master Mariner
      
      Selling a story, Nothing more Nothing Less.
      I see nothing of “Substance”.
      
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      September 20, 2026 2:22pm
- 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
- David Garrett
  
  Cj: I stand corrected: I didn’t think any explorer would risk investing in a well – and this has arisen unusually quickly – when a change of government- and there will be one sooner or later – will render their investment worthless.
  
  You clearly know what you are talking about – these guys must have a PEP or whatever an exploration permit is called today? But im sure you agree they have zero certainty of getting a mining permit..what say you? This all seems rather odd to me.
  
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  September 20, 2026 10:32am
  - CJames
    
    I think MM is calling it right. Probably opportunistic and hoping to get bought out. With NZ gas prices and a supportive government, it may seem to be a good bet for bigger companies.
    
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    September 20, 2026 10:39am
  - CJames
    
    I am picking a lot of info off Energy News and well reports out of here https://geodata.nzpam.govt.nz/
    The latter has a lot of detailed info but not a friendly platform to extract reports from.
    
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    September 20, 2026 10:42am
- RW Capitalist
  
  Will discovery save or reconstitute Motunui, saving 400 jobs?
  
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  September 20, 2026 11:59am
  - AitchW
    
    Once that’s shut down I imagine it will never be restarted unless the Labour Party has an epiphany and suddenly embraces progress.
    
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    September 20, 2026 1:50pm
  - David Garrett
    
    RW: It’s not just Motunui…the Methanex plant in the Waitra Valley – the construction of which I worked on in 1983 – has also recently been mothballed. Dunno how many jobs were list there.
    
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    September 20, 2026 2:11pm
  - Jack5
    
    Why, why, why not look at New Zealand’s coal-seam gas (CSG) potential? It’s been a boom industry in Queensland, and no expensive sea-going rigs are required.
    
    If NZ builds an LNG (liquefied gas) receiving terminal, the LNG will likely have been made from Queensland CSG.
    
    More than 95 per cent of the gas produced in Queensland is GSG, and more than 99 per cent of its proved and probable gas reserves.
    
    In the 2025-25 financial year Queensland gas exports were worth $A22 billion (about $NZ 27.3 billion).
    
    An explanation of how CSG in the ground differs from natural gas:
    
    https://gisera.csiro.au/resources/frequently-asked-questions/what-is-coal-seam-gas/
    
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    September 20, 2026 3:34pm
- Ghost
  
  got a link? there is nothing on their website about drilling next year. Last I read it was desktop evaluations, seismic reprocessing, and geological studies for several years of the data. They have only had the permit just over a month
  
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  September 20, 2026 2:12pm
  - CJames
    
    from Energy News a subscription service I have access to
    “EnZed Energy is preparing for a sharemarket listing as it makes plans to drill the Kaheru gas prospect off the Taranaki coast.
    Director Neil Young says the company plans to list on the ASX and is likely to pursue a dual listing on the NZX, while working to bring in joint venture partners on the gas project.
    The Australian company was granted a 12-year offshore petroleum exploration permit for Kaheru earlier this year, the first issued since the repeal of the 2018 ban.”
    
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    September 20, 2026 3:34pm
    - Ghost
      
      interesting, different to the timeline that is listed here. Guess they will be working hard to get approval to start drilling
      
      https://www.upstreamonline.com/exploration/first-permit-awarded-since-new-zealand-offshore-exploration-moratorium-lifted/2-1-2022051
      
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      September 20, 2026 3:49pm
      - CJames
        
        The Upstream article is dated July which matches the last sentence in the article heading I posted
        
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        September 20, 2026 3:57pm
      - David Garrett
        
        Ghost: I read that proposal carefully…this “Enzed Energy” outfit has NOT committed to drilling a well…but rather pre-prossssing existing seismic…that’s a very long way short of committing to drilling a well.
        
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        September 20, 2026 6:27pm
      - CJames
        
        I can only report what the reporter wrote. He normally gets it right. There was no subsequent clarification or revision. There are also many articles in the specialist press that aren’t covered in any of the energy companies’ news releases.
        I agree that it does seem a very short lead in, but maybe a jackup rig had Middle East work disappear so that gives both the drilling and materials.
        If you go to the site I linked to earlier, there is a significant number of seismic surveys shown as cris-crossing the block
        
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        September 20, 2026 7:02pm
      - Ghost
        
        It would be interesting to know if they feed all the data into AI
        
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        September 20, 2026 7:18pm
      - CJames
        
        I don’t think they used AI, just did bit of a rewrite of the news release the board put out. The article had a lot more detail in it, but after the NBR case, I am wary of copy pasting more than lead section.
        
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        September 20, 2026 7:49pm
- Handyman
  
  The economics of a gas discovery have changed.
  A small gas well will deliver to the market at LNG prices, far in excess of current rates.
  
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  September 20, 2026 6:07pm
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
- R
  
  Another disinformation and misinformation Marxist aligned propaganda hit piece from STUFFED.
  
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  September 20, 2026 9:04am
  - KKNZ2025
    
    Damien Grant is not a Marxist.
    
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    September 20, 2026 10:52am
    - keepcalmcarryon
      
      True, he’s a 2 dimensional skin deep libertarian.
      
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      September 20, 2026 1:29pm
  - Frank the tank
    
    No – the truth. Damien Grant is right of Act on most things.
    
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    September 20, 2026 2:57pm
- Damocles11
  
  You fundamentally misjudge what the modern National party is. I did as well, for a long time. David Garrett posted here something along the lines of their ethos these days being ‘we just aim to manage better than Labour does’. There is no ideology underpinning National, other than the above. No principles, other than the above. ‘Principles are for losers, not corporate winners’.
  I am not naive about National any more. Not naive any more about what it stands for (which is: nothing, except superior management). Not naive about the cold and calculating minds at the heart of the entity. People like Luxon and Willis are not ending up in power out of some feel-good desire to ‘serve the people’, or to follow through on burning political convictions. Rather, they are groomed and positioned over many years. Think of it as a corporate entity, because that is what it has become.
  
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  September 20, 2026 10:18am
  - R
    
    Your comment reads more like a history of Labour Party deviousness over the last 50 years. Perhaps you should read the David Cohen book re the rise of Jacinda
    
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    September 20, 2026 10:30am
    - keepcalmcarryon
      
      It is both of them, R.
      The uni party. Governing for the bureaucracy, not the people.
      
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      September 20, 2026 1:31pm
  - KKNZ2025
    
    I don’t misjudge the National party, I voted ACT
    
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    September 20, 2026 10:53am
  - Taieri
    
    they are groomed and positioned over many years
    ————
    
    By whom?
    
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    September 20, 2026 1:02pm
    - Frank the tank
      
      Have a look at Chris Penk’s replacement in terms of her CV and her talking points and convince me she is not a groomed McCandidate.
      
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      September 20, 2026 2:59pm
  - the deity formerly known as nigel6888
    
    yup
    
    Chris from accounts is just a better administrator of poor policies. He and the Nats do not seem to have any actual principles except those that come from a focus group.
    
    Perhaps I am being unfair…. he clearly wants to be loved by the media, and seems very taken by the WEF crowd. Perhaps he is (like Cindy) auditioning for the next gig, rather than trying to turn the NZ economy around?
    
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    September 20, 2026 3:03pm
- Ghost
  
  Welcome to MMP, parties have to go where the votes are. The party people want national to be would mean a very long labor government.
  
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  September 20, 2026 10:41am
  - KKNZ2025
    
    Have you any evidence for that assertion/opinion?
    
    Roy Morgan polls consistently show that child bearing age women primarily vote left, all other demographics vote right.
    
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    September 20, 2026 11:03am
  - David Garrett
    
    Ghost: There is much in what you say…which is why people on the right who were once “tribal National” need to get used to voting for ACT…or holding their collective noses and voting for The Great Charlatan. Just don’t expect much policy wide from the latter.
    
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    September 20, 2026 11:47am
    - Ghost
      
      People need to understand the political reality of the country. Act is the right leaning party, national is more centre to pull in the bulk of the votes. They need each other to survive. NZ first isn’t needed when people accept that. NZ first are a thorn to the direction the country needs to go
      
      I’m reminded of seymour saying if it wasn’t for Luxon’s support act wouldn’t have passed so much legislation
      
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      September 20, 2026 12:05pm
      - Frank the tank
        
        National is centre left. NZF centre although tilts right on social issues and left on economic. Act is centre right.
        
