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October 12, 2026 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 12 October 2026

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General Debate

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Cassandra

Trump has had quite a few successes: he reclaimed the Panama Canal from China, secured the border, liberated Venezuela, peacefully secured Greenland to protect the Western Hemisphere (one could argue about some of his negotiating techniques), and especially his commitment to ensure that Iran will not possess a nuclear weapon.

Of course there’s another list.
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October 12, 2026 8:06am
- mike
  
  China did not control the Panama Canal, the Chavistas still rule Venezuela, Greenland was already secure, and Iran was complying with the JCPOA. Apart from those points, you are correct.
  
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  October 12, 2026 8:22am
  - Benedict Yu
    
    This might be the first occasion on which I have enthusiastically agreed with one of your comments.
    
    Also, on Iran, remember the B2 bomber mission on Iran in June 2025? This was several months before the subsequent military action.
    
    https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/trump-says-u-s-has-struck-3-iranian-nuclear-sites-joining-israeli-military-campaign
    
    Trump said at the time that the nuclear facilities had been completely destroyed by that one B2 strike.
    
    So what was the subsequent war about?
    
    The guy cannot be defended. Hitler built the autobahn and subsidised orchestra concerts. Plus other “good” things. Trump will be remembered by history as a monster.
    
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    October 12, 2026 9:05am
    - Sacha
      
      Depends who writes the book –
      
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      October 12, 2026 9:47am
    - imalwaysright
      
      “Trump will be remembered by history as a monster.”
      
      If future US Presidents are so good that they make Trump look like a “monster”, then there is cause for great optimism for the planet.
      
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      October 12, 2026 10:39am
  - Paulus
    
    Did not China Manage the ships through the Panama Canal and as a result had access to every ships Bills of Lading showing all the cargoes fron and to where ?
    
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    October 12, 2026 9:13am
    - Benedict Yu
      
      No.
      
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      October 12, 2026 9:18am
    - Hard Cheese
      
      Five uptickers for this nonsense LOL
      
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      October 12, 2026 9:39am
    - fightingtemeraire
      
      A HK company owned and operated the Container Terminals at either end of the Canal.
      
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      October 12, 2026 10:52am
      - Hard Cheese
        
        They operated *a* container terminal at each end of the canal, there are competing companies that also have terminals. The HK company would get no cargo manifests from competing terminals or ships transiting the Canal, and they certainly wouldn’t get a Bill of Lading for all ships LOL
        
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        October 12, 2026 1:24pm
  - Fender
    
    You need to read up on how the canal was actually managed and gamed
    
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    October 12, 2026 10:52am
  - NZer In Exile
    
    All devious spin Mike, as usual.
    
    Obviously the P Canal is a vital strategic route and the USA does not want it compromised by a cold war enemy regime in any way.
    
    5 mins ago lefties were screaming what a dangerous fascist Trump was in relation to Greenland. Denmark and Greenland just praised a good win/win deal Trump signed with them re Greenland.
    
    Obviously the USA has strengthened it’s hand with the Venezuela and cranking up oil revenue for V is going to boost their economy.
    
    The JCPOA was a delusional and ineffective Dem deal which allowed Iran to carry on being a total menace to it’s people and the region.
    
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    October 12, 2026 2:36pm
  - rouppe
    
    “Greenland was already secure” is COMPLETELY different to “secured Greenland to protect the Western Hemisphere”
    
    Cassandra probably should have said “secured exclusive access to Greenland for NATO to protect the Western Hemisphere” but the effect is the same…
    
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    October 12, 2026 2:54pm
- Dudley Quaffquaff
  
  The terms of Trump’s Greenland agreement with Denmark actually give the US less, and Greenland more, than did the previous agreement.
  
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  October 12, 2026 10:13am
  - NZer In Exile
    
    I think the USA got what it needed. More access for bases and strategic minerals. Greenland gets investment.
    
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    October 12, 2026 2:39pm
  - rouppe
    
    What does the us have less of?
    
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    October 12, 2026 2:55pm
- Ra Henare
  
  Reclaimed from China?? No He didn’t.
  
  China never had control of the Canal. !!
  2 ports were owned (NOT BY CHINA) but a private HONK KONG company.
  80% owned by Li Ka-shing family, 20% owned by Singapore gvt fund.
  
  Trump badgered/threatened the Panamanian government until it took over the two (of 5 relevant canal ports).
  The matter still has NOT BEEN RESOLVED.
  
  So please check facts before posing mis information/propoganda
  
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  October 12, 2026 5:01pm
Gravelroad

https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/361044374/winston-peters-takes-aim-wokeness-aotearoa-and-maori-spending
Mr Peters getting on a roll today!

“Peters said he believed too much government money had been spent on Māori culture and language, arguing more should instead have gone towards Māori housing, health and education.
“There’s been so much money spent on these areas that had they spent it on Māori housing and Māori health, we’d have had a dramatic turnaround in Māori performance,” he said.”
He also said that TOP was “not going to make it” and:
Asked if NZ First could work with Opportunity, Peters said he doesn’t “trade with communists”.
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October 12, 2026 8:11am
- Mr Nobody NZ
  
  Why should there be any money spent by the government on Maori anything, surely local Iwi’s should be using their settlement funds to address these issues while government funding is used to provide solutions to issues available to all citizens of all ethnicities?
  
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  October 12, 2026 8:20am
  - septic skeptic
    
    Yes I note Peters isn’t suggesting the government saves the cash, just shuffles the race based funding from place to place.
    
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    October 12, 2026 8:43am
    - Flossie
      
      Did he say that money should be spent on….or should have been spent on…… ?
      
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      October 12, 2026 10:16am
  - Yvette
    
    Around NZ$119–142 million per year (depending on the year) is appropriated specifically under Vote Māori Development for the promotion and revitalisation of te reo Māori and Māori culture.
    This is the core dedicated government funding and it seems no one actually can quote an exact amount.
    
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    October 12, 2026 9:01am
    - septic skeptic
      
      No one can quote an exact amount.
      No doubt that makes it much easier to syphon off to those with the right contacts
      
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      October 12, 2026 9:11am
    - mandk
      
      Why is any public money spent on promoting Te Reo?
      
      If it were a useful language this wouldn’t be necessary; people would use it in their everyday lives without prompting.
      
      The problem with Te Reo is that it has a small alphabet and limited vocabulary. It simply can’t cope with the modern world.
      
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      October 12, 2026 9:20am
      - Paulus
        
        Don’t panic the Te Reo vocabulary is being increased every day by Taxpayers employing people to do just that.
        Blood silly !
        
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        October 12, 2026 12:22pm
    - R
      
      ‘an exact amount’…… nor what it is actually spent on; and more importantly what it achieves of benefit.
      
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      October 12, 2026 9:23am
    - wsk12345
      
      Couple hundred reasonable state units/houses per year then. More than Labour actually managed to build per year.
      
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      October 12, 2026 11:22am
  - Benedict Yu
    
    Iwi not Iwi’s.
    
    The average Treaty settlement to date is about $34 million. That is based on audit office figures of $2.738 billion spread across roughly 80 enacted settlements. It is not as much as is commonly believed.
    
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    October 12, 2026 9:12am
    - waikatosinger
      
      The Tainui trust alone manages assets of 2.1 billion. Ngai Tahu has assets of 2.8 billion. Those are just two – admittedly the two biggest. If all this wealth was created out of just 2.78 billion I’d have to say they’ve done pretty well.
      
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      October 12, 2026 9:52am
      - GJM
        
        Well, it is pretty easy to make money if you don’t pay tax, and when you do, it is at 17c rather than 28-39c (trust rate). Also much easier when you are given monopolies like whale watching, where someone else has done the hard work.
        
