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September 25, 2026 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 25 September 2026

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General Debate

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BarryB

Yesterday was a fantastic day for the dairy and meat industry.
1. Fonterra had a very good financial year. Record profit (which as a CO-OP it all goes back to members – farmers less cash with held for expansion and development). Dairy farming is on a high and more conversions are happening. BUT a word of caution. Payout was something like $9.70 but input costs are over $9.00 – so the price of butter and cheese are not going down any time some – more likely they will go up. . When Fonterra was formed it was run by idiots for ther first 10 or 15 years. I thinks its safe to safe that era is over now.
2. A lamb sold for $525 at a sale in Southland yesterday – a record. That’s an ex-farm price of $13/kilo and a retail price of around $30/kilo average – meaning up to $60/kilo for cuts like loin chops and rumps. Lambs have been selling for A$500 and more in Australia this year – so lamb prices are not coming down any time soon either.
3. With Europe getting confused about ‘Net Zero’ (ie: trying to net zero their farming industry instead of CO2 production) and China with more money than they know what to do with it (well they do know what to do with it – but they’ve got more than they ever had before) and with the US cattle farming industry at an all time low numbers and probably years away from recovery and with India coming on line especially for horticulture; the prospects for agriculture production in NZ have never been higher. But theres several well established sayings in farming: When prices are high theres only one way to go and that’s down, or Make hay while the sun shines because you will need it when the climate goes south, etc, etc. But at the moment the prospects do look unusually good.
4. BUT theres is one not so good story. For those pouring marmalade on their toast for breakfast take a good look at that slice of bread. The baking industry uses gas to cook bread. WHEN (not if) gas runs out the industry can do one of 2 things. a) go electric ovens, or b) close down or leave NZ (the international bakers). Going electric will DOUBLE the cost of bread. Now who was it who stopped the gas production industry (if you don’t know the answer then you should not be allowed out in public without a minder…) and who is it that thinks importing gas is a bad idea (answer: the greens
So the moral of todays story – the cost of living is not going down any time soon and is far more likely to go up – and stay up.
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September 25, 2026 8:01am
- imalwaysright
  
  Saw a ‘leg’ of lamb (more like a large shank) in Woolies a couple of months ago. $85
  
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  September 25, 2026 10:07am
  - Colville
    
    Lamb leg , not shoulder, roasts were 24.95 a kg a couple of weeks back. I got 4 but should have got 10.
    
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    September 25, 2026 3:35pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

Carolyn Tremain, recently Damed, presided over at least two IT projects that have cost us horrendous amounts of money, in a regime where her staff conspired to mislead their Minister about the likelihood of success. Her Acting replacement, Suzanne Stew, pulled the plug on one of them – well done, that woman.

The question remains, what will it take to have Carolyn Tremain stripped of her Damehood?

http://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/1564998/new-boss-pulled-the-plug-on-immigration-it-project-audit-office-eyes-accounting
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September 25, 2026 8:06am
artemisia

A flurry of media reports refer to a “damning review” of the Education Ministry’s curriculum division. Have to say the survey results as reported do indicate some surveyed MinEd staffers come across as fragile and easily offended.

However, maybe this from the linked article gives a different and ideological take on unhappy staff:

Some participants said some former employees left because they had difficulty being politically neutral, the report said. “Some people spoken to were extremely passionate about their work, and the reviewer could see how this could give rise to an interpretation that they may not be willing to serve the government of the day if they disagreed with the decisions,” the report said.

Earlier reports mentioned staff were told to cut (some) Maori words in the curriculum documentation. Did I mention ideology?

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/education/1558865/allegations-of-favouritism-unsustainable-workloads-at-education-ministry-s-curriculum-division
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September 25, 2026 8:08am
- mike
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  Cut some Māori words to appease the racists?
  
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  September 25, 2026 8:12am
  - Pope Punctilious II
    
    Cut artificial, politically motivated insertion of Maori words into the curriculum e.g akonga, kaupapa. There, fixed it for you.
    
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    September 25, 2026 8:19am
  - Prince
    
    Or make the communications legible to 98% of recipients.
    
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    September 25, 2026 8:23am
    - R
      
      Clarity and legible communication is not in the lexicon of many Public Servants, particularly in the DEI selected group.
      
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      September 25, 2026 10:01am
      - Pope Punctilious II
        
        You’re telling me! In a recent administrative role I had to read through the verbiage churned out by the Tertiary Education Commission. I used to wonder if they were paid by the word, with bonuses for use of Maori words.
        
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        September 25, 2026 12:15pm
  - CJames
    
    No – they cut the Maori words to make the documents readable where everyone could have an understanding of the words by their precise meanings, not some nebulous concepts. Same as what laws are supposed to do.
    
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    September 25, 2026 8:29am
    - Gravelroad
      
      Alleging racism is a handy way of shutting down debate.
      
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      September 25, 2026 8:32am
      - Ruahine
        
        Alleging racism is also a lazy way of trying to shut down truth.
        
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        September 25, 2026 8:46am
      - sungsamning
        
        Except it is becoming an ineffective weapon. Leftist buzzwords have little impact now.
        
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        September 25, 2026 9:22am
  - Cassandra
    
    They’d have to add Maori words to appease the racists.
    
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    September 25, 2026 8:39am
  - graham
    
    Cut some Māori words so that people can read and understand without having to consult a Māori dictionary every 10 seconds?
    
    Example:
    
    The framework provides a strong and inclusive vision for raising achievement and ensuring all ākonga experience success as themselves.
    
    I genuinely do not know what “ākonga” means. At that point of reading I will have to stop and look it up to try and understand who this sentence is addressing.
    
    Another example:
    
    The draft New Zealand Curriculum Framework, Te Mātaiaho, provides a clear framework for teaching and learning for teachers and kaiako to bring to life with their students in responsive ways.
    
    Again, I do not understand what “kaiako” means.
    
    I’m sorry if the concept of wishing to be able to read a document and understand it seems racist to you mike. Maybe that idea is a terribly outdated concept in today’s environment.
    
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    September 25, 2026 8:41am
    - R
      
      ‘at that point of reading………Graham, at that point, I stop reading and move onto a credible comment/ article. Difficult to do with some media, oral or written! .
      
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      September 25, 2026 10:04am
    - Benedict Yu
      
      I agree. It is absurd. It is jarring because you read in a language and suddenly you hit a road block. It might as well be Arabic.
      
      The solution is so simple. All parents nominate whether they would like the school to communicate in English or Maori. Those who choose Maori should be accommodated 100 percent. All their communication will be in Maori.
      
      I feel like banging my head because the solution is obvious and the stupidity of mixing two languages, literally in the same sentence, is also obvious..
      
      What the hell am I missing?
      
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      September 25, 2026 11:12am
      - Ra Henare
        
        Benedict, you are missing authors (and approvers) of such documents want to be seen as Kool kids.
        
        They don’t realize the real world sees them as idiots
        
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        September 25, 2026 1:08pm
    - Right of way is Way of Right
      
      Perhaps you might want to engage some curiosity, and learn what the word is. It’s not difficult.
      
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      September 25, 2026 3:47pm
  - Yabster
    
    oh no the “racist”- try something new your comment is stale boring and untrue.
    
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    September 25, 2026 9:21am
  - No BS
    
    The old racism card. Good one. If you want to learn [Mod- drop the racism], fill your boots. But don’t force it upon those that don’t!
    