        Long term National will need to merge with TOP if they get a foot in the door as TOP is more in tune with white collar, urban voters and their political views. That vote long term is sub 25%.
        
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        September 20, 2026 3:04pm
- Jack5
  
  Damien Grant has an excellent Stuff post on the supermarkets, and you’ll see nearby to the piece that Labour is talking of an “immediate split” of the wholesale and retail parts of the two supermarket chains.
  
  Consider Woolworths NZ result for year to 29 June 2025 (last result reported): sales $8.28 billion, over-all loss including finance costs) $34.937 million.
  
  The politicians are talking gross margin – sales price less cost of goods sold. This ignores the vast expense of staff, premises, the banks, administration.
  
  State television and subsidised newspapers are interested parties here.
  
  Supermarket chains are big customers or potential customers.
  They are thick as planks. In whipping up anti-supermarket feelings ignore that they will lose revenue, perhaps heavily, if far-Left controls are imposed on retailing.
  
  Damien Grant tells the truth:
  
  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 11:53am
  - Ian Boag
    
    The supermarket “profit” story is a bit simplified. If I buy $100 of goods and sell them for $105 the margin on sales is 5%. If I do that four times in a year, the return on my $100 capital is $20 = 20%. If in addition the suppliers give me various (not really optional) rebates for shelf space and ad campaigns and stuff, that effectively comes off the $100 each time. So the “4%” story is a bit simple.
    
    There’s more but it gets a bit complicated …
    
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    September 20, 2026 1:04pm
    - Jack5
      
      The gross margin is usually calculated from total annual sales and total annual costs paid by the retailer/seller for the goods or services sold.
      
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      September 20, 2026 2:49pm
      - Ian Boag
        
        The gross margin ….
        
        Sure.
        
        OTOH I start the year with $100. I buy some stock and sell it for $105 after costs. I do it again – and again – and again over a 12-month period. At the end of the year I still have my $100 and $20 of profit.
        
        It’s called “return on investment” – often regarded as a good number to look at …. 🙂
        
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        September 21, 2026 7:49am
    - slijmbal
      
      @Ian
      
      I think you mean $100 revenue not capital.
      
      The accepted way to measure supermarket performance is margin, which is revenue over costs where costs include every cost including depreciation. Any supplier ‘co-op payments’ for product positioning, advertising discounts or marketing is included in revenue from memory. (I always found it strange that advertising discounts were treated as revenue rather than just changing the costs – I suspect it allows them to inflate revenue).
      
      So the typical international norm of 3% margin is included in all of that and consistent. It doesn’t include write downs.
      
      Woolies are playing accounting games by writing down their assets. They convinced their auditors this was valid but it is very open to interpretation. It doesn’t help their tax bill but does make them less of a target for the government and may be rather cunning.
      
      Margin is very well established as a measure for many decades.
      
      I changed my mind on whether we are being hit with monopoly time costs once I looked at recent numbers. I now very much doubt whether we are.
      
      On margin, Woolies are losing the battle to Foodstuffs and are below international norms. Foodstuffs have been above international norms every time I looked at their numbers. I suspect Foodstuffs are just a better ran supermarket chain as it has a bunch of owner operators rather than a bloated corporation.
      
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      September 20, 2026 3:04pm
      - Ian Boag
        
        accepted way to measure
        
        Accepted by who? People go though stringent hoops to become Foodstuffs owners. If the whole story was “4%” maybe they wouldn’t bother ….
        
        Supermarkets are low margin high velocity retailers. Nothing wrong with that but quoting just the “margin” half of the sums does not really describe the operation.
        
        The Comcom teased out the supermarket sums – because of the co-op strusture it’s a bit complex but suffice to say that “4%” is not a figure that means much in the exercise. Anyone interested can ask chatgpt for a rundown. “Return on investment” is also an accepted benchmark for businesses in general …
        
        I don’t have a problem with people running profitable businesses. Been there done that.
        
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        September 21, 2026 8:45am
    - Frank the tank
      
      420/400 =1.05. It is that simple.
      
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      September 20, 2026 3:10pm
    - Ra Henare
      
      SMALL PROBLEM THERE iAN.
      
      Sell $100 4 times a year. =$400 a year
      So the 20% you say is actually 400/20% 5%
      
      Guess you are not an accountant or business owner
      
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      September 20, 2026 11:08pm
      - Ian Boag
        
        I agree margin on sales is 4%. Return on capital is 20% – $100 invested at 4% margin with a stock turn of 4 gets me $20 of profit.
        
        Noone would run a business for long if it only returned 4% ….
        
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        September 21, 2026 7:42am
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
- Northshoredoc
  
  Sounds very much like the status quo.
  
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  September 20, 2026 9:02am
- sungsamning
  
  Yes, indeed. Cuba’s power grid has just collapsed. And Marco Rubio is busy making friends and influencing people in South America. Most particularly Peru. Hopefully the CIA, and big business have been told to butt out; and that they’re on their own against competitors. Small wonder there was a lot of anti-American sentiment in South America.
  
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  September 20, 2026 9:06am
- Dudley Quaffquaff
  
  What exactly of that, did the US not have before?
  
  Also, have we had any confirmation from Denmark?
  
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  September 20, 2026 9:13am
- leoj
  
  Your last paragraph is so true.
  Trump’s haters hate winners.
  
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  September 20, 2026 9:21am
  - Taieri
    
    Trump’s haters hate winners.
    ———–
    
    I’m very impressed with his win in Iran.
    (I’m not really Trump’s hater. Just feel sorry for the American people for electing another geriatric incompetent clown).
    
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    September 20, 2026 1:05pm
- pb
  
  Trump negotiating with his secret friend, mr hankey again?
  
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  September 20, 2026 9:26am
- Damocles11
  
  Once again, why would Demark, a member of the NATO alliance, have ever – under any scenario – have permitted the construction of Chinese or Russian military bases in Greenland? The idea itself is absurd, no serious person would suggest it was ever a possibility.
  But suppose that in some parallel dimension Denmark went to its NATO allies and said “we are going to allow the construction of Chinese and Russian bases on NATO soil”…actually, it’s totally absurd, I won’t go on.
  
  Nobody has ‘taken’ Greenland. Nothing has changed regarding the sovereignty of Greenland. The 1951 agreement already allowed for US military bases in Greenland. Denmark has always been happy to outsource the security of Greenland to their military superpower ally. The cost for this falls in the US taxpayer. The US taxpayer will foot the bill for the construction of new bases and the troops that will man them.
  
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  September 20, 2026 10:07am
  - Master Mariner
    
    Actually the way I understand it , It was going to be a Chinese funded Airport.
    This was the US Red Line and forced the Danish to cancel the contract.
    
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    September 20, 2026 10:29am
    - Damocles11
      
      Denmark had been looking for foreign investment in Greenland & the US had not stepped up. By countenancing Chinese investment the Danes achieved their purpose. They will now get investment dollars from the US and plenty of them. Remember, foreign investment is seen as a vital source of economic development capital, and not the same thing as a loss of sovereignty.
      Aside from that, your admission that Chinese investment was a ‘red line’ that brought with it clear action from the US brings out into the open the absurdity of the idea that there was any chance of Russian or Chinese military being built in Greenland. It just would never happen. To suggest there was a possibility of Russian or Chinese military bases being built on the territory of a NATO alliance member is utterly absurd.
      
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      September 20, 2026 10:56am
      - Master Mariner
        
        Yes indeed, much the same as the Panama Canal being Chinese controlled.
        Mainly Hong Kong Port owning companies. Nothing like fear to stoke the Flames.
        
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        September 20, 2026 2:31pm
    - Master Mariner
      
      https://www.cryopolitics.com/2018/09/12/controversy-greenland-airports/
      
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      September 20, 2026 11:14am
    - CJames
      
      You are correct MM. There was a Chinese proposal but that was during Trump’s first term.
      https://www.globalconstructionreview.com/chinese-firm-pulls-out-420m-greenland-airports-sch/
      Maybe he or his advisors wanted to prevent them doing it again.
      
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      September 20, 2026 11:48am
      - Jack5
        
        China talks of infrastructure investment in Greenland, Trump acts.
        
        What of this from 2023? National would “absolutely” take money from China to finance NZ roads.
        
        Hear this, Mr Trump? It might be under China’s Belt and Road policy, also known as New Silk Road.
        
        https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/08/02/national-would-absolutely-take-money-from-china-to-pay-for-roads/
        
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        September 20, 2026 12:03pm
  - Handyman
    
    1. NATO ally Sain refused use of US bases in Spain to refuel planes on way to Iran.
    2. NATO ally UK is giving away the US Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean even after being told China will build an airport and spy station next door. At some time in the future Denmark may get its own far left government and make Greenland part of the Chinese belt and road.
    The US does not want a repeat of the “grace and favour” bases that suddenly are unusable when need for the defence of the US.
    