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        October 12, 2026 7:05pm
    - ISeeRed
      
      Nope. English grammatical rules when speaking English. Nothing wrong with pluralising “iwi” as “iwis”. (The superfluous apostrophe OTOH…) You’re not obliged to follow them, but you risk looking like what I call a “te reo tyrant”.
      
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      October 12, 2026 12:42pm
      - lifesgood
        
        And Maori bastardise English all the time, to be fair.
        
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        October 12, 2026 2:20pm
      - Don Beckett
        
        What about “sheep”? 1 sheep, several sheep.
        What about “trout” ? 1 trout, several trout.
        No doubt there are more.
        
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        October 12, 2026 3:27pm
      - MCōs
        
        Except iwi isn’t an English word and plurals are not indicated using an ‘s’. The singular is te iwi and plural ngā iwi
        There are words from multiple languages in common usage in NZ that similarly don’t follow rules for our our convenience.
        There are some singular words ending in ‘i’ that are actually plural in their native italian, panini (singular: panino), paparazzi (singular: paparazzo), spaghetti (singular: spaghetto), broccoli
        
        Georges Clemenceau (1841–1929), the former Prime Minister of France said that English is badly pronounced French
        
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        October 12, 2026 6:55pm
  - Paulus
    
    Surely only some of the elite Maori have access to the Treaty Settlements, as we are told that as a result a large number are in the Multi Millionaire category.
    
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    October 12, 2026 9:17am
    - Notsofast
      
      It is the perfect method.
      Deify the cult and chastise scrutiny as racist.
      Why do 13 of Tamihere’s people get, not earn, 500k a year?
      (If they earned it the jail inmates would be proportionate to population and part maori stats would be proportionate).
      
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      October 12, 2026 10:28am
    - SWIM
      
      Paulus.
      I have had a bit to do with top end iwi leaders here in Hawkes Bay. The average wealth would be around the level of a self employed builder. A decent house and a ute. There are a few lawyers etc who coin it but generally the systems are too dysfunctional for any of them to really make bank.
      
      So sorry but no hidden groups of multi millionaires to blame .
      
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      October 12, 2026 10:57am
      - Fender
        
        While that is true, most senior iwi are not money oriented or greedy I think the difference is they are more family oriented so once they have a good life they see to it that their direct family also benefit so the money is more shared by a family
        Than one person directly holding all the wealth and possessions.
        It still creates class levels and big disparities among the iwi but they are more generous as a generalisation and Maori understand and seem to accept a pecking order , they don’t appear to have any tall poppy jealousy and accept life and their lot
        In my opinion obviously
        
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        October 12, 2026 12:53pm
      - rouppe
        
        @Fender
        
        they are more family oriented
        
        Which is precisely what those trusts should not have charitable status.
        
        They do not operate as charities should as they are focussed on wealth accumulation, and what distributions they do make are more akin to family trusts.
        
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        October 12, 2026 3:04pm
- imalwaysright
  
  I know a Cypriot family.
  They don’t spend any money on their culture and language.
  
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  October 12, 2026 8:23am
  - MCōs
    
    My wife is Thai
    She spends money at the Asian supermarkets on Thai ingredients for food we eat everyday and she peppers her conversation with Thai language
    I’d be most surprised if your mates from Cyprus don’t do something similar
    
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    October 12, 2026 10:00am
    - imalwaysright
      
      Why would the origin of the food they buy, or the method of preparation, be considered an extra cost of living their culture?
      They have to eat.
      
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      October 12, 2026 10:10am
- Hugh Jarse
  
  Sounds like Winston Firsts polls are not rising as expected.
  
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  October 12, 2026 8:46am
  - imalwaysright
    
    Raising the Minimum Wage made him sound like Chloe’s grand-dad.
    
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    October 12, 2026 10:24am
- lastmanstanding
  
  It seems to me we could have two overhangs the Nats and the Maori Party. DPF has the Nats on a possible 31 seats with the seats north of the AHB still to be analysed. IIRC most are held by the Nats so they could get 38/39. On their current polling 28% they get 34 so an overhang of 4/5.
  The Maori Party are around 1% but DPF has them possibly 4 with maybe one more.
  That would mean an overhang of 3/4.
  So we could end up with a Parliament of up to 129. That would need 65 seats to form a Government.
  
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  October 12, 2026 8:55am
  - MCōs
    
    National are currently about 30% in the polls.
    Historically with that level of support they won’t win anything like 38/39 electorate seats, which is well over half of the 64 general electorates.
    About 14 seats have a significant rural component, but many of the rest might be a struggle to hold in these difficult times. The likes of Mt Albert, Maungakiekie, Hutt South . . .
    
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    October 12, 2026 9:17am
    - septic skeptic
      
      Historically, you would have been correct. Historically, most of that loss would have been to Labour. But as both majors have lost support National figure to retain the vast majority of not all of their electorates.
      
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      October 12, 2026 9:27am
      - MCōs
        
        Labour at the last election won 26.9% of the party votes so on current polling they are likely to go up a couple of percent.
        The interesting thing will be where the Opportunity 6% vote will go as they slip slide away.
        I’m picking there won’t be a change of government, but coalition negotiations will be a right Donnybrook and after a year or so Winston will retire leaving the highly unpopular smartarses Jones and Laws to fight over the entrails
        
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        October 12, 2026 10:18am
  - Yvette
    
    Would there be a need for overhang seats, or any alteration to the 120 MPs in Parliament, if the Clerk just entered the Party Vote percentages in any party vote, while conscience votes remain at one MP, one vote.
    
    That would mean the Maori Party has its actual party vote as its voting power, like 3 percent, not 4 or 5 because that is the number of electorate seats gained.
    
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    October 12, 2026 9:19am
    - Taieri
      
      I suggested this solution the other day.
      Steve Todd replied that there would no longer be a proportional representation. Not sure whether I share this view, to me it’s still proportional and much simpler than the present way.
      
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      October 12, 2026 10:08am
      - Steve Todd
        
        @Taieri @ 10:08AM
        
        I suggested this solution the other day.
        
        No, you didn’t. I read your ‘solution’ several times in an effort to understand what you were suggesting, which appeared to be a version of the Supplementary System (SM), whereby there are 71 FPP seats (as for the upcoming election), and proportionality would only apply to the 49 List seats.
        
        See: https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2026/10/general_debate_04_october_2026.html/comment-page-1#comment-3885758.
        
        I said your system would be a semi-proportional system (because proportionality would only apply to the 49 List seats), similar to SM, not a fully proportional system, like MMP. I did not say it would no longer be proportional representation.
        
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        October 12, 2026 7:34pm
    - Yvette
      
      At the moment Parliamentary parties are allocated seats to reflect their party vote as on Election night.
      Why are those votes (percentages) not just used by Clerk of the House to record normal Parliamentary party votes?
      
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      October 12, 2026 10:31am
- Burtland
  
  what could go wrong with government funding a culture and language ?
  – well its resulted in billion dollar iwi charities who pay no tax
  
  theres no traditional culture left – its transitioned into grifting
  
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland/ngati-whatua-contacts-mclaren-over-remuera-and-muriwai-trademark-bid/XSY7XVOLI5GURI52R7WJJC5AHM/
  
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  October 12, 2026 9:14am
- Jigsaw
  
  And yet NZ First was the party spending millions$ on marae buildings. It’s what Shane Jones does -not what he says……
  
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  October 12, 2026 9:31am
  - ISeeRed
    
    NZ First are very much a mixed bag. I hate how my party vote will probably go to them. I’ve voted ACT my entire adult life. But both National and ACT have an infatuation with immigrants that’s truly sickening. I support remigration as a bare minimum but the Overton Window here is still situated quite far to the left on this issue.
    
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    October 12, 2026 12:45pm
- AitchW
  
  Except for China. He trades with China.
  
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  October 12, 2026 9:44am
- Hugh Jarse
  
  If Winston First gets a significant share of the vote, say 18 – 20%, who believes he won’t bargain with Labour looking for a 1/2 share of the PM ship ?
  
