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October 21, 2026 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 21 October 2026

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General Debate

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NeverMindTheBollocks

Doncha hate the EV agitists during election year. Every single one of their policies boils down to extra tax.

“That (policy suggestions) included tax changes like removing road user charges and fringe benefit tax from EVs; providing financing through a mix of subsidies, low-interest loans and leasing schemes mandating EVs for the government’s 15,000-vehicle fleet wherever possible, and speeding up approvals and connection processes for public chargers”.

If you want an EV, pay for it out of your own pocket, chum! Stop stealing from my wallet.

http://www.rnz.co.nz/news/politics_election-2026/2044677/advocates-call-on-politicians-for-more-comprehensive-transport-electrification-plans
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October 21, 2026 8:00am
- RoboRob
  
  We had EV subsidies and petrol / diesel taxes under JA and Hipkins, that was to encourage EV adoption. Under National they were scrapped. The take up on EVs was basically unchanged. If EVs and Hybrids make sense financially people will buy them. No need for the government to skew the pitch. Buying anything based on a government subsidy is a fools errand, the subsidy can disappear overnight.
  
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  October 21, 2026 8:54am
  - Benedict Yu
    
    How do these people think that the roads will be paid for if road user charges are scrapped for EVs?
    
    For most drivers, a small hybrid like a Toyota Yarris will deliver much lower total cost of ownership than an EV. It is not even close.
    
    Different if you are an Uber driver doing 80,000 km a year. If you are doing 15,000 km a year forget it. A yarris hybrid will get between 800 and 1000 km on a tank of fuel.
    
    If in the future petrol hits $4.50 or $5.00 per litre, that could be a tipping point. While unlikely it is not impossible. We live in an uncertain world.
    
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    October 21, 2026 9:16am
    - Taieri
      
      I’m driving a small diesel, 1.6 litre turbo engine, 19 years old with just under 110K on the clock. Can do Invercargill – Picton trip on a single tank.
      Average fuel consumption driving in town is 5.8 litres per 100 km from new, on the highway just under 5 litres.
      Now, diesel has gone up in price quite a lot, but this car is still reasonably economical, considering its age. I was thinking of buying a plug in hybrid SUV, but at the moment it just doesn’t make sense.
      
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      October 21, 2026 12:02pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Is your small diesel French? If so, have you spent much on repairs?
        
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        October 21, 2026 5:46pm
      - Taieri
        
        Is your small diesel French?
        ———–
        
        Korean.
        Other than annual service and tyre replacement the only money spent was on the replacement battery.
        
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        October 21, 2026 9:54pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Ah right! From memory of a list of the most reliable cars according to a big USA survey, Hyundai was just behind the leaders (Lexus, then Toyota) for general reliability.
        
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        October 23, 2026 3:29pm
    - [email protected]
      
      A distinct advantage of EV’s over petrol cars is the very low maintenance costs. The only maintenance costs of our 2013 Nissan LEAF to date was tires, WOFs, windshield wipers and windshield wiper fluid.
      
      Charged by solar so electric costs are now minimal since the panels paid for themselves in 7 years.
      
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      October 21, 2026 12:10pm
      - rouppe
        
        So you never get your brake pads or rotors replaced? Never grease your suspension joints? Filters, coolants? Never do a wheel alignment?
        
        There’s more to car maintenance than changing the oil.
        
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        October 21, 2026 5:31pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        Full of electronics, so there’s that also. As of about a year ago a reconditioned replacement battery for a Nissan Leaf was about $10,000 AU. For a bigger EV land barge you are talking 10s of thousands of dollars. A crippling financial hit for Joe and Jane Bloggs.
        
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        October 21, 2026 5:50pm
- Observant Octagenarian
  
  EVs don’t save the environment. The power still has to be generated. The generated power is stored in the car battery. That it is generated by coal powered sites (most of the world) is ignored.
  EVs are typically 200-300 KG heavier than identical IC version, so should pay road user charges based on weight of vehicle.
  
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  October 21, 2026 9:09am
  - encee77
    
    There is another environmental aspect that no one is talking about. I drove from Nadi to Suva in Fiji a few years ago. Many of the small villages that you drive through had old Toyota Prius’ piled up in yards next to the ocean. They were clearly no longer economic to keep running. That battery leachate etc will be in the ocean by now. Out of sight, out of mind like many inconvenient environmental claims
    
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    October 21, 2026 10:22am
    - NZer In Exile
      
      Surely they would have pulled out all the tasty bits for re-use, being so remote and all?
      
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      October 21, 2026 5:53pm
  - kowtow
    
    And the clapped out batteries , the vast majority go , according to AI to China , for very clean “recycling”…..officially .
    But AI also says there’s a massive gray market causing severe pollution!
    
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    October 21, 2026 10:33am
  - Hard Cheese
    
    How much of the world’s electricity supply is generated from coal? Go on, take a guess. Is it “most of the world”?
    