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    September 20, 2026 12:57pm
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    Belt and Road. The melting of the northern polar ice means that another route from Asia to Europe is opening up. Timely too, what with those pesky Houthis holding the Red Sea and Suez to hostage.
    
    I’d say that the Chinese won’t be too happy about Trump’s Greenland deal.
    
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    September 20, 2026 1:27pm
    - CJames
      
      Problem is according to this year’s data, the Arctic ice isn’t melting (there is more there than there was in 2012) and Greenland’s glaciers are growing.
      The norther passages are unlikely to be viable in the foreseeable future unless they have Russian nuke icebreakers lead the way
      
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      September 20, 2026 3:45pm
- David Garrett
  
  Scott: I agree re the Greenland deal..but what on earth makes you think Iran will “go soon”? He’s been saying that that the regime will collapse within days ever since he took office.
  
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  September 20, 2026 10:41am
  - Scott
    
    David I would answer your question but I might mention God and such like?
    What I will say is that Iran is experiencing a religious revival. Multitudes are coming to Christ. And eye witness accounts are that the mosques are empty.
    The days of the Ayatollahs are coming to an end.
    
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    September 20, 2026 11:12am
    - David Garrett
      
      Scott: A source for that piece of fantasy please
      
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      September 20, 2026 2:13pm
      - Scott
        
        David, happy to give you a source. Dr Hormoz Sharat is an Iranian living in the United States. He was a Muslim but became a Christian. He is one of the foremost evangelists to Iran using radio, TV and social media. Here are some excerpts from his 2020 book “Iran’s great awakening” –
        
        “I say with confidence that there is no nation in the world that loves Americans more than Iran. After visiting Iran, my American friend Dr. Ken Fifer told me this: “As a mission pastor, I have visited many countries, but I have never been kissed and hugged by so many people as I was in Iran. Once they found out I am American, a crowd would gather around me, welcoming me to their country. I was treated as a celebrity, a pop star. Cars would stop on street, the driver would get out and approach me just to give me a hug and welcome me.”
        
        Dr. Fifer continued, “While in Iran, I visited more than ten mosques. They were all empty. I visited one mosque at noon, when the call to prayer filled the whole neighborhood. Hundreds of prayer mats were on the floor, but fewer than five people were there to do their Islamic ritual prayers.”
        P201
        
        “One listener called in and reported, “My extended family, about thirty of us, and I get together to watch your program. We have discussed Christ among ourselves, and we have all decided to follow Him. We have purchased a speaker phone, and we are gathered in my living room. We want to know how to become Christians.” That day, one of our phone counselors led that entire family to Christ.”
        P74
        
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        September 20, 2026 3:35pm
      - Northshoredoc
        
        lol
        
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        September 20, 2026 8:24pm
  - Jack5
    
    Houthis are firing missiles at Saudi Arabia’s capital:
    
    https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwly5d9v7r43o
    
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    September 20, 2026 12:06pm
  - Don Beckett
    
    According to some reports, there are major clashes between armed civilians & resistance groups against the IRGC in the South East & North of Iran.
    Maybe the uprising has started. Apparently they have had some major successes, takeing over a major city. Awaiting confirmation in a day or two.
    
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    September 20, 2026 1:24pm
    - Gary Benner
      
      This site (Tousi TV) has update to date information from inside Iran.
      
      “Heavy Clashes In Iran – Anti-IRGC Armed Iranians Target More Cities”
      
      https://www.youtube.com/@TousiTV
      
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      September 20, 2026 2:32pm
- imalwaysright
  
  More genius from The Orange Oracle…
  
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  September 20, 2026 10:43am
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
- sungsamning
  
  Who cares? I won’t be reading it.
  
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  September 20, 2026 9:07am
  - Paulus
    
    The media will do all it can to promote Hagar again.
    So don’t panic.
    
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    September 20, 2026 12:45pm
- imalwaysright
  
  Jack Tame hinted to Jordan Williams that the Tax Payers Union may be the subject of the ‘expose’.
  
  Jordan, by the way , gave a very good interview and summed up New Zealand’s problems very succinctly.
  
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  September 20, 2026 9:49am
- Dougal10
  
  The big secret is luxon , willis and goldsmith are rebranding the national party as ” new labour”
  
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  September 20, 2026 9:58am
- Damocles11
  
  The Left are pathetic. Always the double standards. Fabian Society (fundamentally changing the system by playing the ‘wolves in sheeps clothing’ long game) is ‘good’, Atlas Network (an umbrella entity connecting like-minded think tanks) is ‘bad’. This is their mentality. Everything is warped by their view that they are virtuous superior beings who are ‘on the right side of history’ (a marxist term).
  
  Hager is a detestable Leftist who is not intellectually or morally up to the task of scrutinising his own side of politics.
  
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  September 20, 2026 11:04am
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
    - lastmanstanding
      
      I have read the various reports on breaking up Foodstuffs and they are BS. They are written to satisfy the commissioners of the reports. They are an insult to anyone like me who has run businesses for over 50 years. They assume that a broken up Foodstuffs will not only absorbe the significant increases costs as a result of the breakup including backoffice costs warehousing costs distribution costs and reduction in purchasing power but that the brokenup businesses will reduce their prices. Go ask anyone who runs a business if that would be their strategy faced with the same situation. The reports also ignore the elephant in the room Ozzie owned Woolworths. They must be rubbing their hands and licking their lips at the increased profits they will be able to remit to Oz. The fact is unless the Government impose Muldoon 1980s price controls prices will be what they will be. The market will determine prices. The problem is Pollies have built up an expectation that they can fix every problem when they cant. So we have this BS charade of them rushing around coming up with dumb “solutions” insteading of admiting the truth.
      
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      September 20, 2026 9:06am
      - leoj
        
        It’s plain weird behaviour from the wokesters, otherwise known as the National Party.
        
        “A million dollars a day profit,” they claim while the banks, ANZ, BNZ, ASB and Westpac average $1.5 billion (with a B) in profits each year.
        
        That is around $3 million per day.
        
        Nats: Crickets.
        
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        September 20, 2026 9:26am
      - JJ56
        
        This comment looks like it is misplaced in this thread, but lastmanstanding makes the basic mistake of not thinking through what happens to prices and service quality when a third (independent) player enters the market.
        
        There are less opportunities to screw the scrum than those that come with only two in the market, so genuine price and service options increase, increasing returns to consumers. If you are an existing player you need to suck that up and cut your costs including your margins – that has become the new market reality.
        
        The difficult thing will be the reduction in value of the businesses (including franchises) – pity those that have bought in recently, but those are the risks.
        
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        September 20, 2026 10:07am
      - NeverMindTheBollocks
        
        JJ – “those are the risks”.
        
        You really think that government interference should be a business risk to be considered? From a supposed right wing party?
        
        Foodstuffs bring groceries to the people. They are a legitimate enterprise, with a major competitor from Australia.
        
        If National can do this to Foodies (which incidentally is a co-operative, not a corporate) then no business is safe.
        
        What the hell is Nicola Willis thinking?
        
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        September 20, 2026 10:38am
      - Simon Arnold
        
        One assumption made by Sense Partners and others that hasn’t had much scrutiny is that the basic structure of the industry continues unchanged. This definitely makes the analysis easier, but I suspect it is unrealistic.
        
        I’m not talking robotics and AI making personalised to-your-door services economic (I doubt that in NZ), but the impact of AI shifting power to the consumers by acting as an independent agent to do group purchasing.
        
        Particularly if the agent has some discretion (“you know what we like, feed us for a week”) this can shift the balance of power to the agent (and by inference the consumer), undercutting a lot of tricks used by duopolies etc.
        
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        September 20, 2026 10:53am
      - JJ56
        
        NeverMindTheBollocks if you are in business exploiting a monopoly or duopoly position, top of mind should be the regulatory risk and how to manage it. You owe it to your shareholders (even as you bank the proceeds).
        
        Most businesses won’t be exposed to this risk, and the means might not be as draconian as the divestment proposed here, but there are sanctions available to address misuse of market power, and any business in this situation should be mindful of this.
        
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        September 20, 2026 11:11am
      - AitchW
        
        Leoj I believe the ComCom said that they are making a million dollars a day in EXCESS profits.
        That’s about 35k a day in tax, or somewhere in the vicinity of 100 million a year.
        Why would any government want to dilute that?
        