  Who amongst his MPs would say no to a Labour coalition ?.
  
  Could you see Seymour going into a coalition with Labour if he was the recipient of 18-20% of the vote ?.
  
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  October 12, 2026 10:42am
  - sungsamning
    
    It’d be the end of NZ First if he did that.
    
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    October 12, 2026 3:25pm
  - Flossie
    
    What, seriously, is the likelihood of either NZ First or ACT getting near that percentage?
    
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    October 12, 2026 4:52pm
- cmm (semi-retired edition)
  
  Maori need to hear one message which I will give for free. It won’t cost taxpayers a cent:
  
  Maori, you have all the resources available to you – even more than anyone else.
  Biologically you are more or less identical to everyone else and any biological differences have been diminished by interbreeding. Any remaining biological impediments are vastly outweighed by lifestyle choices (gangs, what you eat, drugs, booze, smokes, wagging school, etc).
  So if you are not doing as well as other races it is through choice.
  Start “acting white” and you can succeed as much as anyone else.
  
  More access to taxpayer money and resources is not going to fix the problem. It just makes it worse. It encourages people to just sit on the couch rather than get up and improve yourself. ie. Make things too easy and people make the easy choices which are the wrong choices in the end.
  
  This preferential handling of Maori is not helping. It is hindering.
  
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  October 12, 2026 11:19am
  - cmm (semi-retired edition)
    
    PS: Better yet; don’t act white, act Asian.
    
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    October 12, 2026 11:30am
    - Cassandra
      
      100%. You are spot on on everything.
      
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      October 12, 2026 11:44am
      - imalwaysright
        
        Agreed.
        
        If you want to turn up in a wheelchair, don’t be surprised if people think you are handicapped.
        
        Get up and walk.
        
        Get up and run.
        
        Its the same track.
        
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        October 12, 2026 12:28pm
    - kowtow
      
      AI , quoting RNZ
      
      ‘Law enforcement reports highlight that Asian organized crime groups, Chinese triad-linked networks, and Southeast Asian syndicates are heavily involved in drug smuggling (such as methamphetamine from China and the Golden Triangle) and financial crime. High-profile cases have involved individuals and foreign exchange outlets tied to international cartels (e.g., Lidong Foreign Exchange in Auckland)’
      
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      October 12, 2026 12:44pm
      - cmm (semi-retired edition)
        
        Yes, there certainly are some Asian criminals – and Vietnamese drug gangs in Auckland are through the roof.
        
        But I was really talking more about success at an individual level – school and such. You don’t see East Asians wagging school much and they’re sweeping up the Maths prizes at school etc.
        
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        October 12, 2026 1:15pm
      - kowtow
        
        cmm
        
        Yeah I get that . As it happens I’m just finishing Jared Savage’s triology on gangs ,Underworld , and the involvement of Chinese in the drug/money laundering world here is huge .
        
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        October 12, 2026 2:52pm
    - NZer In Exile
      
      No need to act “white” or “asian”. Just wake up to the fact that all currently alive were born into the modern world. Hankering for the olden days of a completely different world is an escapist fool’s errand. I do not want to go back to doing everything by hand through back breaking labour and I’m sure modern part Maori don’t want to live on dirt floors in grass huts, with crap nutrition, crap clothing (what there was of it) and constantly being under threat of being bashed/hacked/tortured to death or enslaved then eaten by marauding enemy tribes either. Just embrace the modern world. Fighting to go back to the old ways does not help anyone in the long run.
      
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      October 12, 2026 2:53pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

I have to say, first day back after the school holidays and all, that traffic on the urban motorway doesn’t look too different, $3.50 petrol or no.

Just saying.
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October 12, 2026 8:18am
- KH
  
  Lots of folk have no choice. Live at A work at B. Only solution to not use petrol is to be unemployed.
  
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  October 12, 2026 8:44am
  - cmm (semi-retired edition)
    
    Some people have “no choice”. But most people live within easy walking or bike distance from schools.
    Sure, some kids do “need” a ride to school, but they are very few.
    
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    October 12, 2026 11:28am
- kowtow
  
  There mustn’t be any climate crisis today as the Mummies get their darlings to school , in the usual gas guzzling , planet murdering manner.
  
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  October 12, 2026 8:46am
  - RoboRob
    
    It always amazes me that there is a 50% plus drop in morning and afternoon traffic during school holidays.
    
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    October 12, 2026 10:27am
    - cmm (semi-retired edition)
      
      It is probably due to many factors:
      * No school run.
      * Some parents taking leave to do kids stuff.
      * More staggered start times smoothing out the spikes in traffic.
      
      What is interesting about traffic flow is that it is not linear. The roads can be at about 80 to 90% of carrying capacity and run smoothly. Add that last few % and the flow gets much worse.
      
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      October 12, 2026 11:23am
- imalwaysright
  
  All the fuss and expense over bike lanes and yet they still drive the kids to school…
  
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  October 12, 2026 9:02am
  - lifesgood
    
    Kids today are bloody spoilt. I caught two buses to school, would never have expected to be dropped off or picked up.
    
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    October 12, 2026 2:24pm
- MCōs
  
  Not everyone has an electrical mobility scooter like me
  I heard a very interesting chap on the radio this morning talking oil/refinery situation. Some parts of the world more than half new cars are electric or hybrid
  He also mentioned the eye watering windfall profits the oil companies are making, which is a drop in the barrel compared to the countries that own their own oil plus NZ of course with the windfall gst.
  There’s a lot more https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2019055489/fuel-prices-hit-record-high-as-oil-giants-bank-dollar90-billion
  
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  October 12, 2026 9:29am
  - KH
    
    That interviewee actually knew stuff. Great interview.
    
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    October 12, 2026 9:50am
  - Taieri
    
    Some parts of the world more than half new cars are electric or hybrid
    ———-
    
    Had an interesting lesson yesterday.
    Driving on a back road in Central Otago, there’s a car stopped on the side with a couple of people around it. I stopped to ask if they needed any help. What’s happened, they had a tyre puncture. And they couldn’t change the wheel because for one, an electric Nissan Leaf doesn’t have a spare wheel, and for another, to change the wheel in these cars you need a specialist kit or so they guy told me. So, they were stuck in the middle of nowhere, waiting for the AA to come with a rescue trailer to take their car to a workshop. Not sure where the closest AA contractor is based, but, being in the evening, far away from anywhere it wouldn’t have been a 5 minutes job. And all that for a flat tyre, normally a 10 minutes job in the conventional petrol or diesel guzzler.
    
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    October 12, 2026 10:19am
    - Ian
      
      Always carrying a can of tyre inflator is an option..
      
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      October 12, 2026 11:27am
    - NeverMindTheBollocks
      
      Plenty of cars don’t have spare wheels these days, just a can of gunk to squirt into the tyre.
      
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      October 12, 2026 12:45pm
      - Mr Nobody NZ
        
        I grew up being told that stuff was great for an emergency but you effectively had to replace the Tyre after vs getting it repaired.
        
        I don’t know if that was true or not but is it still the case/not?
        
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        October 12, 2026 1:21pm
    - NZer In Exile
      
      Apparently there are “punctureless” tyres these days. All this suggests to me EVs push up insurance premiums.
      
      Another fun “feature” of EVs and unfortunately hybrids is if the car computer decides there is a critical problem that shouldn’t be driven on it will kill the car. The car will then be frozen. There is no “neutral” and the wheels will be locked in position and the car will have to be dragged with tyres skidding along the ground onto a tow truck. Maybe there are some models where this is not the case but I’m not aware of them. Good luck to you if that happens to you on a congested/narrow bridge, tunnel or underground car park with no height access for tow trucks.
      