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    September 25, 2026 9:23am
    - David Garrett
      
      Mod: I did not see what you deleted
      
      [ Mod – mods are not part of the debate stream. If you have an issue with any moderation matters take it up with DPF ]
      
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      September 25, 2026 9:53am
      - David Garrett
        
        Crikey! That was quick.
        
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        September 25, 2026 10:07am
- Scott
  
  As a general comment, I wonder what the ministry of education actually does? A new education minister comes in and has to revise the entire curriculum, introduce new qualifications and ban cellphones. Meanwhile the kids are dumber than the previous generation and many Gen Z appear totally unprepared to enter the work force.
  
  The minister of education had to insist that Kids are taught the basics and they learn to read using phonics.
  Kids can’t read, I know this after taking a bible study for youth and the kids can’t read two sentences. It wasn’t the King James, it was a modern translation. But after 10 years of state education many couldn’t read two sentences.
  
  Contrast my parents generation and they could all read. The newspaper, magazines, light novels, what they needed to succeed in the workplace and in life.
  
  Our education system has declined. Where has the ministry of education been all this time?
  
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  September 25, 2026 8:32am
  - greybeard
    
    Not just the Min. of Ed.
    I suspect that many homes in NZ have no books or other reading material. These have been replaced by TV and cellphones. I daresay a lot of the younger teachers never read much for pleasure, just enough to do their job.
    
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    September 25, 2026 9:57am
    - Ra Henare
      
      This oldie(80) reads plenty via my 15 inch Laptop screen.
      Reading and researching between 6-8 hours a day.
      
      No books here for some years.
      
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      September 25, 2026 1:12pm
      - greybeard
        
        Great. But you are not a school kid whose parents are neglecting his/her development and education.
        
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        September 25, 2026 3:48pm
  - R
    
    Motivation for personal success and achievement is ‘so last generation’. We have utopia now.
    
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    September 25, 2026 10:07am
- Yvette
  
  FAI – for anyone’s information
  Independent workplace review of Te Poutāhū | The Curriculum Centre
  https://web-assets.education.govt.nz/s3fs-public/2026-09/Independent%20Workplace%20Review%20-%20Terms%20of%20Reference.pdf?VersionId=yeMPmsDfVPU4MYmByk5h6MhvgdW6RDpk
  
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  September 25, 2026 8:34am
- sungsamning
  
  Its time for a purge, and a sinking lid on all ‘public service’ hiring. First, it’d be necessary to change legislation so that these people can be got rid of when they botch things up. The same should apply to council workers.
  
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  September 25, 2026 9:21am
  - Paulus
    
    Can’t and too late !
    DEI is here to stay.
    
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    September 25, 2026 11:49am
    - sungsamning
      
      Maybe. It depends on whether or not NZ follows American trends as per usual. As in ditching DEI, and making English an official language.
      
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      September 25, 2026 1:19pm
- lastmanstanding
  
  The Political Legal and Academic Elites particularly those on the Left are worried about AI. They are worried that the peasants ( thats what they call you behind closed doors) will get information that will discredit them and show them up for what they are. Their counter will be to restrict access ( think the U16 digital moves). This will be done under the guise of “protecting” you from Disinformation and Misinformation ( think the Podium of Truth).
  They will also look to discredit organisations they see as subversive such as the Taxpayers Union (TU) and the Free Speech Union (FSU). Hagers book is an example.
  If you value freedom of information freedom of speech freedom of thought and freedom of association you will like me join and support the TU and FSU. The stronger such organisations are the more difficult it will be for the Elites to achieve their objectives.
  The down tickers will be supporters of the Elites. They are your enemy.
  
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  September 25, 2026 9:32am
  - Taieri
    
    Why should they be worried?
    The AI does not select only the “correct” and “neutral” information. It does not discriminate and discredit, but synthesizes what’s available, be it true or not. If there’s a bias it is due to the way the algorithm is orientated.
    If you get the down tick it’s not because the down ticker is a leftist but because what you wrote is a nonsense.
    BTW: the down tick is not from me. I don’t bother with up or down ticking.
    
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    September 25, 2026 12:46pm
  - Rumblestrip
    
    What worries me is the sentiment that AI can “magically” make government better, particularly at the extremes.
    
    “Communism has tended to fail every time it’s been tried, because human emotionality gets in the way and the ones in power did not have enough information to make perfect decisions. But with AI we can have a perfect, emotionless, omniscient dictator. Let’s make it happen!”
    
    I’ve heard this line of reasoning from at least one person and it makes my blood run cold
    
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    September 25, 2026 3:42pm
- pb
  
  Nirvana song: Serve the Servants
  
  Need to make bureaucrats accountable.
  
  1) sunset clauses on all laws
  2) laws AND LOCAL GOVT REGULATIONS must come with a cost benefit analysis, not an ideological screed
  3) popular referendums on all law changes
  4) more FOIA
  5) make public all public expenditure, online as it happens
  6) follow the intent of the 12 tables (500BC). Take the magistrates power and spread it to the plebs, away from grey state functionaries. Expand on Justian’s Civis.
  
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  September 25, 2026 10:21am
Master Mariner

US proposing Diesel exports. The US exports 20% of refined Diesel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iN8GY0ZsHM
Trump floats diesel export ban, raising concerns over Canadian fuel prices
Here is an excellent piece,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9zwLH8_fXY
Meanwhile South Korea has “limited” restrictions for export which will directly effect NZ imports if taken further. It really is just a matter of time as there inventories are dwindling.
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September 25, 2026 8:13am
- pb
  
  The price of diesel back at peak. US running both these wars, which are wars on fuel: Ukraine and Iran. US / ZION globalists want price escalation and stagflation. We are witness to a dying Empire: as went the British and Babylonian.
  
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  September 25, 2026 11:58am
- Ra Henare
  
  Thanks MM, very educational.
  
  Guess the Iranians’ long game will outlast Trump’s short-term thinking (bluster).
  
  Offering more popcorn for the midterm showtime.
  
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  September 25, 2026 1:21pm
- sungsamning
  
  If only we had a working refinery. Or one that could be updated. Or be used as a storage buffer.
  
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  September 25, 2026 1:22pm
  - Ra Henare
    
    We would still be stuffed when Feedstock is unavailable.
    We would have had a single supplier (ie NZ refinery)
    As it is we have multiple suppliers of end use fuels.
    
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    September 26, 2026 2:21am
Im Right

PSA, Teachers Union both are/have been for decades, left strongholds and an unofficial arm of the Labour party.(there are many others I know, but these 2 are the biggest), they will NEVER be politically neutral.
National do not appease them as Labour does.
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September 25, 2026 8:19am
David Garrett

Bloody cold out at Rancho Garrett this morning…9C.

Last night I had to re-learn how to start of good fire! Fortunately it’s like riding a bike…
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September 25, 2026 8:28am
- Scott
  
  9C! It was 1C at 7 o’clock this morning in the Wairarapa. You boys are going to have to take some concrete pills and harden up 😎
  
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  September 25, 2026 8:37am
- David Garrett
  
  Start A good fire…brain is a bit slow this am…still only 11 out here
  
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  September 25, 2026 8:37am
  - pdm
    
    You are lucky 7 in Hastings at the moment.
    