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        September 20, 2026 1:56pm
  - Handyman
    
    Odd that there has never been any affected birds found near any of the hundreds of windmills built in New Zealand using mined steel, coal and plastic.
    BTW, the weekly output of the mine is about the same as the mining needed for just one windmill.
    If New Zealand can do our bit to reduce emissions, surely we can do our bit to mine materials for windmills?
    
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    September 20, 2026 1:16pm
    - CJames
      
      They haven’t found any affected birds because they are chopped up by the blades.
      And yes as well as making steel, coal is needed to make cement, for which each windmill base uses hundeds of tonnes of concrete and all the rebar..
      
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      September 20, 2026 8:57pm
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
    - R
      
      ‘wheelie bins’…….and fire engines or ambulances.
      
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      September 20, 2026 10:38am
  - leoj
    
    They resemble slums.
    
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    September 20, 2026 9:28am
- KKNZ2025
  
  …could be describing Wellington
  
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  September 20, 2026 8:34am
  - Taieri
    
    Or “new premium quality homes” in the Five Mile Homes development in Queenstown.
    Not forgetting the Twin Rivers Terraces in the same location of course.
    The streets are wider there though…
    
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    September 20, 2026 1:13pm
- 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
  - kevn
    
    Aitch… Just ooze negative equity. Even as rentals.
    
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    September 20, 2026 9:53am
  - David Garrett
    
    Aitch: Exactly the same up here in Dorkland – Coronation Street in the 21st century in the South Pacific.
    
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    September 20, 2026 10:49am
    - AitchW
      
      Except the Coro St houses were solidly built.
      
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      September 20, 2026 10:56am
- kowtow
  
  ‘Narrow houses where you can almost stretch and touch both walls’
  
  The way they’re built with bedrooms back to back and no real stucture between them the neighbour could stretch and touch your balls.
  
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  September 20, 2026 8:54am
  - imalwaysright
    
    How much is the rent on that one…?
    
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    September 20, 2026 12:02pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  You can just see hordes of migrants thinking – “we came all this way, for THIS?”.
  
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  September 20, 2026 1:30pm
- Bobba Fret
  
  The main road (Merton road) going down to Glen Innes now has lovely bike lanes both sides of the street along with the large concrete slabs to protect the cyclists. When a bus stops in the bus stop, cars now have to stop behind it as the road is too narrow to go around a stopped vehicle. I am yet to see an actual cyclist using either of the bike lanes. I guess there will be a cyclist one day.
  
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  September 20, 2026 2:56pm
  - AitchW
    
    Hamilton city, too has “in lane bus stops”.
    Given that LTSA had, under Labour, a stated aim of increasing congestion to push people onto public transport, they make perfect sense.
    
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    September 20, 2026 3:12pm
    - R
      
      Perfect sense, only to the economics ignorant, and the ideologically deluded.
      
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      September 20, 2026 4:47pm
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    GI is so behind the times! Here in Wellington we’ve been ruining streets for motorists in like manner for donkeys years!
    
    Would you believe that even the road outside Wellington’s main hospital is of such? Certainly is. Jump off the bus on your way to visit a friend; chances are you’ll be mown down by a passing cyclist and off to the conveniently located A&E.
    
    Believe it, and weep.
    
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    September 20, 2026 6:00pm
  - Handyman
    
    I seem to remember someone at AT smirking that buses holding up cars was on purpose to prove buses are the fastest way to travel.
    
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    September 20, 2026 10:20pm
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
    - AitchW
      
      True, the supermarket plan is just batshit crazy. BUT, one batshit crazy idea which is likely never to see the light of day after the election should not be a reason to vote for the other mob which has dozens of batshit crazy ideas.
      Those of us on the right need to take every opportunity to tell our MPs to dump the supermarket plan.
      
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      September 20, 2026 8:53am
      - imalwaysright
        
        The $1 million a day excess profits figure seems to be used to foment outrage toward the supermarkets.
        
        But by how much is the cost of the food affected by the very high minimum wage?
        
        How much would the grocery bill drop if the minimum wage was $1/hr lower?
        
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        September 20, 2026 9:58am
      - Isobar
        
        You have inadvertedly hit on the reason why National is so very unpopular, because they make promises before an election they seem to have no intention of fulfilling.
        
        2023 had surplus by 2026, motorways everywhere and a smaller state.
        
        They have bottled it on all of them.
        
        Why should anyone vote for a party that everyone knows cant be trusted to deliver?
        
        Im not a fan of this promise btw, but just i respectifully disagree with your premise of despite their lies, we should still vote for them.
        
        If National are still lucky enough to be in govt after the election, wouldnt it be funny if NZ first, Labour and the Greens all agree to vote with National to pass this promise on the supermarkets after all.
        
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        September 20, 2026 10:21am
      - Prince
        
        Why will it not take place ? There WILL be a ComCom report, it WILL advocate a split, and National WILL have allies in NZ First, Labour and Greens.
        They have painted themselves into a corner.
        
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        September 20, 2026 1:53pm
      - AitchW
        
        Isobar with regard to the motorways they are making some progress. The Cambridge to Piarere expressway is starting to see some action, land is being cleared and pegs are in the ground.
        It’s not all doom and gloom.
        
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        September 20, 2026 3:15pm
    - 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
      - Cassandra
        
        But it’s not just supermarkets, why is the public service now bigger than when the coalition took office? Etc. You can’t just ignore it.
        
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        September 20, 2026 9:15am
      - Ian Boag
        
        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.
        
        2.5 years in. Which bits of this has he got wrong? The surplus is coming one day, the deficits are just a temporary thing, the pension thing will eventually go away, the RMA thing is “done” the government servants thing is being worked on and no doubt the rest are coming along. He didn’t mention government retreat from the housing situation …. not to mention health ….
        
        The supermarket thing is chickenshit by comparison. A new problem created to divert attention away from the serious chronic ones.
        
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        September 20, 2026 9:21am
      - AitchW
        
        Cass, according to Paul Goldsmith on Hosking recently the public service has grown because although the number of seat warmers has been cut the government has recruited more Corrections Officers, nurses and cops.
        Kinda makes sense….
        
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        September 20, 2026 9:34am
      - Yabster
        
        lol classic- I agree with the article- but at least they have fixed some issues, it was a loooong list Liemore created- the worst Government NZ has ever seen. The collation has a lot more to do- let’s just hope they get in or that hopeless mob will start wrecking NZ all over again, but at an even greater pace as Liemore are just incompetent and racist- the Greens/Racist party and Ms Wrong are just plain crazy.
        
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        September 20, 2026 9:57am
      - Ian Boag
        
        I still don’t understand which bits Grant got wrong. Whatever your political persuasion, he is more or less on the money – or lack of it.
        
        As they (don’t) say on KB -“it’s OK when the right do it” 🙂
        
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        September 20, 2026 10:00am
      - imalwaysright
        
        “…why is the public service now bigger than when the coalition took office?”
        
        We have to assume it is Government policy and they should be forced to explain why.
        
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        September 20, 2026 10:01am
      - Ian Boag
        
        they have fixed some issues
        
        Any that really matter? The landlord deductibilty thing I suppose – “fixed” or not depending on your point of view. For me there’s not a lot of anything else comes to mind as “fixed” ….. but I’m probably missing something by only looking at Grant’s list …
        
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        September 20, 2026 10:09am
      - Yabster
        
        yep plenty,, take your pick….
        
        for me crime, education, the radical Liemore Health system wound back, no more He Pua Pua or least at a less radical rate, restoring the Reserve Bank mandate and no more three waters, what’s your favourite out of the list…. and yes this is a summary from AI:
        
        Economy, Taxation & Public SpendingIncome & Landlord Tax Relief: Passed personal income tax cuts and restored tax deductibility for mortgage interest on residential rental properties (moving back up to 100%).
        
        Reserve Bank Mandate: Narrowed the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s mandate purely to inflation control, removing the requirement to consider “maximum sustainable employment”.
        
        Public Service Cuts: Directed government departments to cut back-office spending and baseline operational budgets.
        
        New Ministry for Regulation: Established a dedicated agency led by ACT’s David Seymour to review existing laws and reduce red tape for businesses.
        
        Employment & Workplace Laws Reintroduced 90-Day Trial Periods: Restored the ability for all businesses—regardless of size—to hire workers on 90-day trial periods.
        