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      October 12, 2026 3:04pm
  - cmm (semi-retired edition)
    
    What passes for an “electrical mobility scooter” is ridiculous.
    Some of them are really small cars that can even carry a passenger, but:
    * They can be driven on foot paths and the cycle lanes.
    * They don’t need a license.
    * If you have had your license taken away (eg. DUI) you can still drive one.
    
    I see a lot pulled up outside the local pub…
    
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    October 12, 2026 11:34am
    - imalwaysright
      
      “Outside”?
      How do they get to the bar…?
      
      5 0
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      October 12, 2026 12:33pm
      - MCōs
        
        In my case I have a walking stick as well
        Btw
        If I thought I was going to be too pissed to safely handle the mobility scooter I’d take the car
        
        5 1
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        October 12, 2026 1:45pm
    - MCōs
      
      If i had the choice I’d use the footpaths for walking any day of the week
      
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      October 12, 2026 7:07pm
  - ISeeRed
    
    Governments make more money in fuel taxes than the oil companies make in profits. And at least the oil companies do something productive. Drill, transport, refine, distribute something vital to our modern way of life. The whole process is a modern-day technological marvel. Governments just grift and gaslight on their efforts.
    
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    October 12, 2026 12:52pm
  - Fender
    
    Exactly as I said yesterday when trumps war was blamed, people make money from any opportunity
    
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    October 12, 2026 12:58pm
David George

The Nobel prize committee have picked an antisemitic monster for the peace prize: the woman that said the Charlie Hebdo cartoonists deserved to die.

“It’s possible that the Nobel Committee will someday bestow its peace prize on a less worthy recipient than Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, but we doubt it. The Oslo worthies this year have honored an 85-year-old South African whose career has been marked above all by hatred for Israel and the Jews who support it.”
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/navi-pillay-nobel-peace-prize-israel-hamas-south-africa-523efb07?mod=e2two
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October 12, 2026 8:21am
- mike
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  I can understand some deranged people are outraged by any criticism of Israel.
  
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  October 12, 2026 8:26am
  - MCōs
    
    I wouldn’t say deranged so much as attempting to protect there patch and in that respect the Wall Street Journal is stridently pro Israel for whatever reason.
    
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    October 12, 2026 9:36am
    - David George
      
      So no possibility that they (WSJ) are making a sound and reasonable case? Just “protecting their patch”?
      
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      October 12, 2026 11:14am
      - Hard Cheese
        
        Is anyone else making the same case as the WSJ?
        
        1 3
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        October 12, 2026 1:06pm
      - David George
        
        Yes Hard Cheese there has been widespread criticism over the award. Of course the antisemites think it’s wonderful.
        
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        October 12, 2026 4:43pm
  - I remember when
    
    It is very hard to win the propaganda war when –
    you are bigger and stronger,
    you increasing become the aggressor,
    reach a point where it appears to be one way traffic,
    the opposition are able to publicise human loss especially children,
    your losses are very minimal.
    
    Only the Communist states, who can largely ignore criticism, are able to fight such conflicts for a long period.
    
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    October 12, 2026 10:07am
  - Hugh Jarse
    
    Just as some people are equally outraged by anyone supporting Israel, I guess it comes under the heading of freedom of speech or as a subset not classifying anyone who differs from you as deranged.
    
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    October 12, 2026 10:29am
  - Fender
    
    You would think a peace prize winner would be unquestionably free from any controversy or bias, a mother teresa type , its not like they don’t exist so how can you defend their pick
    
    7 1
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    October 12, 2026 1:02pm
    - David George
      
      A review of her first two years as UN human-rights chief found no public statements on human rights abuses in dictatorships such as Cuba, North Korea, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan or Belarus.
      And here’s me thinking human rights are a universal concept.
      “Some animals are more equal than others”.
      
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      October 12, 2026 1:18pm
      - Hard Cheese
        
        That doesn’t invalidate her statements about Israel. Whataboutism is not an argument.
        
        1 11
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        October 12, 2026 1:37pm
      - David George
        
        It’s not an argument at all, Hard Cheese, it just shows a complete lack of balance – so much so that it indicates a bias that is clearly unsuitable for someone in her position.
        
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        October 12, 2026 4:46pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Except Mike this isn’t about “any criticism of Israel” at all. Try harder.
    
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    October 12, 2026 3:11pm
- Taieri
  
  Why single out the latest recipient?
  Was Obama more deserving? Or Mother Teresa, Aung San Suu Kyi or Al Gore. At least they were well known. But the countless other recipients, some of whom hardly anybody knew in their day and nobody remembers now?
  Why is this prize so prestigious anyway?
  
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  October 12, 2026 10:29am
  - cmm (semi-retired edition)
    
    It certainly has lost some of its prestige in recent times.
    It comes with a very material $12M SEK (around $2M NZ).
    
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    October 12, 2026 11:37am
- Sir Henry Morgan
  
  If she supported the Charlie Hebdo attackers she seems a strange choice for a Nobel Peace Prize.
  
  As for her views on Israel, I’m tired of Israel and the Jews being the prism through which everything and everyone must be analyzed.
  
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  October 12, 2026 3:24pm
- Ra Henare
  
  Almost as good as giving Barack Obama the Peace prize as soon as he became president.
  
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  October 12, 2026 5:12pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

Shell Lane (The Terrace) bike rack report:

At 8.23am, just the three bikes today .

A cool, calm, overcast morning in the Capital, not too bad for cycling.
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October 12, 2026 8:23am
- Reg Perrin
  
  This used to be sitting at 1 or 2 from your past reports. This is a huge success for the council as there has been 100% increase. They will be looking to expand the facilities soon
  
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  October 12, 2026 9:12am
  - Paulus
    
    One bike represents to Council a 100% increase.
    Remember 100% of nothing is still nothing.
    
    8 2
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    October 12, 2026 12:29pm
- AitchW
  
  What is the capacity of said bike rack? Is it ever close to full? Even half full?
  
  7 0
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  October 12, 2026 9:46am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    24 slots. 12.5% usage at 8.23am.
    
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    October 12, 2026 12:46pm
- Taieri
  
  not too bad for cycling
  ———-
  
  That’s why the rack is empty. They are all cycling.
  
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  October 12, 2026 10:30am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    Heh!
    
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    October 12, 2026 6:13pm
- SWIM
  
  Just 3? I would have thought that was a high end result!
  
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  October 12, 2026 11:01am
Scooter

Remember Jacinda endorsed Efeso Collins (that didn’t turn out so well in many respects) so maybe this is the best chance the Nats etc have of upping their share of votes.

https://x.com/FullTwatforward/status/2109147237330927667
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October 12, 2026 9:12am
- cmm (semi-retired edition)
  
  Yeah, but times are different.
  
  Any distraction from Chippy is likely good for branding.
  
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  October 12, 2026 2:30pm
RoboRob

Election advertising.

I regularly (daily) listen to podcasts when walking and see plenty of youtube. I listen to the radio on the mornings and evenings. In the last week or so I have started getting plenty of party adverts. I have seen and heard plenty of Act and NZF adds. In the last few days I have heard heaps of Labour adds. I must say their add is decent. I hear it before my podcasts and on the radio. My audio podcasts are either financial or American politics, so not normal labour fodder.

I have heard ZERO National adds on the radio, youtube or podcasts. During the Rugby I saw my first National add in the intermission, however as we had people over the volume was off. I am sure National paid a lot for people like me not to hear their add!

Anyway, my question is, is it just me or are other people not seeing National adverts? If so why is this? Labour are the ones supposedly short on cash right?
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October 12, 2026 9:17am
- septic skeptic
  
  Maybe National only had “two ticks blue” ads recorded. They could be busy recording “electorate vote National” ads??
  