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    September 25, 2026 8:45am
- Ra Henare
  
  Really cold in the big KIngdom last night, had to snuggle under the duvet at 24c
  
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  September 25, 2026 1:25pm
CJames

What has happened to all those risks of thousands of deaths from use of Roundup? Mainly seemed to affect residents of leafy suburbs about council weed control from memory. Just like all the brain cancers from cellphones. Or are they things we aren’t supposed to talk about – consign to the memory hole – because they showed supposedly impartial scientists were actually leftwing activists?
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September 25, 2026 8:34am
- David Garrett
  
  CJ: Well said…I believe the list of “probable carcinogens” includes burnt toast.
  
  Out at the ranch I don’t bother with a mask when spraying Roundup…I certainly do bother when it’s one of those selective sprays which only takes out the broadleaf weeds.
  
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  September 25, 2026 8:39am
  - BarryB
    
    If everyone stopped eating things that cause cancer then they would all starve.
    The fact is that all studies show all foods cause cancer !!. What they all overlook is that being a mammal, or being life in any form, can result in a cancer forming.
    Cancer is a natural consequence of having living cells that divide, some of which go awol and are not caught by the imune system.
    Being born is the greatest source of cancer.
    
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    September 25, 2026 8:53am
  - CJames
    
    DG you forgot red meat also being probable carcinogen. https://scienceinsights.org/is-red-meat-a-carcinogen-what-the-science-shows/ Forget the steak tonight.
    There is a very good site that goes into details about how there is a whole industry of activists manipulating cancer data to drive lawsuits
    https://risk-monger.com/
    
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    September 25, 2026 9:03am
    - Ra Henare
      
      I was in Canada in 1976 when it was announced that grilled steak caused cancer.
      
      IMMEDIATELY stopped reading any media about health doom and gloom.
      60 years later, still eating grilled steak and no sign of cancer.
      
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      September 25, 2026 1:28pm
- Cassandra
  
  Roundup has drawbacks. My best friend Harry, a delightful Jack Russell, died after contracting lymphoma , almost certainly from contact with Roundup.
  
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  September 25, 2026 8:43am
  - David Garrett
    
    Cass: Presumably you had an autopsy done on Harry? And the vet concluded that the lymphoma was from contact with Roundup?
    
    No to both questions I suspect…
    
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    September 25, 2026 8:47am
    - Cassandra
      
      We had extensive consultations with a number of vets. Their conclusion, based on biopsies and observation, was a form of lymphoma which affects the skin and internal organs, resulting usually from herbicide, Roundup commonly. Vets’ diagnosis, not mine, although I spent over 30 years involved in medical research. Thanks for the apology.
      
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      September 25, 2026 9:13am
      - David Garrett
        
        Cass: I have no problem offering an apology – as a regular reader you should know that. Clearly you have some evidence for your assertion.
        
        but I think you would agree that Harry became exposed to much more Roundup that you, because of his proximity to the ground, and dogs’ propensity to roll around on it.
        
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        September 25, 2026 9:59am
      - Cassandra
        
        David: my dog was exposed to Roundup, not me. I never touch the stuff. I’m a weeder. And of course that’s the problem with dogs – they are much closer to the action than most humans.
        
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        September 25, 2026 10:17am
  - Albie
    
    Cass, that is very sad about your dog. I have started using weed killer made from white vinegar, table salt and dish detergent instead of Roundup as I have a West Highland terrier. It works a treat.
    
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    September 25, 2026 8:56am
  - keepcalmcarryon
    
    Glyphosate is not known to be a major (or minor?) trigger for lymphoma in dogs, we don’t know why it happens in most cases.
    I’m very sorry for the loss of your best friend.
    
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    September 25, 2026 9:12am
    - Cassandra
      
      Well, several vets concluded that that was the likely cause. Smoking used to be healthy!
      
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      September 25, 2026 9:51am
  - cmm (semi-retired edition)
    
    I doubt very much that occasional contact with Roundup, diluted as sprayed, would cause lymphoma. There are far too many people using Roundup on a daily basis with sub-perfect PPE and they and their pets will get occasional contact.
    
    So I am rather skeptical unless there was something special about this one. Was this dog being sprayed daily? Was it drinking Roundup?
    
    I am not saying that Roundup is a health tonic. There are certainly papers suggesting that Roundup (glyphosate) may contribute to lymphoma, but thus far the link has only been found in people working with large amounts of Roundup on a near-daily basis (eg. agricultural workers specialising in spraying).
    
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    September 25, 2026 9:16am
    - Cassandra
      
      See above. It must be really stimulating to know so much, cmm.
      
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      September 25, 2026 9:52am
    - Dougal10
      
      And in most cases it has been proven it is the wetting agents and “been there ” added dye that cause issues.
      
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      September 25, 2026 10:15am
    - CJames
      
      Here is what the Merck Vetenairy manual says on it.
      https://www.merckvetmanual.com/circulatory-system/lymphoma-in-dogs/lymphoma-in-dogs#Etiology_v83909371
      The summary of causes from AI is:
      “lymphoma in dogs is caused by a combination of genetic, environmental, immune, and lifestyle factors, though the exact cause is not fully understood.” So basically anything or nothing could “cause” it
      
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      September 25, 2026 3:00pm
  - wsk12345
    
    My boy too. Roundup is accepted to cause lymphoma, particularly in dogs who have their noses to the ground so much.
    
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    September 25, 2026 9:38am
    - keepcalmcarryon
      
      It isn’t, and it’s important scientifically to be aware of the difference between what is established fact and what is theoretically possible, but not proven with current evidence.
      It’s also not possible in dogs to tell what caused a lymphoma with a biopsy.
      
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      September 25, 2026 11:48am
  - Dougal10
    
    How would your Harry have contact with roundup , its a chemical for spraying fields to remove grass weeds before a new crop is planted. Most people would observe a few hour non entry period after spraying .
    
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    September 25, 2026 10:12am
    - Ghost
      
      It’s also sold for people to use on their gardens, lawns, not just for commercial use
      
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      September 25, 2026 10:16am
    - Cassandra
      
      Roundup was commonly used in my Auckland suburb by Council “gardeners”.
      
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      September 25, 2026 10:20am
  - MCōs
    
    I had Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which is a type of lymphoma, about 3-4yrs ago.
    The hematologist said the cause of lymphoma was not known, but there are about seventy varieties. Nobody mentioned Roundup.
    Sam Neil had a lymphoma that didn’t respond to chemotherapy, but it saved a wretch like me
    
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    September 25, 2026 10:33am
  - Handyman
    
    Sorry to hear about your dog.
    However…
    There have been over 20,000 scientific journal studies on Roundup, and countless Biochemistry graduates, like me, have delved into the cellular mechanism.
    The scientist who could prove Roundup caused cancer would be an instant millionaire, win a Nobel prize and be feted from the heavens by the greens/media.
    The closest the greens have got was to get a political committee of the EU to say it is a possible carcinogen.
    
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    September 25, 2026 1:22pm
- mike
  
  The government’s ‘leftwing’ scientists have consistently approved the use of glyphosate, with the appropriate controls.
  
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  September 25, 2026 8:57am
  - David Garrett
    
    What are those “appropriate controls” Mike? do they include mask wearing?
    