        Repealed Fair Pay Agreements: Scrapped the previous government’s sector-wide collective bargaining legislation.
        
        Public Infrastructure & Housing
        Cancelled Major Transport &
        
        Energy Projects: Scrapped Auckland Light Rail, Let’s Get Wellington Moving, and the Lake Onslow hydro scheme.
        
        Repealed Three Waters: Reversed the regional water reforms (Water Services Entities Act), returning control of water infrastructure back to local councils.
        
        Fuel & Transport Taxes: Scrapped the Regional Fuel Tax in Auckland and ended the Clean Car Discount (“ute tax”) scheme.
        
        Fast-Track Approvals: Introduced fast-track consenting legislation to accelerate major infrastructure, energy, and housing projects.Landlord &
        
        Tenant Laws:
        Reintroduced 90-day no-cause terminations for tenancies and introduced “pet bonds” allowing landlords to charge an extra bond for tenants with pets.
        
        Law & Order
        Crackdown on Gangs: Passed legislation banning gang patches in public spaces, issuing non-consorting orders, and expanding police search powers.
        
        Sentencing & Justice Changes: Restored the “Three Strikes” regime for violent and sexual offenders and removed state funding for Section 27 cultural reports used in sentencing.
        
        Boot Camps & Youth Justice: Introduced military-style academies/boot camps for serious young offenders.
        
        Health & Social Policy
        Repealed Generational Smokefree Laws: Reversed the planned ban on cigarette sales to future generations and the required de-nicotisation of tobacco products.
        
        Returned Pseudoephedrine: Allowed the sale of cold and flu medications containing pseudoephedrine back onto pharmacy shelves over-the-counter.
        
        National Health Targets: Introduced new ED wait time targets, faster cancer treatment goals, and shorter wait times for elective surgery.
        
        Governance, Education & Treaty Policy
        Disestablished the Māori Health Authority: Scrapped Te Aka Whai Ora to integrate services back into the main health system.
        
        Te Reo Māori in Public Service:
        Directed departments to prioritize English names and official communications unless specifically focused on Māori affairs.
        
        Māori Wards Referendums: Required local councils that established Māori wards without a public vote to hold local referendums on their continuation.
        Education Requirements:
        
        Mandated one hour per day of reading, writing, and math in primary and intermediate schools, and reintroduced Partnership (Charter) schools.
        
        Oranga Tamariki Act Reform: Repealed Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act to change how cultural considerations factor into child placement decisions.
        
        [Mod – just fixing it so it’s easier to read]
        
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        September 20, 2026 10:41am
      - Taieri
        
        Established a dedicated agency led by ACT’s David Seymour to review existing laws and reduce red tape for businesses.
        ————-
        
        Even Sisyphus himself would have given up on that…
        
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        September 20, 2026 1:16pm
      - AitchW
        
        Yabster that is an impressive list of achievements. People forget the god awful mess left by Ardern, Hipkins, and Robertson. Not to mention the openly hostile public service which has delayed progress and, in some cases, simply ignored instructions from ministers.
        I expect our economy will continue to improve under a right wing government. (Middle East notwithstanding)
        
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        September 20, 2026 3:19pm
    - Spam
      
      That doesn’t matter. International companies rate sovereign risk based on what the pollies have as policy. By simply stating that they’ll look at this, the nats have told the international market that New Zealand is risky to invest in. In other words, take your billions elsewhere.
      
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      September 20, 2026 12:07pm
    - Paulus
      
      Stupidity, for example the Supermarkets will do much to lose National Votes, which were tetering anyway.
      
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      September 20, 2026 12:51pm
- 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
  - imalwaysright
    
    The MoR seems to be an advisory service to the Government on how to improve regulation, rather than a Ministry for reducing regulation.
    
    I was under the impression that Seymour would be exposing harmful regulations and initiating legislation to get rid of them, but he doesn’t seem to have any actual powers.
    
    Maybe we should have formed a Ministry of De-Regulation?
    
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    September 20, 2026 9:43am
  - mike
    
    Why would anyone promise to cory the DOGE failure?
    
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    September 20, 2026 10:33am
- redeye
  
  It’s some delima kiwi voters face. Elect the student union that got us into this mess in the first place, or the weaklings that have done very little about it.
  Personally I’ll be party voting ACT. And as I’m in West Coast Tasman, will probably give my electorate vote to Katie Milne.
  If that combination of votes happened a lot we’d be looking for another finance minister? Who would it be? Simeon has shown a bit of spine.
  
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  September 20, 2026 9:06am
- leoj
  
  Yep. I am certain that Luxon and Potaka hold hands.
  
  Luxon is a maori sympathiser who thinks all things maori are wonderful.
  
  Meanwhile, their culture is being rammed down our throats.
  
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  September 20, 2026 9:32am
  - mike
    
    Close your mouth then.
    
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    September 20, 2026 10:34am
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
- AitchW
  
  Sure it is. With a foreword by Willie Jackson praising David Seymour’s TPB.
  
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  September 20, 2026 9:36am
- pdm
  
  Doubt it will be BG.
  
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  September 20, 2026 9:41am
- kevn
  
  BG… Anything balanced is impossible from hagar.
  Right on cue, a book of controversy, msm fodder.
  
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  September 20, 2026 9:54am
  - Ian Boag
    
    I guess you won’t have to read it. KBers won’t like it but them’s the breaks.
    
    TU is not the most impartial commentator so JW’s take comes as no surprise ….
    
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    September 20, 2026 10:14am
    - mike
      
      It surely doesn’t need a whole book to reveal the Taxpayers’ ‘Union’ as an [deleted] fundraiser for the National Party.
      
      6 14
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      September 20, 2026 10:37am
      - CJames
        
        No that is definitely wrong – you have been listening to Nicky too much. They are astroturfing for ACT or is it the Conservatives? I blinked and lost track of the current conspiracy.
        
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        September 20, 2026 10:44am
      - Yabster
        
        lol they aren’t – your biased is showing Mike- they have been extremely critical of Willis- not what a fundraising branch would do is it – they still have the debt clock etc etc- so as usual your comments have no factual foundation.
        
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        September 20, 2026 10:45am
      - mike
        
        Managed to get their donors to pay for National’s polling.
        
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        September 20, 2026 11:19am
      - Pope Punctilious II
        
        You need to do your homework Mike. TU is often very critical of the Nats, and more aligned philosophically with ACT.
        
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        September 20, 2026 8:30pm
    - imalwaysright
      
      The TU don’t pretend to be an impartial commentator. They have political principles that they are very open about.
      
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      September 20, 2026 10:49am
  - sungsamning
    
    As is anything readable. It’d be a shame if he was successfully sued. I’d give some money to help pay their legal bills.
    
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    September 20, 2026 11:35am
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
- David George
  
  The Israelis certainly dropped their guard, mind you it was a very broad assault (14 breaches all along the border) and some new tactics they hadn’t expected – the use of hang gliders for example. Israel had lots of warnings about a possible invasion; a bit like the “boy who cried wolf, too many as it turned out.
  The terrorists had also been holding training and drills in the border area for months in order to inure the Israelis to the looming threat.
  
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  September 20, 2026 9:33am
- pb
  
  Abbas Kamal notified them 10 days out too. Egyptian intelligence.
  
  This is the war he needed. The Trump torpedo was loaded and ready.
  
  Trouble is Netanyahu’s replacements are doubly wacko.
  
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  September 20, 2026 2:45pm
- kowtow
  
  I’ve said this before and sometimes I wonder what’s the point , as people will believe what they want to believe based on prejudices or whatever .
  
  Look up what a monumental cock up that the british response to the German Channel Dash was 1942 and tell me too that that didn’t have all the hall marks of some sort of treacherous conspiracy to allow jerry to escape ……..right down to KBers fav RAF hate figure , Leigh Mallory , reviewing a parade and his aides afraid to interupt , given his attitude to underlings!
  
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  September 20, 2026 2:54pm
sungsamning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GE78EqOuA0
Lincoln Did It. FDR Did It. Trump Just Did It in Dallas.
Newt Gingrich says these midterms will lock in the biggest political realignment since FDR. From the convention floor in Dallas, here’s why he’s right — and what it means for the Midterm fight. Susan Kokinda and Mindy Pechenuk report back from Dallas on how the Republican Party is being remade as the party of workers, manufacturers and everyday Americans. Promethean PAC’s latest midterm flyer, which highlights the fight between the American System and the British System, was featured. [FDR did a realignment too. Workers, farmers, blacks, and inevitably some socialists. Wokesters, illegals, socialists, and a lot of big business have aligned with the Democrats since.]
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September 20, 2026 9:01am
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
- Mummy
  
  Funny that. The day after weather man Dan’s horrendous attempt at presenting the TV weather in Maori last week he dropped all the Maori completely and did it almost all in English. Even most of the place names as well. And I have been hearing them say New Zealand a lot more instead of that other word that crops up from time to time.
  