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  October 12, 2026 9:30am
- RoboRob
  
  I don’t get the down ticks, how do you disagree with a simple question. To be clear, my question is, is anybody getting National party adverts? Is it just dumb luck that my stuff comes with NZF, Act or Labour adverts only?
  
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  October 12, 2026 10:12am
  - Taieri
    
    is anybody getting National party adverts?
    ———–
    
    So far, I’ve only had a letter from Labour in my mailbox. Nothing from the other parties.
    And I’ve never voted Labour, so may be the others think they don’t need to waste their efforts on someone who will vote for them anyway?
    
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    October 12, 2026 10:32am
    - greybeard
      
      Of all the party hoardings in my area only the National one has been regularly destroyed / replaced.
      Maybe the ferals doing this are also intercepting mailouts and pamphlets : I have had no such deliveries yet.
      
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      October 12, 2026 11:26am
      - imalwaysright
        
        Grey, it might be the National ‘supporters’…
        
        3 1
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        October 12, 2026 12:35pm
    - wsk12345
      
      We have had some from the Nats. And I’ve delivered some for ACT. It’s ACTs hoardings that are getting destroyed regularly in chch.
      
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      October 12, 2026 11:33am
      - RoboRob
        
        The ones I have seen destroyed have been NZF. They actually went to the effort to cut Winston and his candidates face of the billboards (two). If seen a little tagging on Nationals. Workmate claims he has only seen Labour ones defaced.
        
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        October 12, 2026 1:10pm
  - Flossie
    
    I’ve had nothing from any party or candidate.
    
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    October 12, 2026 12:14pm
- David George
  
  They, National, have a very good TV ad running – it shows the transformation of a run down urban wasteland into a delightful corner with happy people enjoying it.
  A microcosm of the country becoming beautiful, happy and productive. It’s great advertising.
  
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  October 12, 2026 11:21am
  - RoboRob
    
    I look forward to seeing it 🙂 Glad to hear they actually do have adverts happening.
    
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    October 12, 2026 1:11pm
  - cmm (semi-retired edition)
    
    The effectiveness of an ad is not whether the fan club find it attractive. We all have the same number of votes and fans can only vote once.
    
    What counts is pulling in swing votes or non-voters.
    
    The test of a good ad is whether it pulls in them – not giving the fans a sugar rush.
    
    Ditto “debates”. Whether your side poked the other guy in the eye or got poked in the eye is rather irrelevant. All that matters is swing voters and non voters.
    
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    October 12, 2026 2:33pm
    - NeverMindTheBollocks
      
      By definition, adverts to rusted-on supporters represent wasted money. They don’t need to be persuaded.
      
      If the marketing crew do their job properly, you should only ever see adverts from parties whose policies you oppose (but might, just might, be persuaded to accept).
      
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      October 12, 2026 6:18pm
- wsk12345
  
  I listen to a shit-tonne of podcasts (politics both local and global, health, fitness, general interest, science, energy), not so much you tube. I have heard zero political advertisements, the closest thing is an ad for that awful lefty economist with the funny name who apparently has a new podcast that I would not touch with a barge pole.
  
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  October 12, 2026 11:32am
  - RoboRob
    
    Shambles? Agree would not listen.
    
    I hear the political adds in the leadin / out of podcasts in the Iheart radio thing. Ironic since I listen via Spotify
    
    4 0
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    October 12, 2026 1:12pm
    - wsk12345
      
      Ah I use Apple Podcasts.
      
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      October 12, 2026 6:33pm
- cmm (semi-retired edition)
  
  It would be very interesting to know what % of people get swayed by political ads on TV or letterbox drops.
  
  I would expect that they are potentially useful for a smaller party like TOP to pull in a non-voter or a very loose swing voter.
  
  But for a big party, especially the current governing party? Their biggest advertisement (for good or bad) is everyday life. I doubt that TV ads (or letter box drops) swing voters towards them.
  
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  October 12, 2026 11:42am
  - imalwaysright
    
    Yes, most of those reading or posting on KB would have decided 18 months ago.
    
    The Whoredings just breed resentment…
    
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    October 12, 2026 12:38pm
    - RoboRob
      
      I think the hoardings are a total waste of money, although If your party didn’t put them up it might look a little strange.
      
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      October 12, 2026 1:16pm
      - MCōs
        
        So it’s not a waste of money then?
        
        2 1
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        October 12, 2026 7:11pm
  - RoboRob
    
    Agree for the informed and interested, but for the casual voter I thing pamphlets, door knocks and adverts can drive votes.
    
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    October 12, 2026 1:18pm
  - Gravelroad
    
    We have had one political party pamphlet (so far) delivered here by our rural mail service.
    It was obviously targeting the rural/farmer voters.
    It had a lot of pink on it – and a bit of yellow.
    The pamphlet was read by four people here.
    One of the claims included was:
    “ACT is rural New Zealand’s authentic voice in Parliament.”
    
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    October 12, 2026 1:36pm
    - sungsamning
      
      Two from Labour here in Riccarton. Both went in the red bin.
      
      2 0
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      October 12, 2026 3:35pm
      - wsk12345
        
        I delivered ACT ones in Ricc. Don’t bin them!
        
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        October 12, 2026 6:35pm
- Ra Henare
  
  Maybe what we need is one solid party reigning over us?
  eg Singapore
  Similiar Population to us.
  Way higher GDP.
  etc etc
  
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  October 12, 2026 5:20pm
RoboRob

Act unveiled their budget plan over the weekend. Looks good. Sounded like a combination of ideas from this blog! It also sounded very much like an old school National budget plan.

I hear National are releasing their budget today. That seems strange. Most parties have released major policy over the weekend. Why Monday? Is this a reaction to Acts budget?

National are behaving very strangely this campaign. Less adverts then the other parties. Smaller brochures then Labour (1/3rd the size) with almost no candidate information (in my electorate).
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October 12, 2026 9:37am
- Bobba Fret
  
  Nats are very active in my electorate – they are pushing very hard to win it back from Brooke Van Velden. I think if BVV was still standing, they would have no chance, but I feel it will be very close.
  
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  October 12, 2026 10:45am
  - fightingtemeraire
    
    People do not want a Finlayson clone.
    
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    October 12, 2026 12:07pm
  - RoboRob
    
    Perhaps the Nats in my electorate, Ilam, feel they have it in the bag. That’s a foolish move, they must not remember when Brownlie got turfed and replaced with a Labour MP (Sarah Pallet). I think the National guy is safe this time, but you never know. If I was him I would put some more effort in.
    
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    October 12, 2026 1:21pm
  - lifesgood
    
    The Nat candidate for Tamaki knocked on my door. I invited him in and he sat down and outlined his hopes for NZ. I was very impressed. The Greens also knocked on my door but they got the bums rush. Have not seen Labour but they’d be wasting their time anyway.
    
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    October 12, 2026 2:30pm
- cmm (semi-retired edition)
  
  ” It also sounded very much like an old school National budget plan.”
  
  Yup, just like how National sounds like an old school (Helen Clark era) Labour plan.
  
  The Overton window has lurched to the left.
  
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  October 12, 2026 11:44am
mike

Random election question:
Will Act’s promise to get tough on disability payments win over any voters?
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October 12, 2026 9:39am
- Jethrod
  
  Negative question of the day.😃
  
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  October 12, 2026 9:54am
- imalwaysright
  
  It sounds like they are wanting to re-establish the bar of being considered disabled.
  
  Like nearly every other label, from man/woman to racist, disabled has become a term that can be applied to anyone at any time for any reason.
  
  The pretenders make it very difficult for the actual disabled people to get the help they need.
  
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  October 12, 2026 9:58am
  - Ian Boag
    
    Dunno. I understand that it’s actually pretty hard to get on to the Supported Living Benefit. You need a firm medical opinion that you are unlikely to get back to work sort of “ever”.
    
    Something “simple” – like being on cancer treatment for a couple of years – just gets you on to Jobseeker. Cheaper that way. And people point the finger and ask why you can’t get a job …..
    