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    September 25, 2026 9:03am
    - mike
      
      https://www.epa.govt.nz/hazardous-substances/rules-notices-and-how-to-comply/specific-substance-guidance/glyphosate/
      
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      September 25, 2026 9:05am
    - igm
      
      [Mod – Nothing to do with this topic]
      
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      September 25, 2026 9:40am
- pb
  
  Classic massive Oligarchy campaign to crush dissenters. All roundup supporters should be made to drink a cup:
  
  https://www.newsweek.com/patrick-moore-scientist-who-offered-and-then-refused-drink-glyphosate-weed-317289
  
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  September 25, 2026 10:04am
- peterwn
  
  They will be trying to ‘prove’ that AI is carcinogenic next.
  
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  September 25, 2026 10:16am
Philview

There was an article in the Herald today saying 48% of National Party voters support a wealth tax. I am a traditional National voter and see it as economic suicide as it would drive wealthy people away from the country.
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September 25, 2026 8:40am
- RoboRob
  
  I expect the reported strong support for wealth taxes indicates either
  
  a) people dont understand what a wealth tax is and the effects of such
  b) The polling questions are misleading
  
  I strongly suspect in recent polling, just prior to an election, it is both a and b. The polling organisers wanting to drum up support for a wealth tax and the related political parties.
  
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  September 25, 2026 10:10am
  - Dougal10
    
    Question was probably similar to ” would you rather have a wealth tax or 25% gst”
    
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    September 25, 2026 10:18am
    - Ghost
      
      or not, you can read the questions with the results, The question is Do you support the introduction of the following
      
      https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2026-09/34th%20Ipsos%20Issues%20monitor%20Sept%202026.pdf
      
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      September 25, 2026 12:50pm
      - RoboRob
        
        Interesting. The list under ‘do you support the introduction of the following’ is exclusively new taxes, which I guess is fair. But since there is no description of what each of the taxes is, I suspect many would have supported the ones they didn’t understand or didn’t think would effect them. Thus Wealth, Capital Acquisitions, Bed and CGT all had high support whereas Land and commuter had low support.
        
        I consider myself moderately well informed, I have no idea what the ‘Capital Acquisitions tax’ is. I could guess but I might be wrong. I assume its a top policy.
        
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        September 25, 2026 1:24pm
      - RoboRob
        
        @RoboRob
        
        I take some of that back, was looking at the summary of results, which doesn’t have definitions, the actual question does describe the taxes.
        
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        September 25, 2026 1:31pm
      - Hard Cheese
        
        @RoboRob
        
        First time I’d heard of a Capital Acquisitions Tax as well. It’s stupid, so it’s almost guaranteed to be a TOP policy
        
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        September 25, 2026 1:32pm
      - Ra Henare
        
        I now understand Labours say buggar all strategy!!
        
        They believe the IPSOS poll that says they are ahead in opinion polls about who is best to solve the nation’s problems.
        
        So they should NOT say anything to upset the beliefs of the polled voters.
        
        Meanwhile, National seems intent on wacky policy announcements rather than concentrating on banging the drum on their achievements. ie we do what we say we will do . No 100,000 house policy from us….
        
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        September 25, 2026 1:40pm
      - Hard Cheese
        
        They certainly didn’t phone anyone on the Mensa mailing list for that poll. According to the results, the party capable of managing the top 7 issues worrying New Zealanders is
        
        1. Inflation/cost of living = Labour
        2. Healthcare/hospitals = Labour
        3. The economy = Labour
        4. Unemployment = Labour
        5. Housing/Price of housing = Labour
        =6. Poverty/inequality = Labour
        Petrol prices/fuel = Labour
        
        And then 9 through 15
        
        9. Education = Labour
        =10. Immigration = Labour
        Taxation = Labour
        11. Drug/alcohol abuse = Labour
        =12. Household debt/Personal debt = Labour
        Transport/public transport/infrastructure = Labour
        =13. Race relations/racism = Labour
        
        I mean, really. Comedy gold, LOL
        
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        September 25, 2026 1:50pm
      - nova
        
        The question is more than just “do you support…”, the key part is the definition, which in this case is “Wealth Tax: A 2.5% percent tax on an individual’s net assets above $10 million with an exemption for family homes.”. This definition helps explain why 64% of the online panel supported this, versus only 45% support for a CGT. The respondents think there is very little chance of a wealth tax defined this way affecting them, but some of them feel that a CGT might impact them. Of course a wealth tax will impact them significantly as well, even if they don’t pay the tax personally, but they are too stupid to realise that.
        
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        September 25, 2026 3:59pm
    - Paulus
      
      Same GST as Denmark, which gets mixed.
      
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      September 25, 2026 1:50pm
- Tomtoddy
  
  If the MSM keep on and on about a subject – like how much more we need extra taxes to pay for the poor then why should we be surprised if the readers then say in a poll they think extra taxes are needed.
  
  It is about as circuitous as you can get and self serving circuitous too.
  
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  September 25, 2026 10:26am
- R
  
  Just another NEGATIVE anti National comment in the HERALD, it reads better for propaganda purposes, than writing ‘over 50% or even 52%, of National voters support….’
  
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  September 25, 2026 12:05pm
  - Ghost
    
    They are reporting the results of the ISPOS poll. Perhaps you should put your little whinge to ISOPS as they are the ones whose data show a 47% support from national supporters
    
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    September 25, 2026 12:35pm
M.Solvent

Two unrelated articles in the Herald today tell a similar story about people. A survey reportedly shows 2/3 of NZers want a wealth tax. A similar proportion of passengers took their carry on bags when evacuating an aircraft due to an engine fire.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/new-survey-shows-two-thirds-of-kiwis-want-wealth-tax-labours-control-of-main-issues-slipping

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/companies/airlines/air-nz-flight-fire-passengers-took-carry-on-bags-during-evacuation-engine-blade-crack-likely-missed-in-overhaul
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September 25, 2026 8:43am
Maggy Wassilieff

Another informative column from Colinxy about the rise of DEI in the West and who benefits from DEI.

Why DEI Spread: It Is Bureaucratically Perfect

DEI is not about who you are. It is about how you can be used.

https://nominister.wordpress.com/2026/09/24/how-dei-became-the-wests-new-state-ideology/
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September 25, 2026 8:46am
- keepcalmcarryon
  
  Great read thanks Maggy
  
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  September 25, 2026 9:06am
- Master Mariner
  
  The thing with DEI in my mind is how institutionalised and embedded into everyday use it became.
  It was coordinated and synchronised into existence and by the time people clicked on to what it was all about it was already in everyday life.
  To the everyday person it has become an absolute disaster. To the very elite a useful tool as your attachment states. In my mind its use was to put people against one another.
  From a Corporate perspective , It enabled the likes of Blackrock ( Major proponent ) and others to allow “Incompetent Boards” of major companies to be coerced and moulded into what they wanted.
  Here is another from your link ,
  https://nominister.wordpress.com/2025/10/16/technocratic-marxism-enforcement-esg-dei-and-the-financial-levers-of-ideological-compliance/
  If you look at it as a “Useful Tool” ( in the wrong hands) then it makes a lot more sense.
  
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  September 25, 2026 9:07am
  - Paulus
    
    Thank you Helen Clark for DEI !
    
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    September 25, 2026 1:52pm
- Boy Geoff
  
  Apparently Iran is demanding that Trump accede to their new DEI policy as a bottom line to freeing up the Strait of Hormuz
  
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  September 25, 2026 9:19am
  - Jethrod
    
    Can you imagine an Iranian DEI policy? Do as I say not as I do, otherwise you will be shot, defrocked of your hijab and no more protests.
    