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  September 20, 2026 10:12am
  - R
    
    Progress to correct past errors is a slow process, and takes time; besides small incremental change is about all that the affected cohort can accommodate; at one time.
    
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    September 20, 2026 10:49am
  - lifesgood
    
    I felt so sorry for Dan. He did his best after being forced to. I’m so pleased he did away with that nonsense.
    
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    September 20, 2026 1:15pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Jim Mora is the gem.
  
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  September 20, 2026 10:43am
sungsamning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk0lBZ2oH6Q
What The ABC Is Hiding About Albo’s True Origins.
In today’s video, we react to a true-blue Aussie who has just uncovered some very serious questions about Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s past. Is Albo’s “humble beginnings” narrative just a carefully crafted political tactic? And more importantly, why is the ABC completely ignoring this story to focus on minor distractions and smokescreens? [The official story doesn’t stack up. Albos family probably wouldn’t be considered as ideal flat mates, or business partners by most readers here.]
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September 20, 2026 9:02am
- Ghost
  
  What a stupid video and a stupid post. Oh no his paternal grandfather could be a criminal, so? Is he responsible for that, no. Talk about throwing shit at someone over something he has no responsibility for.
  
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  September 20, 2026 9:15am
  - MCōs
    
    Aren’t Australians proud of their criminal past?
    
    6 5
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    September 20, 2026 10:10am
    - Ghost
      
      Imagine being responsible for what your ancestors did, oh wait many in NZ already don’t support or want that
      
      10 4
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      September 20, 2026 10:36am
      - Yabster
        
        Personally, I am very proud of my ancestors’ achievements- built NZ basically.
        
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        September 20, 2026 10:47am
    - Jack5
      
      Convicts transported from Britain in early colonial days:
      
      – to North America before the British colonies became the United States: about 60,000.
      
      – to Australia after that: about 160,000.
      
      Exiling criminals from Europe to America continued on a small scale after US independence.
      
      The German state of Hanover exiled about 3,000 petty criminals to the US between 1830 and 1866.
      
      New Zealand had a share of “ticket of leave” (paroled) prisoners from Australia in the whaling and sealing days. These hardy folk often married southern Maori women and settled on the southern coasts of the South Island. With the two-century interflow of people between NZ and Australia, there are thousands of New Zealanders with a transported convict in their family tree. Given the long incidence of ethnic intermarriage, that includes Maori.
      
      At least three Australian Prime Ministers have admitted to having at least one convict among their ancestors. Australians notably proud of their convict ancestry have a convict ancestor who came in the First Fleet to Botany Bay in 1788.
      In America, an example was the Confederate general, Stonewall Jackson, a great-grandson of an Ulster Protestant transported to America. A great grandson ofStonewall Jackson has been convicted of theft in recent years.
      
      Given other fighting Jacksons in the family tree, such as an Air Force fighter group leader, I wonder whether there’s some sort of genetic link between derring-do and preponderance to commit some sorts of crime.
      
      https://www.newyorkalmanack.com/2025/07/deportation-convict-ancestors/
      
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      September 20, 2026 10:53am
      - Jack5
        
        Edit: … ~~preponderance~~ predisposition to commit some sorts of crime …
        
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        September 20, 2026 11:20pm
  - sungsamning
    
    Its more a case of a very sanitized back story.
    
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    September 20, 2026 11:37am
    - Ghost
      
      it is a bullshit story that has nothing to do with him. Doesn’t matter how you want to spin this crap, if this was thrown at a right leaning politician you wouldn’t even post it. What will be your next post, Todd McClay must stand down because of what Roger did?
      
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      September 20, 2026 1:41pm
- imalwaysright
  
  Albo is clearly not responsible for his grandfather.
  He should remember that when he next promotes the Aboriginal gravy train who blame current Australians, jointly with their forebears, for whatever irks them.
  
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  September 20, 2026 10:55am
  - Yabster
    
    if you apply the logic of, “we are not responsible for what our ancestors did”why are still paying for it?- of course it’s only the Wests ancestor’s….
    
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    September 20, 2026 3:19pm
- lifesgood
  
  Surely someone from a decent middle class background, if that’s what is implied, wouldn’t have such appaling speech and diction. I can’t bear listening to him.
  
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  September 20, 2026 1:17pm
CJames

responding to MM
Other commentators have commented on Israel ignoring warnings. It seems the Cabinet/ PM/ military chiefs had misplaced confidence that all their security surveillance systems would give them warning. They believed either the border fence would be blown up to give a hole or the invasion would be by tunnel. That proved a mistake.
It may be a textbook example of hubris and go into war college teachings as an example of over-confidence being your downfall. It may even be a contributing factor to Netanyahu losing the PMship because of suppressed voter resentment of the security failings.
Given a choice of deciding between conspiracy and cockup, I invariably go for the latter.
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September 20, 2026 9:07am
- Cassandra
  
  I’ll let you know when I’ve finished Series 5 of Fauda.
  
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  September 20, 2026 9:18am
  - Master Mariner
    
    Season 5 is out now, Notice the difference in story telling. I put it down to propaganda and turned it off.
    Really enjoyed to season 4. That was enough.
    
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    September 20, 2026 9:25am
- Master Mariner
  
  A couple of questions in my mind.
  If you see “Gazans” taking up hang Gliding and clubs popping up over Gaza then surely alarms bells go off.
  In addition all cell phone communications are controlled by Israel which I assume of given the “Gliding Clubs” away, more so with the cell phone loving Arabs.
  The Outlier is the Nova Music Festival which was only approved a week or so prior. This is what has had me perplexed as I can not see anyone letting this happen purposely.
  However there response to the attack was extremely delayed and appeared to be hampered. It only takes 20-30 ? mins to fly the length of Israel in a Helicopter.
  
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  September 20, 2026 9:20am
  - Taieri
    
    The conspiracy theorist in me suggests that all the signs were ignored to provide the pretext to give Gaza and Hamas the final blow.
    But then again, when Germany attacked USSR in 1941, Soviet trains were still moving West with the Germany bound cargo, so may be it was just a stupidity after all…?
    
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    September 20, 2026 1:23pm
    - Master Mariner
      
      Yep, i will go with your first sentence but on probability add “Enabled” as opposed to Ignored.
      It will come out in the end.
      
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      September 20, 2026 2:43pm
sungsamning

Yes, a bit like Pearl Harbor. A failure of imagination on the part of the American government.
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September 20, 2026 9:13am
- Paulus
  
  Didn’t Churchill know about Pearl Harbour before it happened.
  Like the NZ Security people before the Rainbow Warrior bombing, but not Lange.
  Was it not to happen in Antwerp earlier ?
  
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  September 20, 2026 12:57pm
  - kowtow
    
    ‘Didn’t Churchill know about Pearl Harbour before it happened.’
    
    No.
    
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    September 20, 2026 2:39pm
KKNZ2025

CJames
Hanlons Razor: “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.”
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September 20, 2026 9:13am
Quail

Question for the day?
The imbalance between our trading partners interest rates is punishing NZ savers .
The difference is huge , Australian and US interest rates are almost double New Zealand’s .
This is having a substantial adverse effect on the exchange rate and driving core inflation up., higher than NZ trading partners
Why is this the case Ms Willis?
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September 20, 2026 9:15am
I remember when

AI tells me that horses are not allowed on the Petone to Wellington cycleway.
The 4.5 kilometre coastal path is strictly a share pathway designed only for people who walk, run, cycle or roll (such as using scooters or wheelchairs).
However
While a large horseback hikoi (protest march) rode along the path under exceptional circumstances in September 2026 to deliver a partition to Parliament, local councils explicitly stated that ‘horse are normally banned.’
Some comments were posted on reddit.com noting that they did not clean up afterwards.
“It’s full of horseshit.”

So, if you own a horse, remember, you can only ride on the Petone to Wellington if there are exception circumstances!
Oh, and it appears, you don’t have to clean up afterwards.
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September 20, 2026 9:37am
- Taieri
  
  AI tells me that horses are not allowed on the Petone to Wellington cycleway.
  ————-
  
  Did you really need the AI to tell you that?
  Amazing…
  
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  September 20, 2026 1:25pm
  - Steve Otto N Shore
    
    You can buy cycles for horses???
    Why not – they will do it!!!!!
    