    I’m not taking sides on this – just pointing out how it is. Someone might know different …. happy to be corrected.
    
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    October 12, 2026 3:46pm
    - wsk12345
      
      Why does cancer get you jobseeker? Surely you can’t fire someone for having cancer?
      
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      October 12, 2026 6:38pm
      - Ian Boag
        
        You can be too sick to work for an extended period while being treated. Apparently that gets you on to Jobseeker rather than Supported Living (Disability).
        
        That’s how apparently. But it’s helping to control the cost of welfare for the under-65 …. 🙂
        
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        October 13, 2026 8:20am
- septic skeptic
  
  For those who haven’t caught up, here is how the policy would work 🤣🤣
  
  https://youtu.be/CciZdYHvCwU?si=-7xzrrmizYA11YiA
  
  Starts after 30 secs
  
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  October 12, 2026 10:05am
- cmm (semi-retired edition)
  
  I don’t mind a bit of “disability” payment to help people overcome disability, but sometimes paying people to be disabled can actually make things worse by enabling victimhood to the point where people lose motivation to overcome their problems.
  
  My wife had a friend in South Africa that had ended up paralyzed in a wheelchair after a mining accident. He got a whole lot of help including retraining for a desk job and getting a car converted for hand operation etc. He then became a computer programmer and made some good coin. He got married, had kids and lived a reasonable life.
  
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  October 12, 2026 1:43pm
- rouppe
  
  As I’ve said before, I met a guy who was on long term sickness/disability benefit by saying he was hearing voices.
  
  He openly said it was bullshit, he just wanted to be able to sit at home and smoke weed.
  
  That’s the sort of person that needs to be weeded out.
  
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  October 12, 2026 3:25pm
  - Don Beckett
    
    Saw what you did there. 🙂
    
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    October 12, 2026 3:40pm
  - MCōs
    
    “That’s the sort of person that needs to be weeded out “
    Time to do your civic duty
    
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    October 12, 2026 7:25pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  Random strawman question, as usual. Try harder Mike.
  
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  October 12, 2026 3:37pm
imalwaysright

Isn’t it odd that fuel is $3.50 a litre because of ‘supply’ issues, yet it never seems to run out….
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October 12, 2026 9:42am
- septic skeptic
  
  That’s how the demand curve works
  
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  October 12, 2026 10:14am
- Dudley Quaffquaff
  
  No, it’s Economics 101.
  
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  October 12, 2026 10:17am
- RoboRob
  
  Its increased supply costs, insurance, longer distance etc.
  
  The really interesting thing to see would be how much international demand for fuel has dropped. Once this ends and prices drop way down (which they likely will), all the people who bought hybrids or EVs will still not be buying fuel. This might be a really good thing for NZs current account balance.
  
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  October 12, 2026 10:25am
  - imalwaysright
    
    Good points.
    It will also be interesting to see if the increased prices in the general economy will also subside.
    I don’t think they will follow the fuel price down, as they did when it rose.
    
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    October 12, 2026 10:32am
  - kowtow
    
    Big drop in the number of oil refineries in the West .
    Nut zero has a lot to answer for.
    
    But of course it’s all , exclusively and entirely Trump’s fault//
    
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    October 12, 2026 11:12am
    - Taieri
      
      But of course it’s all , exclusively and entirely Trump’s fault
      ———–
      
      Not exclusively. But as he’s a head honcho most of the blame goes to him for starting a very unnecessary war. Against the advice of the US military people and with absolutely no idea on how it will develop and what will end it, other than the nonsense he spouts daily on his Truth Social. In the meantime Iran doesn’t show any signs of capitulating and their presumed nuclear efforts have been given a very strong argument in favour. From their point of view of course. After all, nobody is going to attack Kim’s paradise…
      
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      October 12, 2026 1:33pm
      - cmm (semi-retired edition)
        
        The war Trump “started” (well, the Israelis “started”) was between them and Iraq. It didn’t involve anyone else.
        
        If the Iraqis then chose to attack every tanker from every country then that’s on Iraq – not Trump.
        
        I suppose, in some ways, the UK is a valid target for Iraq on the basis that UK provides military support to USA, but that does not extend to everyone.
        
        [Yea well, I’m pretty sure you meant Iran. holy mod.]
        
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        October 12, 2026 1:49pm
      - kowtow
        
        Given Iran’s continual war on Israel ,( and the US) I dispute the claim that either Trump or Israel “started” this.
        
        Tehran embassy seizure , Beirut Marine barracks bombing Oct 1983 etc
        
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        October 12, 2026 2:44pm
      - Taieri
        
        If the Iraqis then chose to attack every tanker from every country then that’s on Iraq – not Trump
        ————-
        
        Of course.
        There’s no point in further discussion on this topic. I rest my case.
        
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        October 12, 2026 6:30pm
  - Inandout
    
    RR, I really can’t grasp the logic of out laying $40k for a new EV, getting a bare minimum as a trade in, to save maybe $190 to fill a 55 litre tank. Then the home charger can cost up to $3200, insurance companies may ask questions and the vehicle still requires annual servicing for the warranty.
    
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    October 12, 2026 11:57am
    - RoboRob
      
      Agree. I want one but have seen a number of videos doing the ROI. It can take 5 to 7 years for a Hybrid to match the cost of the non hybrid. Electric is often far worse. Obviously you need to do a decent amount of travel for it to add up.
      
      That said, IF you need a new car, that makes the decision easier.
      
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      October 12, 2026 1:25pm
    - Taieri
      
      How does the cost of insurance of EVs compare to the costs for traditional cars?
      
      4 0
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      October 12, 2026 1:35pm
      - RoboRob
        
        I have heard it is significantly higher. The danger the battery might destroy the car and possibly even the garage it is in, makes insurance expensive. There is also the fact the replacement cost is higher as EVs tend to be more expensive. Although with the flood of Chinese brands the price has dropped like a stone. Thanks to the subsidisation of the Chinese government.
        
        5 0
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        October 12, 2026 1:41pm
      - Ian Boag
        
        Dunno. I was looking at the Dongfeng Box. About the same size/price/performance as a low end Honda Jazz – around the $30k number with 300km range.
        
        I drive a 12 year old Jazz and was wondering about an EV. With the 12 year old Jazz (80,000k) being worth maybe $7k I can’t make the sums work ….
        
        1 0
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        October 12, 2026 3:56pm
      - NeverMindTheBollocks
        
        Dongfeng vs Honda?
        
        Having longevity in car production is not unimportant.
        
        1 0
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        October 12, 2026 6:32pm
      - Ian Boag
        
        Dongfeng
        
        Dongfeng Motor is one of China’s “Big Four” state-owned automotive manufacturers, with a history dating back to 1969. Headquartered in Wuhan, the company has established itself as a global leader through extensive research and development and strategic joint ventures ….
        
        0 0
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        October 13, 2026 9:22am
- virtualmark
  
  Fun factoid from the weekend … it’s now cheaper to pay SpaceX for a Falcon 9 launch than it is to charter an oil tanker from US Gulf coast to China.
  
  And it’s more expensive to charter it today than it would have cost to buy that oil tanker 12 months ago.
  
  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-10-09/the-global-oil-tanker-shortage-is-getting-worse-by-the-day
  
  Shipping costs are at never before seen levels, mainly due to insurance costs, but also because lots of tankers have either either damaged, or are locked in the Persian Gulf.
  
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  October 12, 2026 10:57am
I remember when

Another, very significant, example of why Maori privilege is a myth: Alwyn Poole.

AI Overview.
A privilege is a special right, immunity, or benefit granted to or enjoyed by a particular person, group or social class while being withheld from others.