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    September 25, 2026 10:07am
  - Ra Henare
    
    Nice try at distraction, Boy, but your musings won’t change the energy supplies worldwide.
    
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    September 25, 2026 1:46pm
- R
  
  Very interesting Maggie. Practically explains why NZ is down in the depths of despair, on so many measurable social indicators.
  
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  September 25, 2026 12:12pm
Cassandra

Don’t be too dismissive of carcinogens. We’re learning all the time. My own cancers are possibly due to chemical exposure. People exposed as I was have a significantly higher incidence of cancer than those not exposed. Cancer is not much fun.
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September 25, 2026 8:50am
- CJames
  
  Are you certain it isn’t your cups of coffee that caused your cancer?
  “A cup of coffee is filled with chemicals. They’ve identified a thousand chemicals in a cup of coffee. But we only found 22 that have been tested in animal cancer tests out of this thousand. And of those, 17 are carcinogens. There are 10 milligrams of known carcinogens in a cup of coffee and that’s more carcinogens than you’re likely to get from pesticide residues for a year”
  https://reason.com/1994/11/01/of-mice-and-men-2/
  I too have had lymphoma and use Roundup, but I have been exposed to thousands of chemicals over the years. Any one of those could have caused it – or even none at all. Just an unlucky natural gene mutation.
  
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  September 25, 2026 9:09am
  - Cassandra
    
    It wasn’t Roundup. How do you explain why Vietnam vets have this higher incidence? I think it’s accepted that Agent Orange had side effects.
    
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    September 25, 2026 9:16am
    - cmm (semi-retired edition)
      
      The conflation of Roundup and Agent Orange is ridiculous.
      
      The primary danger in Agent Orange was not the active ingredients but a dioxin byproduct contaminant made during the manufacturing process (TCDD – dioxin).
      
      The only very tenuous link is that Monsanto (a large chemical company making a wide variety of chemicals) was one of the suppliers of Agent Orange. There were at least 9 suppliers who were coopted by the US government and were required to follow the US government recipe.
      
      There is absolutely no evidence that Agent Orange was repurposed as Round up or anything like that.
      
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      September 25, 2026 9:26am
      - Cassandra
        
        I wasn’t conflating anything. My dog had a cancer, I have another. No connection. Harry didn’t serve in Vietnam.
        
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        September 25, 2026 9:55am
      - Handyman
        
        Correct, but Agent Orange originally did not have any dioxin.
        Dioxin is produced as a byproduct if the manufacturing process is driven too hard. For domestic US use this was banned but the US military placed huge orders for Agent Orange and didn’t care about the side effects on the North Vietnamese. After all, they were using Agent Orange to show where to drop the bombs on the Ho Chi Min Trail.
        The tragedy/crime was that no one told the US and allied troops handling the drums of the chemical, and thousands died as a result.
        
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        September 25, 2026 11:54pm
- Taieri
  
  My own cancers are possibly due to chemical exposure.
  ————–
  
  Or to another (simple?) factor…your age…
  
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  September 25, 2026 9:32am
  - Cassandra
    
    The medical conclusion is my military service, hence the free treatment and the war pension. But no doubt age plays a part. A big part!
    
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    September 25, 2026 9:57am
    - Taieri
      
      Back in the day, cancers were not very common because people didn’t live long enough to develop them.
      
      I hope, you are OK, regardless of the underlaying causes.
      
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      September 25, 2026 12:50pm
pdm

I went to Stuff to have a look at the IPSOS Poll I heard Mike Hosking referring to earlier this morning.

I could only find reference to an election in a mythical place called Aotearoa.

They must be having elections at the same time that New Zealand is.

Copy cats?
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September 25, 2026 8:51am
- Albie
  
  Left wing parties are much more popular in Aotearoa than they are here in NZ hence the poll results.
  
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  September 25, 2026 9:05am
cmm (semi-retired edition)

In yesterday’s discussion there was a question as to whether or not people getting the Super should be means tested or not.

It really comes down to whether it should be viewed as an entitlement that everyone gets, or just another welfare entitlement only available to the poor/lazy.

From the day you start working in NZ (for me it was when I came to NZ at age 30), the “deal” was that you paid into the pot life long and then this formed part of your retirement income at age 65 (or whatever age).

Personally, I’d rather have opted out and paid less tax and pus aside my own retirement, but that deal was not on the table.

NZ Super has always been sold as an entitlement for everyone. If it was suddenly means tested then that would severely cut into many people’s retirement income.

Instead of thinking of it as the dole, rather think of it as something like our other entitlements.

Should we means test access to schools or hospitals (rich pricks don’t get to send their kids to state schools or go to hospitals)?

Perhaps no more access to DoC land or parks for people who are land owners (because they can just walk on their own land).

Yes, we have champagne living on a beer budget. NZ Super is part of the problem in the future, but that is not down to a few “rich pricks” getting back a tenth of the tax they are paying in super.

Bottom line is that high income people are not the people making the hole in the bucket. They are filling the hole. Stop being churlish.
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September 25, 2026 9:05am
- Dudley Quaffquaff
  
  Not for years has the “deal” been that you paid into the pot life long and then this formed part of your retirement income. That’s the deal with KiwiSaver, and it’s the deal with other savings accounts and personal investments if you wish, but it’s not the deal with NZ Super.
  
  The tax that you pay is spent by the Government on whatever Governments spend money on – roads, schools, defence, healthcare, social welfare and today’s pensioners. Your pension is or will be paid from the taxes paid by younger people.
  
  I don’t know whether you personally have paid enough tax over your lifetime to cover the cost of your pension plus your share of all the other things that Government spent money on over your lifetime. But your generation as a whole – hasn’t. Each generation’s NZS is paid for by following generations. It hasn’t been paid for by themselves.
  
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  September 25, 2026 9:24am
  - Taieri
    
    That’s all very well, but…how much practical influence do we have on what a government of the day decides to spend our money on?
    
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    September 25, 2026 9:35am
    - Albie
      
      Exactly. The consultants bill for Michael Wood’s cycle way over the Auckland harbour would have paid for 1.2m pensions for a year.
      
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      September 25, 2026 10:28am
  - Taieri
    
    Your pension is or will be paid from the taxes paid by younger people
    ———–
    
    The critics of the present system seem to forget that the vast majority of today’s superannuitants supported today’s taxpayers for quite a number of years before the latter became taxpayers.
    According to some estimates it costs between $260K and $400K to raise a child from birth to the age of 18.
    
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    September 25, 2026 9:47am
    - peterwn
      
      “Your pension is or will be paid from the taxes paid by younger people”
      Ponzi scheme? But not when the Government does it.
      
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      September 25, 2026 10:28am
  - RoboRob
    
    ‘Not for years has the “deal” been that you paid into the pot life long and then this formed part of your retirement income’
    
    That’s the deal right now. The ‘deal’ has always been that we pay into the pot (tax) of which some of it pays for others retirements. When we are old enough, we retire and others pay into the pot to cover our retirement. Nothing has changed, yet.
    
    Kiwisaver is an undefined mess. It was originally ‘sold’ as a savings mechanism to ADD to you super and provide a better retirement. Now some are trying to convert it into your entire retirement fund (instead of super). The government needs to clearly define the relationship between super and kiwisaver and how it will work. They then need to stop fucking with kiwisaver constantly.
    