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    September 20, 2026 3:31pm
BeaB

I thought my vote was settled. Electorate for National and ACT for party vote.
But I am shocked to the core by National’s supermarket policy. It is either sincerely believed in or it is totally cynical. Or just dumb.
Whichever, it doesn’t give me confidence that National is a party I can give my support to.
I won’t be voting for anyone on the Left and our National is a featherbrained nonentity.
What a bleak outlook
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September 20, 2026 9:43am
- Ghost
  
  Current political poll is asking about splitting the supermarkets up, I guess when the poll is released we will know if national and NZ First are on to a winner
  
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  September 20, 2026 10:21am
  - Damocles11
    
    Yeah, chuck the principles in the bin and become entirely poll driven. That gives bad actors every incentive to manipulate polls and further tighten their control of the media opinion shapers.
    The political right in New Zealand are spineless cowards, plain and simple.
    
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    September 20, 2026 12:51pm
  - Isobar
    
    Guess it depends if people believe National will actually do it too.
    
    All indications point to nope.
    
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    September 20, 2026 1:33pm
- AitchW
  
  BB, one unpalatable policy is not a reason to vote for a government with dozens of equally or more unpalatable policies.
  
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  September 20, 2026 11:00am
- Paulus
  
  Looks like me too finally !
  
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  September 20, 2026 12:58pm
Swifty

Dame Elizabeth Rata – eloquent, brave, principled and well-researched:

https://x.com/1nzmw/status/2101162564508090710?s=46
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September 20, 2026 10:38am
Yvette

Yellow-eyed penguins on Ngāi Tahu’s menu
https://www.brashandmitchell.com/post/spaniard-yellow-eyed-penguins-on-ngāi-tahu-s-menu

The title “Yellow-eyed penguins on Ngāi Tahu’s menu” and the opening claim that “Ngāi Tahu killing and consuming endangered yellow-eyed penguins is now okay…” are apparently false.

Claim in the article v actual reality
• Hoiho are currently “on the menu” or being eaten. False. No harvest is occurring, permitted, or legal.
• DOC and YEPT allow Ngāi Tahu to kill penguins today. False. Protection under the Wildlife Act 1953 remains fully in force.
• The strategy document acknowledges historical harvest and future aspirations. True. The document notes customary history and an aspiration contingent on complete species recovery.
• YEPT states harvest is impossible now or in the foreseeable future. True. The Trust confirmed harvest cannot occur while the species is threatened.

The article takes a theoretical long-term cultural aspiration—one explicitly contingent on the species first recovering to a healthy, self-sustaining population—and reframes it as a present-day reality to argue against Treaty co-governance principles.

There is surely enough valid evidence that Treaty co-governance principles may be a dopey idea without creating false evidence.
If Yellow-eyed penguins are indeed on Ngāi Tahu’s menu, I profoundly apologise – to the endangered yellow-eyed penguins
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September 20, 2026 10:48am
- Yvette
  
  Some comments on –
  https://www.brashandmitchell.com/post/spaniard-yellow-eyed-penguins-on-ngāi-tahu-s-menu
  
  I’m just sick and tired all this Maori bullshit shoved down my throat on a daily basis.
  Its everywhere- the defense force, judiciary, the press, education.
  New Zealand is slipping into the 3rd world and so many are content to stand and watch- to afraid to say anything for fear of being labeled a racist, colonialist, etc
  I’ve lived in NZ 8 years now, and its crystal clear the Maoris have it all wrong. From pre-colonial NZ up to present day.
  ________________
  
  hard to believe ngai extortion had the audacity to claim kaitiaki in the same sentence as eating an endangered species… merely further proof that maori claim of being environmentalists is bogus, if further proof was ever needed…
  if bullshit was a tertiary subject, we’d be overrun with maori professors…
  ________________
  
  The sad thing here may not be so much whether it is true or not, but rather that so many people can regard it as true.
  
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  September 20, 2026 11:36am
- mike
  
  I’m shocked to read such lies.
  
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  September 20, 2026 12:30pm
  - Yvette
    
    Mike, were you psychologically scarred for life back last April 1st?
    
    7 4
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    September 20, 2026 12:42pm
- Damocles11
  
  If Maori were to revert to their pre-colonisation practices then it wouldn’t be good news for those who aren’t fans of slavery, cannibalism, and having your lands and resources stolen by an invading tribe.
  The fact that Maori aren’t seeking to restore these practices is interesting. Clearly pre-colonisation Maori did not see thing practices as objectively ‘bad’, as they had no moral objection to them. The fact that there is never any serious discussion or request to re-institute these practices – which were core planks of the pre-colonisation Maori life – means that Maori are looking through the colonisers moral lens, when surely they shouldn’t be. Surely they should be true to that apparently utopian ‘Te Ao Maori world’ state of being that they seem to long for. If you don’t want to ‘suffer’ under an imposed morality, with a prevailing mindset of ‘coloniser bad’, then don’t be hypocritical about it.
  
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  September 20, 2026 1:01pm
- Taieri
  
  Yellow-eyed penguins on Ngāi Tahu’s menu
  ————
  
  Yellow-eyed penguin chops anyone?
  Wouldn’t be very tasty…
  
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  September 20, 2026 1:27pm
Benedict Yu

What a disaster in the making.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/361035764/labour-proposes-splitting-woolworths-and-foodstuffs-retail-and-wholesale-operations

These are the folk that gave us..

Kiwibuild
Inflation
A disastrous house price bubble
Managed quarantine centres for citizens
A “national polytechnic”
A Maori Health Authority
…. all of them disasters.

On that track record, expect food shortages and escalating prices. I’m serious. Why on earth would anyone believe them to be competent?
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September 20, 2026 10:54am
- imalwaysright
  
  ““A Labour Government will crack down on big companies ripping you off, and we’ll take immediate action on grocery prices,” said leader Chris Hipkins.”–Article
  
  Will they have a Grocery Policeman in every supermarket ready to intervene when onions are 15c/kg over average price?
  
  Actually, this is a Labour proposal, they will have a committee in each supermarket, funded by the supermarket, who will ‘work from home’ and launch a six month inquiry into the onions…
  
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  September 20, 2026 11:05am
- Colville
  
  Could Hipkins sound any more desperate in announcing a National policy except trying to make it even more stupid?
  
  Its really “my Dad is tougher than your Dad’ from the wimpy kid at school…
  
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  September 20, 2026 11:38am
  - Steve Otto N Shore
    
    “Wimpy” is the key word. Hipkins is a wimpy person.
    Always accuse those who are as guilty as yourself!!!!
    
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    September 20, 2026 3:39pm
    - RichardX
      
      Always accuse those who are as guilty as yourself
      
      says Otto as he calls someone “wimpy”
      
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      September 20, 2026 7:37pm
    - Colville
      
      Steve. If you don’t consider Hipkins to be wimpy I really have grave concern for the people you hang out with.
      
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      September 20, 2026 8:39pm
- Benedict Yu
  
  Just an addendum.. If I look at all the political parties, none of them are addressing any of the critical medium term challenges facing New Zealand. Productivity performance, welfare dependency, retirement incomes, health policy, education policy… Not to even mention a growing Constitutional crisis over an inability to decide what the Treaty means… and on and on.
  
  What do we get? Supermarkets. 💩
  
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  September 20, 2026 11:47am
  - Swifty
    
    Well said.
    
    4 0
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    September 20, 2026 12:00pm
  - imalwaysright
    
    “What do we get? Supermarkets.”
    
    That they choose to patronise us while ignoring fundamental problems, shows that their only priority is their own political wellbeing.
    
    They dumped ten portfolios on Goldsmith. That shows they have little interest in improving NZ.
    
    1 0
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    September 20, 2026 1:56pm
  - kowtow
    
    Act does.
    
    2 0
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    September 20, 2026 2:36pm
- Damocles11
  
  “We’ll see National’s attack on a private business, and raise you an even bigger attack”. Uniparty, proposed colour: Purple.
  
  4 1
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  September 20, 2026 1:05pm
- MCōs
  
  The housing price bubble predated the Ardern administration and has long stifled productivity in this country as everyone knows
  When we bought this house in 2013 prices were rocketing up. Real estate agents were way out with their pricing estimates pre-auction as bidding went wild to secure a purchase.
  
  1 2
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  September 20, 2026 1:31pm
  - Colville
    
    The bubble caused by Ardern throwing money around caused the worst housing bubble in history of New Zealand.
    House prices are (iirc) 17% down nationally still from the heights of that time.
    