Sorry Alwyn, but the definition of privilege would suggest that whatever some outcomes, that aren’t really connected to privilege, Maori do in fact receive privileges.
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October 12, 2026 9:47am
Handyman

People waited more than 45 minutes to get a train into the city from the rugby.
What a lot of excuses by Auckland Transport:
“It was less than an hour which was their standard, so no problem.”
“Trains heading away from the city were only 10 minutes wait, so on average not long to wait”
“There was a delay coordinating the planned closing of a nearby railway level crossing, so not our fault”.
“There is a need for funding to upgrade the station infrastructure to make it more comfortable for people to wait for an hour.”
The CEO of Eden Park said to was due to not having a bridge to cross the road from the stadium to the station.

No one apologised for the complete lack of planning and execution for something that happens many times a year.
Auckland Transport website boldly claims:
“The biggest myth is that the CRL is just a central city rail loop; it is not. It will quadruple capacity across the whole network.”
What a joke. The biggest myth is that spending six billion dollars would improve the calibre of the people managing the operation.
20 1
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October 12, 2026 10:24am
- Tauhei Notts
  
  I recall a little old lady in an office I worked in 57+ years ago telling us about Eden Park traffic jams. When the fourth test in 1956 was played they had 60,000+ at Eden Park. A string of trams in Sandringham Road cleared that crowd in less than one hour.
  To paraphrase the infamous Peter Jones, Auckland’s railway management is buggered.
  
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  October 12, 2026 1:19pm
  - MCōs
    
    So the trams took an hour and the train took an hour
    Having said that Eden Park is in a less than ideal location – unlike the Caketin in Wellington
    Years ago there was a chance for a new stadium on the Auckland waterfront, which would have been adjacent to the trains, buses and ferries. Probably could have bunged in a helipad for Ali Williams too.
    Anyway it never happened
    
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    October 12, 2026 2:23pm
Colville

Question.

What is TOP’s plan?

A month ago TOP was the darling of the media and flying along selling themselves as moderate left and everything was going swimmingly. I thought they would steal the election for Labour and very few would have seen it coming.

Then…. TOP 2ic says he would vote National if he wasnt TOP. I go WTF? that is not helpful for them attracting soft lefty votes…

Then Wong doubles down on her comment that Luxon would definitely do a deal with TOP. Once again this will scare lefty voters to Green or back to Labour as a safe bet.

So what is their plan? Are they just making mistakes in talking when they shouldnt? Are a lefty Trojan Horse (which I think they are) or are they just trying to get into power whoever wins?

I think they will struggle to get the 5% on the day… like the Greens…people will say they will vote for them and when it comes time to tick the box they will get conservative and their actual support will be 30% lower than polls predict.

Thoughts?
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October 12, 2026 11:11am
- kevn
  
  Col… Interesting the funder/founder of TOP, A Wilderland/AJ Bertenshaw isn’t saying anything.
  I guess he just tells Q Wong what to say.
  Is that democracy at work?
  
  11 2
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  October 12, 2026 11:42am
  - Inandout
    
    kev, she was hired much like an employee would be in a private company for a front of office position. After an election loss she will be released from her contract.
    
    8 2
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    October 12, 2026 12:05pm
    - sungsamning
      
      The advent of TOP is like the appearance of a ‘new’ brand of chocolate biscuits in ones favorite supermarket chain. Cool packaging that looks very enticing. However, the chocolate is carob. They used margarine, not butter. And there are fifteen other ‘ingredients’.
      
      10 2
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      October 12, 2026 3:47pm
  - Quail
    
    Colville and kevn ,
    The founder of TOP was Gareth Morgan.
    Gareth Morgan has dissociated himself from any involvement in,or funding of,the present party. (source Spinoff ).
    There are other funders ,some generic, ( who fund other parties as well ).
    There is a strong ex- Labour influence eg Iain Lees Galloway. At least one investor is from USA.
    Suggest the old adage of “follow the money” may shine some light on who, and what, are the motives of this party.
    IMHO, Most of the above does not inspire confidence, neither does their instant policy change. As Groucho Marx famously quoted “ if you don’t like these policies, I have others”.
    The reality is that MMP now is being gamed to an extent we have not seen previously!
    
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    October 12, 2026 1:15pm
    - rouppe
      
      Remember that the TOP that Gareth Morgan founded was The Opportunities Party.
      
      The current one is called The Opportunity Party.
      
      Completely different organizations.
      
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      October 12, 2026 3:36pm
      - Quail
        
        Rouppe
        FYI,
        According to AI and Wikipedia Gareth Morgan founded this party until he decided to go! He gave complete resignation in 2019.
        Currently he has no formal role in the party, though he continues to publicly comment from time to time on its policy directions
        Source AI and Wikipedia!
        
        4 1
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        October 12, 2026 4:48pm
    - sungsamning
      
      And their leader worked for the HKSB in London. Presumably the city; not the metropolis. It looks like an astro turf leftist party in case the ‘Greens’, or TPM don’t make it.
      
      6 2
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      October 12, 2026 3:49pm
- cmm (semi-retired edition)
  
  “I think they will struggle to get the 5% on the day… ”
  
  Perhaps the big “plan” behind promoting TOP is a bait and switch to enhance Green support.
  
  Use TOP to get a bunch of voters excited, then shank TOP. The voters are now all keyed up to vote and go for the closest party – Green.
  
  Is this a stupid theory or does it have legs?
  
  10 2
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  October 12, 2026 12:24pm
  - RoboRob
    
    I wouldn’t say stupid, but I think highly unlikely. That is far to complex a strategy. Occams razor, they hired an attractive leader and got MSM. That got a party mainly followed by kooks, up over 5%. Now that the election is heating up the vote is dropping away.
    
    It very well could be that TOP hurts the left more then it helps them.
    
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    October 12, 2026 1:31pm
  - Colville
    
    cmm.
    I would have thought the worst possible outcome for the left is that TOP gets “shanked” but still gets 4%.
    
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    October 12, 2026 4:54pm
- nz_aj
  
  Hardly a trojan horse.
  Their policies are hard left communist:
  *UBI $370 per week
  *1.75% Land tax
  *28% income tax to $50K, higher for more.
  *Youth court for rapists and murderers under 25, “Smart on Crime” policy.
  *16 year olds voting
  *pause charter schools
  *phase out NZ super (currently $427-$555/week)
  
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  October 12, 2026 3:53pm
  - Ra Henare
    
    NZ Aj
    Guess you dont undertsand what communism is.
    None of your points relate to communism as far as I can work out.
    
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    October 12, 2026 5:31pm
cmm (semi-retired edition)

My kids didn’t go to school so I don’t know. Does a school uniform really run to $1000 or is that just Labour making shit up?

One way to achieve some degree of school pride is to use ties. A single tie will last for years and you just need one. That can go with a plain white generic shirt.

Almost all my school uniforms (other than socks, hat and white shirts) were bought second hand through a swap meet style event run on the week end. The socks were school colour, but the hats were just generic boaters with a school ribbon. The only other real “school uniform” thing I got new was a honours tie only given to a few pupils and that was paid for by the school.

I suspect the $1000 number is highly inflated and depends only on buying new stuff. Surely $300 or so should do it? And that’s going to last 2 years or so – so $150 a year.

Way less than $1 a day. Not a real issue. Not an impediment to attending school.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/election-2026-labour-to-limit-compulsory-school-uniform-items-in-rare-alignment-with-act/SXODFE7F4NFYJOPUG2BYTCXGYE/
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October 12, 2026 12:21pm
- imalwaysright
  
  There are people who can’t afford a uniform that see their children wearing a second hand uniform as short changing them.
  Its not a big deal, but for those that can’t afford it, it is a big deal.
  As you say, a tie and a white shirt is plenty.
  
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  October 12, 2026 12:49pm
  - cmm (semi-retired edition)
    
    “There are people who can’t afford a uniform that see their children wearing a second hand uniform as short changing them.”
    