    Whatever they do with Kiwisaver it needs to be ‘fair’. Is it fair that someone who has worked and saved hard should fund their own super while someone who has not worked gets government funded super of a similar amount? In my opinion there should be a strong benefit to working and saving.
    
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    September 25, 2026 10:21am
    - Hard Cheese
      
      That strong benefit should be higher levels of mandatory employer contributions to KiwiSaver, they should be looking at 11%+ like Australia. Give people an incentive to be in the workforce an have a decent retirement instead of subsisting on the pitiful crumbs of NZ Super
      
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      September 25, 2026 2:15pm
  - All_on_Red
    
    ‘Your pension is or will be paid from the taxes paid by younger people.’
    Nope.
    The top 20% of Income Earners pay 65% of the total Tax take. The bottom 80% pay the rest.
    Most people don’t reach their peak incomes until over 50. So really its older people who are in that 20% who pay for it.
    
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    September 25, 2026 10:52am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    So, my taxes have been used by the government to grow the economy. GDP today is much higher than it was when I first started paying tax. You can argue the toss about how much of my tax was invested (roads, dams, railways – heh!) and how much was expensed, but you can’t argue that my taxes have not contributed to growing the economy.
    
    Put another way, today’s 20 year olds are not walking into a barren wasteland. They live in a first world country, where the infrastructure, structures, rule of law etc are all in place.
    
    Why should I not benefit from all of that growth, in the form of the social contract promised me by successive governments?
    
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    September 25, 2026 12:44pm
  - rouppe
    
    Urghhh…
    
    The tax I paid on any given day during my working life was for the roads for my future use, the hospitals for my future use, the future use of the school that my child goes to.
    
    And the future use of the retirement income I need when I retire.
    
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    September 25, 2026 4:37pm
- artemisia
  
  Means testing commonly covers income and asset. If it is only income, there are plenty of ways to minimise one and extend the other. A comprehensive CGT (not currently on the table) makes it harder but not impossible.
  
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  September 25, 2026 9:33am
- westernScientist
  
  very few people under 45 think they will ever get the super they are currently paying for
  
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  September 25, 2026 10:51am
- Paulus
  
  All my wife’s Super about $950 per month goes towards paying for her Care home at about $9,800 per month.
  The rest we pay from our savings.
  
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  September 25, 2026 1:55pm
  - rouppe
    
    Errr
    
    National super for a married couple is $427.04 each per week at tax code ‘M’.
    
    That’s about twice the figure you quote.
    
    Perhaps you meant “about $950 a fortnight”.
    
    https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/eligibility/seniors/superannuation/how-much-you-can-get.html#:~:text=Payment%20rate%20if%20you%20have%20a%20partner
    
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    September 25, 2026 4:45pm
sungsamning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_RRuNNp2tI

China Threatens New Zealand: Navy Ships Blocked in Taiwan Strait.

A critical escalation is unfolding in the Taiwan Strait following China’s attempt to blockade two New Zealand Navy ships. This action represents a direct challenge to international freedom of navigation and global trade. Alongside this maritime intimidation, recent satellite images reveal a rapid and silent expansion of China’s nuclear capabilities. This shifting landscape poses a serious threat to global security and the defense of Pacific democracies, demanding immediate attention from the free world before the situation deteriorates further. [Not quite. The Chinese Navy always closely monitor foreign warships passing through the area. Maybe they could drop into Shanghai, offer a Karakia, and do a haka?]
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September 25, 2026 9:16am
- kowtow
  
  Funnily enough we’ve welcomed their warships into our harbours while the Americans aren’t. Yet we’re sending our ships up there to suck up to the Americans.
  
  Only in New Zealand.
  
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  September 25, 2026 10:53am
  - sungsamning
    
    Yes, its a funny old world. I hope our beef farmers are taking advantage of Trumps war on the meatpacking cartels.
    
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    September 25, 2026 3:43pm
- Taieri
  
  This action represents a direct challenge to international freedom of navigation and global trade.
  ———-
  
  The Hormuz Strait…
  
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  September 25, 2026 12:53pm
- Ra Henare
  
  NZ has 2 Navy ships????
  Available for jolly jaunts to the South China seas/Taiwans straits.
  
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  September 25, 2026 1:51pm
sungsamning

https://issuesinsights.com/2026/09/24/three-and-truth-about-the-climate/

More Truth About Climate Lies.

Last week we noted that so far there had been zero Atlantic hurricanes, a record. For the first time in 112 years, we’ve now gone this deep into hurricane season without one. Of course the media ignore this monumental phenomenon because it doesn’t fit the global warming tale. So what other inconvenient facts are they covering up? Here’s a partial list:

The Great Barrier Reef, that immense coral system off of Australia’s northeastern coast, the largest living structure on the planet, which experts said was being killed by manmade global warming, has gone through its best five years on record. Official reef-wide statistics were “widely published as the Great Barrier Reef got worse,” says Danish researcher Bjorn Lomborg, but when the data showed improvement, the statistic keeping stopped.

[Eureka! Giving money to the UN to make the weather better worked! Best news ever from the General Assembly. Al Gore will be pleased! Now the UN needs to form a SI (Superior Intelligence) Taskforce. Throw a few bazillion dollars at it. And in 30-40 years, SI will no longer be a threat. What a boon for humanity! Maybe Greta will jump from the ‘Palestinian’ bandwagon to the SI one. Does anybody want to give $20 to kickstart the process of saving humanity from this threat?]
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September 25, 2026 9:17am
Prince

Does anybody know why some comments (ie mine !) take between 2 and 6 hours to be registered on Kiwiblog ?
Am I considered high risk ?

[Mod – comments are approved when a mod is online to do so, sometimes Mod’s are busy with non kiwiblog stuff]
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September 25, 2026 9:19am
- Maggy Wassilieff
  
  comments are approved when a mod is online to do so,
  
  My body tells me that I spend too much time sitting on my bum reading Kiwiblog and other websites.
  
  I don’t begrudge the moderator(s) having a few hours off to dig the garden, walk the dog or cook dinner for the family.
  
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  September 25, 2026 9:51am
- David Garrett
  
  Prince: A Mod was very quick off the mark deleting a comment I had made about another deletion! I think my comment lasted about ten minutes.
  
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  September 25, 2026 12:30pm
  - MCōs
    
    This forum is open to comments at the pleasure of Mr Farrar who has engaged some people to maintain a certain standard of decorum
    I suspect it helps your cause if you don’t have a reputation for picking up yellow cards
    
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    September 25, 2026 1:21pm
David Garrett

Regular readers will recall that I made an OIA request of Radio New Zealand – sorry RNZ – about the change of name of the station, and adopting instead irirangi o tAotearoa.

Here is the response – commendably clear, but of course the writer could not resist a bit of condescending sarcasm.

I can’t seem to paste the pdf. here. Anyone who is interested can email me on: [email protected]
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September 25, 2026 10:23am
- Jethrod
  
  Thanks for that. It appears he/him is not a honorific, but just personal pronouns. I would of thought just she/it!
  
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  September 25, 2026 11:18am
- Philview
  
  I recall you triggered a well known female journalist last year. Other than on here I don’t know where else you would have got under her skin.
  
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  September 25, 2026 12:49pm
- ISeeRed
  
  DPF might be interested in making it a guest post. I’m definitely interested.
  