    4 0
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    September 20, 2026 1:45pm
- Isobar
  
  This is probably less bad than Nationals proposal tbh which is to rip apart a NZ Company and leave the Aussie one untouched.
  
  This seems more like the Telecom split into Chorus and Spark imho, more split along vertical integration lines. If done well it could actually have a better impact on competition like the Telecom change.
  
  Thats a big IF though.
  
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  September 20, 2026 1:39pm
- keepcalmcarryon
  
  Flattening the grocery curve?
  
  1 0
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  September 20, 2026 1:43pm
- rouppe
  
  I’m reminded of fuel supply.
  
  The government introduced terminal gate pricing meaning minor retailers had access to fuel at the same price as major retailers. It hasn’t caused a furore, and send to have allowed better competition.
  
  Would a similar regime for food distribution warehouses not be similarly successful rather than breaking up the company?
  
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  September 20, 2026 5:42pm
Ghost

Sad. Sounds like he won’t be here too much longer.

Australian music legend John Farnham will miss a tribute concert being held in his honour on Sunday as he is receiving 24-hour-a-day nursing care at his home after his health declined over recent months.

Farnham, 77, requires continuous oxygen support and now uses a wheelchair for mobility, his family revealed in a statement released late on Saturday.

Article
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September 20, 2026 11:02am
- Benedict Yu
  
  He had a great voice. IIRC he had an unusually wide vocal range. Also always came across as a nice guy.
  
  6 0
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  September 20, 2026 11:38am
- MCōs
  
  I remember Little Johnny Farnham singing Sadie the Cleaning Lady in Timaru, 1968 when he first cracked the big time as a 19yo.
  That was a big deal for Timaru in those days when a hot young singer from Oz turned up.
  
  1 1
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  September 20, 2026 12:23pm
  - Ghost
    
    For me it was the telethons in the 80’s when I found him.
    
    0 2
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    September 20, 2026 2:23pm
- keepcalmcarryon
  
  Shame he hitched his wagon to “the voice” anti democratic indigenous separatism boondoggle.
  Great singer in his time though.
  
  0 1
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  September 20, 2026 1:46pm
Swifty

Hipkins refuses to rule out the Greens plan to use state powers to confiscate privately-owned supermarkets from their owners and to use them to set up a Soviet-style state run operation:

https://x.com/suitandtie9999/status/2101454292293218459?s=46
7 0
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September 20, 2026 11:59am
- Prince
  
  Hipkins refuses to rule it out, Nats embrace it.
  
  2 2
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  September 20, 2026 3:16pm
Flossie

The Greens have a new good idea… lower commercial rents and fill empty shops.
For starters, who in their right mind would open a business with this communist leaning party anywhere near power. You could very well have it taken if you ever did make a profit as they might consider the profit too high! And are they not wondering why there are so many empty shops? Online shopping, lack of disposable income, impossible parking options, to name a few, could be reasons.
11 1
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September 20, 2026 12:24pm
Damocles11

Air New Zealand are now staffing flights with ‘all Maori’ crews. Seems a bit racist.
Makes sense: Luxon used to be the CEO of that outfit, and now he’s the CEO of us. He is the common denominator.

https://x.com/_preposterously/status/2101408248817684552
7 3
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September 20, 2026 12:46pm
- Prince
  
  Will customers be advised in advance ?
  
  3 1
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  September 20, 2026 3:15pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Not a bit racist.
  
  Absolutely 100% cotton-picking racism.
  
  Air NZ, what are you thinking?
  
  3 0
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  September 20, 2026 6:08pm
Swifty

Aussie is in real trouble:

https://x.com/lisa9sophia/status/2101410937005912453?s=46

They’ve been betrayed by their own leaders.
3 1
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September 20, 2026 12:53pm
Swifty

Greens propose more destruction of private property rights – one of the key planks in the West’s economic prosperity.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/politics_election-2026/1478765/greens-announce-reforms-to-lower-commercial-rents-fill-empty-shops

BTW – landlords are already highly incentivised to keep tenants in place. This is just more price control from the Greens, guaranteed to make things worse.
3 1
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September 20, 2026 1:06pm
Ghost

Not sure Charles’s bit on the side should enter this.

The Queen has espoused the need for togetherness amid an ongoing row over damaging allegations in Earl Spencer’s new memoir.

Speaking at her annual book festival in Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, Camilla said she was “recently reminded of a rather beautiful proverb, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together’”.

Artcle
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September 20, 2026 2:22pm
- Prince
  
  I thought Diana was supposed to be the airhead.
  
  1 1
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  September 20, 2026 3:13pm
Ghost

Trump Cuts Camp David Stay Short, Returns to White House as Middle East Tensions Escalate

The pizza places are only at Doughcon 5, so probably just misplaced Natalie Harp and gone looking for her.
2 7
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September 20, 2026 2:30pm
- kowtow
  
  Real people are being raped , tortured and murdered by the Mullah regime .In big numbers.
  
  3 2
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  September 20, 2026 2:34pm
  - Ghost
    
    yes, and trump pulled back every time he should have gone further to help Iran. This will be more than likely to do with the conditions Iran sent. Trump doesn’t really care about the Iranian people, as he has shown every time he chickened out.
    
    2 5
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    September 20, 2026 2:52pm
- Ghost
  
  upgraded to Doughcon 4
  
  0 3
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  September 20, 2026 3:54pm
AitchW

What is To Poti 2026? Top right hand corner on TVNZ News.
0 0
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September 20, 2026 6:14pm
AitchW

Dear BNZ,
Please tell Russel Westbrook how to pronounce “ask”.
Hint, it’s not “arks”.
Jesus wept.
Or are they playing to the South Auckland market?
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September 20, 2026 6:39pm
Benedict Yu

This is exactly what I was worried about with this clown Paul Henry. He is promising to “scrap the carbon tax”. 🙄 Only problem is that New Zealand does not have a carbon tax.

https://youtube.com/shorts/Me2dUZJKTMU?si=RSIlYr8KKNvRrmB8

Why did ACT ever think that this guy would be an asset?
4 3
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September 20, 2026 6:43pm
- rouppe
  
  We have an emissions trading scheme. Which is loosely accepted as a tax on carbon emissions.
  
  Is your opinion of him really solely on that super literal interpretation?
  
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  September 20, 2026 7:07pm
  - Benedict Yu
    
    No that is not correct. We have this guy talking about a “carbon tax”. For all I know he actually believes there is a carbon tax.
    
    0 3
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    September 20, 2026 8:46pm
  - Benedict Yu
    
    No my opinion is based on him being demonstrably a clown when he worked as a TV presenter. Now he is a politician. He just made an election video that shows that he is clueless on climate change policy. He is not a serious person.
    
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    September 20, 2026 8:48pm
    - Ghost
      
      Here is the problem, act call it a carbon tax, further on they correctly say ETS
      
      https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA2609/S00082/only-act-will-cut-the-carbon-tax.htm
      
      0 4
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      September 20, 2026 9:21pm
- Ghost
  
  Act person would be filming it. On the act YouTube channel. Is this a Paul problem or act not paying attention, where is his handler?
  
  1 3
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  September 20, 2026 7:23pm
- Colville
  
  Don’t have a carbon tax? What planet are you from?
  If you buy petrol or anything transported you pay carbon tax.
  
  1 0
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  September 20, 2026 7:31pm
  - Benedict Yu
    
    No we have an Emissions Trading Scheme. I worked on the design. The Carbon Tax was abandoned in 1998.
    
    Which planet are you from?
    
    0 2
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    September 20, 2026 8:45pm
    - rouppe
      
      I reckon you’re being way too literal.
      
      There was a proposal in 1994 for a thing called a “carbon tax” to take effect in 1997.
      
      But when that year came around there was a global proposal, which resulted in the Kyoto Protocol.
      
      So yes, literally the thing proposed called a “carbon tax” was abandoned, but was replaced with the ETS.
      
      A different thing, working a different way to achieve the same goal: a cost for carbon emissions. Call it a carbon tax that you have to pay, call it a carbon credit that you have to (pay to) buy, whatever…
      
      Remember, this is a political candidate pitching to people who don’t really care what it’s called, they only care that it costs them money, ostensibly to reverse climate change, when it won’t do anything of the sort.
      
      It’s like the tax vs levy argument. I don’t care what it’s bloody called, I care that I’m expected to pay more for something.
      
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      September 21, 2026 4:19am

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