    That’s a ridiculous way to look at things. If you really can’t afford new uniforms then there is nothing wrong in wearing second hand. How is it short changing the kids?
    
    Far better to teach the kids about saving a buck than running up credit card debt and Afterpay just to be poncy. No wonder broke people stay broke.
    
    I wore mostly second hand school uniforms. After a couple of washes a new uniform is second hand anyway.
    
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    October 12, 2026 7:31pm
    - imalwaysright
      
      Others think differently.
      That matters.
      
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      October 12, 2026 8:09pm
- Ian
  
  I’m in a Rotary club and every year we help distribute uniform grants from the JR McKenzie Trust for primary/intermediate school uniforms. Average grant is $270 and this is just a grant towards the cost of a uniform at primary level. I can well imagine the cost for a full high school uniform coming to $1000 with the material (wool, probably) in a girl’s kilt, say, and a monogrammed blazer. You are right though about going second hand….
  
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  October 12, 2026 1:04pm
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    Multiple kids from the same family (of the same sex) going through the same school will reduce the average bill.
    
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    October 12, 2026 6:57pm
  - cmm (semi-retired edition)
    
    I think it would actually be more useful to arrange a second hand uniform swap meet than give hand outs for new uniforms.
    
    Hand outs just encourage victim mentality.
    
    2 1
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    October 12, 2026 7:33pm
- RoboRob
  
  Depends on the school. Fancy blazers are hundreds of dollars, shoes are expensive too. If you buy new you could easily spend more then $500.
  
  Guesses
  Blazer 250
  2 pairs shorts 90
  3 Winter tops 90
  3 summer tops 70
  Sports uniform 80
  Leather shoes 140
  Sun hat 20
  —
  740
  
  Thats not including tie, scarf or Winter long pants. Thats just for a boy, girls are more expensive.
  
  So yeah $1000 totally doable buying new, branded gear.
  
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  October 12, 2026 1:36pm
- lifesgood
  
  People never factor in what it would cost to have several mufti outfits for their kids to wear. At least with a uniform it is the one outfit for the year and every school I know of has a well supported second hand uniform shop anyway. As always, to make a point, the claim is that uniforms cost a huge amount by counting up the dearest of them.
  
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  October 12, 2026 2:35pm
  - cmm (semi-retired edition)
    
    I suppose it depends…
    If the kids are wearing mufti and start trying to use trendy brands to be in the “in” crowd, then that is going to be expensive. If they “need” to wear the latest Nikes and brand name puffer jacket that’s going to cost.
    
    However if they just wear straight forward clothing it isn’t expensive.
    
    Our kids were homeschooled so they only wore mufti. I will say though that for most of that time they were just at home or in the bush and farms – so not really dressing up flash.
    
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    October 12, 2026 7:38pm
  - greybeard
    
    Bugger the uniforms: all pupils wear the same grey shorts and shirts.
    Any school differentiation is achieved using facial tattoos.
    Rainbow-coloured inks if applicable.
    
    1 1
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    October 12, 2026 9:17pm
- MCōs
  
  One of my granddaughters spent her first year at a decile one school where she was one of the few pakeha. They wore uniform polo shirts and that was about it.
  Her cousin goes to a decile 4 school in the next suburb and they have all sort of uniform items
  The advantage of the strict uniform is no arguments about what to wear
  
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  October 12, 2026 2:39pm
  - cmm (semi-retired edition)
    
    My understanding – which could very well be wrong – of the strict uniform policy is that it applies to the schools rather than the pupils. The policy is supposed to direct schools to use simple, generic clothing as much as possible and not use expensive monogrammed shirts etc.
    
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    October 12, 2026 7:40pm
- Ra Henare
  
  You make a good point. Do away with all the school uniform requirements
  All white shirts/blouses/ties? Cravate if which school needs identification.
  Oh and dark paints/skirts
  
  A bye-product would be fewer after-school “fights” between schools. As well as saving parents a fistful of dollars.
  
  Shame about thos who make a nice living out of different school uniform manufacture and supply
  
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  October 12, 2026 5:36pm
- NeverMindTheBollocks
  
  Kids grow during the year.
  
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  October 12, 2026 6:55pm
crash

Interesting phraseology in an email today I got from Winston Peters about the NZF party list:

“We have announced the team New Zealand First is taking into the election and we have a winning team.

Fifty candidates, from Northland to Southland, bringing together an extraordinary depth of experience, talent, and determination. After nearly five decades in politics, I’ve seen plenty of party lists come and go. This one is something special.

We have farmers, lawyers, ministers, broadcasters, business leaders, and even a former All Black captain. Not one of them is there to tick a diversity box or satisfy some DEI scheme. Every one of them has earned their place on merit.

A winning team. A safe pair of hands. And, with the support of New Zealanders, three more years to finish the job.”

So is this announcing that this Winston, or NZF, or both will be finished in three years time?
8 2
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October 12, 2026 12:24pm
- Ipanema69
  
  Hey Crash,
  
  Winston is 81 years old. Statistically (NZ actuarial tables) there is a between 15% and 20% chance that he will shuffle off this mortal coil due to natural causes during the next term of parliament!
  
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  October 12, 2026 1:13pm
  - crash
    
    You mean there is an 85-90% chance he will still be around at the 2029 election? He must be planning to retire then 😉
    
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    October 12, 2026 2:28pm
Pope Punctilious II

ACT wants to abolish “demographic” ministries: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/politics_election-2026/1835030/election-2026-as-it-happened-11-oct-greens-label-act-fiscal-plan-welfare-for-the-wealthiest-opportunity-seeks-answers-over-assumptions
About bloody time! My only reservation is that they didn’t say ALL the demographic ministries.
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October 12, 2026 12:48pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  By and large ACT is hugely rational. ACT and NZF really need to work together to make sure the nats to not get away with any woke BS.
  
  7 2
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  October 12, 2026 3:13pm
- sungsamning
  
  That’s a good start. Now include Women’s Affairs, ‘Climate Change’, Disarmament, Racing subsumed into Sport and Recreation, MBIE. Including the removal of all racist/DEI bits.
  
  9 1
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  October 12, 2026 3:57pm
- rouppe
  
  Lunchtime for Labour
  
  The lunches would be made in school kitchens, by iwi and hapū partners or by local caterers.
  
  What school kitchens? Have they included the cost of building those kitchens in every single school?
  
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  October 12, 2026 4:48pm
  - marcw
    
    Not to mention the pay equity demands from the Union (all catering staff be paid equivalent to University Vice-Chancellors), the clipboard jobsworths from the local Council doing the food preparation inspections, and probably, a Traffic Management Plan for completeness.
    
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    October 12, 2026 8:07pm
burt

This Labour policy to reduce the cost of school uniforms puts and end to the claims that Hipkins isn’t prepared to pay for things his own children need.

What private school are they going to?
4 1
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October 12, 2026 1:51pm
rouppe

The ‘disgusting creep’ who raped his daughter, step-grandaughter, sisters and former partners

Death penalty candidate.

All. Day. Long.
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October 12, 2026 4:42pm
- kevn
  
  rouppe… Or like this maybe?
  https://nominister.wordpress.com/2026/09/20/cordless-drill-castration/
  
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  October 12, 2026 7:10pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

An Asian woman is stuck in the Cooks, because neither Australia nor NZ will give her even a transit visa to return home.

Sounds harsh.

Then you discover that while on a working visa in NZ, she applied for asylum. She then seems to have been poorly advised to leave NZ.

Should NZ grant her a transit visa, I assume she would be able to reapply for asylum while at Auckland airport.

Tough, but them’s the breaks.

http://www.rnz.co.nz/news/pacific/1856118/woman-unable-to-leave-cook-islands-after-nz-australia-decline-transit-visa
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October 12, 2026 7:15pm

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