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  September 25, 2026 2:19pm
- cmm (semi-retired edition)
  
  DG sent it to me and I extracted the text, as below:
  
  David Garrett SC
  Principal
  Garrett & Associates
  Law Practioners
  Tonga & New Zealand
  Email: [email protected]
  
  Tēnā koe David,
  24 September 2026
  
  I am writing in response to your OIA request of 8 September. You sought:
  1. When, and on whose instructions, did the name of what was formerly known as “Radio New Zealand” become RNZ?
  2. When, and on whose instructions, did the term “Irirangi o Aotearoa” begin to be used in place of “Radio New Zealand”.
  
  First my apologies for the delay in answering this, it took some digging to confirm the information. We are pleased that you have noted that our name is now RNZ. This change occurred in 2017. It coincided with a major refresh of our website, which subsequently moved from the url radionz.co.nz to today’s rnz.co.nz (RNZ has moved to rnz.co.nz | RNZ). There was substantial publicity of this change at the time to ensure that our readers did not miss out on their news.
  
  The changes were made to reflect the fact that RNZ had become a multi-media news and entertainment organisation, and not one just limited to a traditional spectrum service. Our website has doubled in audience size in the past three years and we offer a wide range of multi-media options, including award-winning podcasts, and Listening on Demand.
  Our Board-mandated, and Government-approved, strategy is to reach 85 per cent of New Zealanders each month. We are currently just shy of this ambitious target at 83%, and this is only achievable by servicing our diverse audiences in a range of formats, not just through radio broadcasts.
  
  The introduction of our Māori name – Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa – occurred at the same time. This was to ensure that RNZ meets its obligations under its Charter, specifically Clause 5(g): to reflect New Zealand’s cultural identity, including Māori language and culture (RNZ : charter).
  The above decisions were made by RNZ’s Chief Executive Officer and Editor-in-Chief, Paul Thompson. He wrote in 2017 about the use of te reo by the organisation, which you can find here: Why RNZ is dedicated to the use of te reo | RNZ
  I hope this helps you understand our approach. You have a right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of the above outcome. Information about how to make a complaint is available at http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602. A referral must occur within 20 working days.
  Ngā mihi,
  
  Andrew Holden (he/him)
  OIA Officer
  
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  September 25, 2026 2:35pm
  - cmm (semi-retired edition)
    
    DG: He/him sure applied a needle to every pain point…
    
    I do recall them making a song and dance of the RNZ thing at the time. It was a big rebrand because the “radio” was no longer their only medium and they were pushing their website very heavily.
    
    Only 2% of NZ only listen to RNZ via radio. 51% use multi-platform.
    
    I don’t recall the Maori language stuff being introduced at the time, but they might have just slipped that in for free.
    
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    September 25, 2026 2:45pm
    - Maggy Wassilieff
      
      Listen to Lisa Owen on Checkpoint (4pm-6pm) RNZ and you’ll hear Aotearoa being used in preference to New Zealand.
      
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      September 25, 2026 2:58pm
      - CJames
        
        I would prefer not to listen. There are a lot better news sources out there. RNZ has made themselves superfluous by their onesidedness.
        
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        September 25, 2026 3:06pm
  - Ian
    
    I cannot believe they have reached an 83% engagement with the country’s (sorry, motu’s) population each month….
    
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    September 25, 2026 3:31pm
MCōs

Rogue AI agents hacked into Australian government agencies.
The breach happened in June, but OpenAI says it only became aware of it in August – and then took until 10 September to alert Australia’s government
How long before people like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who can treat Australia with such disdain, become the real world leaders along with their champions Donald Trump, Putin and Xi Jinping
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr3eqk15ld14o
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September 25, 2026 10:52am
- virtualmark
  
  I read an interesting equity analyst piece on the AI companies that said their recent request for a “slowdown” in AI development was in large part motivated by legal advice they’d received that they face criminal liability for any damage their AI bots cause.
  
  If you or I hacked the Australian government’s health databases we would (rightly) be charged with a crime. Unclear to me why an AI bot would get a free pass on similar criminal charges.
  
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  September 25, 2026 12:50pm
  - cmm (semi-retired edition)
    
    The “slowdown” comments were also an attempt to up-sell the AI as more powerful than it is. Our technology is so powerful, only the government should be allowed to use it…
    
    The criminality of action by any AI agents becomes interesting. Who is to blame? The programmer? The owner?
    
    We have a similar issue when a traffic law gets broken by a self driving car. Is it reasonable to charge the owner of the vehicle? Is it reasonable to charge the programmer?
    
    If it is serious (eg. reckless driving causing death) who gets to wear orange?
    
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    September 25, 2026 3:04pm
- Philview
  
  I think the story hinted that the cyber security on the Australian site was very slack.
  
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  September 25, 2026 12:51pm
  - kevn
    
    Phil… Same scenario as the NZ Manage My Health site security breach. It is run from India if you try to resolve any issues.
    
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    September 25, 2026 7:24pm
- cmm (semi-retired edition)
  
  I think some of these reports are a bit over-egged and are intending to paint AI as far more powerful (and out of control) than it is.
  
  The AI agents go “web crawling” just like all search engines (Google etc). If someone leaves the door open (so to speak) then the crawler can get in and take a peak.
  
  Of course the Aussie government would like to paint this as AI breaking in, because that’s less egg on their face. But, in reality, it was just crap security. THey are trying to deflect blame.
  
  Yes, OpenAI should have done the responsible thing and:
  1) Immediately informed the Aussies that they had left the door open,
  2) Stopped their crawler from accessing further information.
  3) Deleted any information obtained in this way.
  
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  September 25, 2026 2:58pm
imalwaysright

Santana Minerals has, through its subsidiary, offered $10 million to help the lizards affected by their gold mine.

The mine is about 600 hectares and experts put just this area’s population of lizards at 500k to 750k.
That’s about 1000 lizards per hectare.

That doesn’t sound like a creature that needs help…

Maybe it will go into DOC’s ‘lizard fund’.

Santana’s $10m lizard offer tests NZ mining offsets https://share.google/thL0b6LVE8XJq104S
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September 25, 2026 11:37am
Yvette

Lastmanstanding [further back up General Debate : 9.32am) – The Political Legal and Academic Elites particularly those on the Left are worried about AI. […] They will also look to discredit organisations they see as subversive such as the Taxpayers Union (TU) and the Free Speech Union (FSU). Hagers book is an example.
________________

TPU director Jordan Williams argued that Hager breached basic journalism standards by failing to seek comment or put the allegations to the subjects before publication. Hager defended this approach, stating that investigative books are uniquely vulnerable to legal injunctions prior to release.
________________

To AI –
If argument “that Hager breached basic journalism standards by failing to seek comment or put the allegations to the subjects before publication” is true, would it mean Hager has also breached the founding document of the nation, the Treaty of Waitangi, in terms of tikanga, and Treaty Principles of fair dealing, honesty and transparency?

From AI –
No, legally and constitutionally, a breach of standard journalistic practices by a private author does not constitute a breach of the Treaty of Waitangi, its principles, or tikanga Māori.
1. Scope of the Treaty of Waitangi and Treaty Principles
Binding Parties: Te Tiriti o Waitangi / The Treaty of Waitangi creates constitutional duties and obligations strictly between the Crown (the government, ministers, and public sector agencies) and Māori (iwi, hapū, and whānau).
Private Individuals: Independent journalists, private book authors, and commercial publishers are private citizens, not the Crown. Private entities and individuals are not legally or constitutionally bound by Treaty principles such as partnership, active protection, or duty of good faith.
2. Tikanga Māori Context
Cultural Values: Tikanga Māori encompasses ethical values and customary practices, including tika (correctness and fairness), pono (honesty and integrity), and kanohi ki te kanohi (face-to-face engagement, which includes directly confronting someone with allegations).
Application: While the ethos of tika and kanohi ki te kanohi aligns with the journalistic principle of offering a right of reply, tikanga is a relational framework rooted in Māori values and customary law. Failing to offer a right of reply in mainstream investigative publishing is considered a failure of professional journalistic ethics rather than a formal breach of tikanga.
3. Relevant Legal and Regulatory Frameworks
Journalistic conduct and disputes regarding right of reply in New Zealand are governed by media ethics and civil law rather than constitutional documents:
Defamation Law: Book authors and publishers are subject to the Defamation Act 1992. Denying a right of reply can affect legal defenses (such as qualified privilege or honest opinion) if a defamation lawsuit is filed.
Industry Codes: Regulators like the NZ Media Council and the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) enforce codes requiring fairness, accuracy, and balance (including reasonable opportunities to respond) for news outlets, though non-member book authors operate outside their formal jurisdiction.
________________

Further question: How much use is the Founding Document of the Nation if you are not Maori or rate as the Crown?
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September 25, 2026 11:46am
- Philview
  
  The media have put a lot of emphasis this week on the illegal search of his house after the Dirty Politics book. The search was illegal because the police didn’t tell the judge they were searching the house of a journalist when they sought the warrant. My understanding is he didn’t have training in journalism so I am not sure how the description is designated to someone.
  
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  September 25, 2026 1:06pm
- rouppe
  
  Fwiw, if you didn’t know, the date and time next to every post is actually a bookmark link to that post.
  
  So instead of referring to a posters time, you could link directly to it. A la…
  
  https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2026/09/general_debate_25_september_2026.html/comment-page-1#comment-3883006
  
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  September 25, 2026 4:55pm
Taieri

How much use is the Founding Document of the Nation if you are not Maori or rate as the Crown?
—————-

That an insolvable problem.
How much Maori in a Maori? When a Maori ceases to be a Maori?
What is the Crown in a country, which to all intents and purposes, despite its official status, essentially a republic?
This so called “Founding Document” should be in museum, where it belongs.
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September 25, 2026 12:57pm
- Jethrod
  
  If you go to this page, it will show just how well the original treaty has been treated.
  Shows a complete and utter “respect ” for it.
  https://share.google/kJWBVxfpwtEgDkDLS
  
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  September 25, 2026 3:29pm
Maggy Wassilieff

Hubby and I have just been greeted/assailed by two of Tamatha Paul’s Green party acolytes.

One was very upbeat and friendly and invited us along to the local marae to meet with Tamatha.

The other was on some other wavelength and kept insisting she was starving.

Once they’d ascertained that we were retired, they enquired if we were in our 80s….. (Oh dear! perhaps all old people look ancient to youngsters).

They were each holding a tiny kawakawa plant in a pot of soil and told me that they were selling them for $10.50 each … (they grow as weeds all over my gardens).

Fortunately they warned us that Tamatha was heading to Kaiti Mall in an hour, so we bade them farewell and rushed to the Mall’s sushi joint for lunch before it filled up with greenery.
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September 25, 2026 1:56pm
- David Garrett
  
  Mags: The other was on some other wavelength and kept insisting she was starving.
  
  that would have sent alarm bells ringing for me…And unless you have aged greatly since we met a few years ago, you and C don’t look anywhere near your 80’s!
  
  But then my kids used to ask about things that happened “in the olden days” which upon further questioning meant the 70’s…
  
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  September 25, 2026 5:07pm
cmm (semi-retired edition)

These “mobility scooters” are taking the piss. They look like small cars and are, in just about all ways, small cars.

Since they are classified as “mobility scooters” you don’t need a license or can still use one when your license is suspended.

A few years ago there was a guy driving himself and his missus around Christchurch in one after he had his license taken away for DUI.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/361038304/it-car-viral-vehicle-turns-heads-kiwi-crossing
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September 25, 2026 2:27pm
- Ghost
  
  Damn, never seen those before. If I saw that on a footpath I would be calling the police.
  
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  September 25, 2026 2:41pm
  - Ian
    
    Doesn’t require someone to have a licence, doesn’t have to be registered (a number plate). Perfectly legal. Police wouldn’t be interested….
    
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    September 25, 2026 3:24pm
    - Ghost
      
      nope, read nova’s link. She has wasted a lot of money
      
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      September 25, 2026 3:51pm
      - Ian
        
        Thanks – it was not up when I posted.
        
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        September 25, 2026 4:25pm
  - Jethrod
    
    Rodney Hide had a little car only slightly bigger than that, painted yellow with a facsimile body of Rodney painted on the side, so when he was driving you could see all of him.
    When he was ACT leader and their colour’s were yellow, not Pink.
    
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    September 25, 2026 3:37pm
- nova
  
  It doesn’t appear that the reporter spoke to NZTA or the police to verify the legality of those vehicles, it seems that the NZTA has a different viewpoint:
  
  “Our view is that certain enclosed four-wheeled electric mini cars being sold as mobility devices are not mobility devices.”
  
  https://www.nzta.govt.nz/vehicles/vehicle-types/low-powered-vehicle-requirements/mobility-scooters/mini-electric-cars-faq
  
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  September 25, 2026 3:45pm
  - rouppe
    
    Bit of a grey area.
    
    It seems Gebbie doesn’t have a physical or neurological impairment, but then again that’s not the definition.
    
    As long as it’s designed and constructed for use by persons who require mobility assistance due to a physical or neurological impairment, and is powered solely by a motor that has a maximum power output not exceeding 1500W, then it seems to qualify. I note it’s limited to 30kph, same as electric scooters.
    
    As in you can’t slap a mobility scooter sign on a Smart car or quad bike.
    
    The ltsa can complain as much as they like, but at the end of the day when it’s tested in court (as I once found out) what the ltsa says is irrelevant, the claim must be tested against the land transport act, and as long as the Legislative criteria are met (designed and constructed etc, and less than 1500W) there’s no case to answer
    
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    September 25, 2026 5:13pm
- MCōs
  
  I have a mobility scooter because I can’t walk too far these days and don’t like to take the car out for short trips
  It’s nothing like that juggernaut and probably a tenth of the cost.
  
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  September 25, 2026 7:10pm
Ghost

Guess Tucker is well and truly off the xmas card list

Tucker Carlson has called for President Donald Trump to be removed from office under the 25th Amendment.

Carlson made the comment on Thursday during an interview on NPR’s Newsmakers podcast. Though Carlson has long been a public supporter of Trump, he has been particularly critical of the president’s war in Iran.

Article
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September 25, 2026 2:41pm
- pb
  
  Checkout his investigation of the Statue of Judas that the communists built on taking over Russia.
  
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  September 25, 2026 6:56pm
Tom Barker

The lying liberal media are unquestionably biased and unfair towards US president DJ Trump. He is quite properly outraged that they failed to publicise his historic meeting with his Chinese counterpart. The fact that he recently banned those same media from the White House, thus preventing them from covering this event, is quite beside the point.
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September 25, 2026 5:29pm
kevn

attn CJames…
https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2026/09/24/desnz-heat-network-disinformation/#more-93104
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September 25, 2026 7:18pm

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