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    October 21, 2026 5:31pm
- nz_aj
  
  Energy independance is a great goal but currently we don’t have enough reliable low cost electricty generation. The price of electricty keeps increasing, forcing industry to close and jobs to be lost. Genesis is talking about selling 400MW Huntly unit 5. Thats a significant size and there appears to be nothing being built to replace its ability to supply winter peak. Building unreliables just pushes more cost onto the consumer, as additional dispatchable backup also needs to be paid for. There is a limit to river flows, and how much we can turn up/down hydro dams.
  Advocate for new reliable generation to provide lowest total cost power as near to the upper north island as possible: geothermal, coal, or anything cheaper.
  
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  October 21, 2026 9:43am
  - Paulus
    
    New Zealand problem is that we are two long islands apart and genartion takes place in the South Island and is distributed very lengthely to all parts.
    
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    October 21, 2026 11:27am
  - Taieri
    
    Nuclear is the way to go, but NZ is scared of anything “nuclear”.
    
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    October 21, 2026 12:04pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Supercritical coal plants make sense surely. Today’s climate demonstrably is not unprecedented and if all the smaller emitters (like NZ) went back to stone age living overnight it wouldn’t make the slightest difference to the climate. The big emitters will be emitting full steam ahead until at least around 2060. Oh and human Co2 production can not be the main driver of global heat/cooling anyway due to the physics of the gas in relation to IR absorption. Methane and N2O are even smaller players in that regard.
    
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    October 21, 2026 6:00pm
nigel2010

This is a serious question which hasn’t been answered yet, IF the cgt tanks people’s property value like i think it will how will Labour raise any income from it when you don’t gain any capital
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October 21, 2026 8:06am
- Hugh Jarse
  
  They will bring forward their true intentions which is to raise other taxes on the Trojan Horse excuse that the CGT hasn’t performed as expected.
  
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  October 21, 2026 8:28am
- All_on_Red
  
  I think you are half right. There is no country in the world where a CGT has lowered values.
  However, in every country the value of houses goes up and down. But that is due to economic conditions not taxes.
  Look at NZ. Our values are currently around where they were pre Covid (went up during Covid and have slid back since)
  So I think your point about there being minimal income is correct but not the cause of any decline in value.
  I’d observe its a very good time to buy a house.
  
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  October 21, 2026 8:43am
  - RoboRob
    
    Agreed, it is a good time to buy.
    
    However the looming threat of Labour / Green / TOP / TPM policy puts a lid on investment properties. I looked at buying a rental about 10 years ago, really glad I didn’t as Labour came in with their anti landlord policies. Even if the right get back in this year, the looming threat remains.
    
    I wonder if the left has ever thought about where rental properties come from and what the effect of supply and demand means to rental prices. Some people want to or need to (short term placements) rent. The left seams determined to create a market where people either own their own homes (and are taxed for doing so) or live in state owned emergency housing.
    
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    October 21, 2026 9:03am
    - All_on_Red
      
      House sale volume is down around 15%.
      But sales to investors still make up around 30% of all sales.
      People still need income to supplement their Pension/Benefit.
      Oh and before people start whining we need to invest in ‘productive businesses’, I say what productive businesses?
      There is no way people will risk their wealth investing in SME’s.
      ‘Safe as houses’ isn’t just an expression, its a strategy.
      
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      October 21, 2026 9:13am
    - KKNZ2025
      
      “The left seams determined to create a market where people either own their own homes (and are taxed for doing so) or live in state owned emergency housing”
      
      Marxist dogma: “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.” Lifelong state dependency is also essential to maintain the Left voter base.
      
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      October 21, 2026 9:29am
      - R
        
        ‘dependency……illiteracy, inumeracy, lack of motivation and ambition,,,,is also essential…
        
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        October 21, 2026 10:18am
    - David George
      
      Rob: “the looming threat of Labour / Green / TOP / TPM policy puts a lid on investment properties”
      True. We’re in the process of adding, at the tenant’s request, a significant addition and upgrade to our commercial building. Now, having endured and absorbed the extra demands and costs from our idiot council, I’m getting nervous about the socialists, communists and ethno-nationalists getting in to power and demanding their “fair share”.
      
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      October 21, 2026 10:06am
      - Fisiani2
        
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93o_WC9P74g
        
        This is great clip by Maurice Williamson that explains what happens if National is below 35%
        
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        October 21, 2026 5:58pm
    - Taieri
      
      are taxed for doing so
      ———-
      
      We are taxed for doing so, whether it’s “left”, “right” or “centre”. Just look at the astronomical increases of council rates alone in the last 15 years or so.
      
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      October 21, 2026 12:07pm
    - JeffW
      
      We don’t have a “right” in NZ, with the exception of ACT, who unfortunately can’t boss National around
      
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      October 21, 2026 12:38pm
      - DukeOfAngus
        
        Oh but they do.
        
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        October 21, 2026 3:49pm
  - Paulus
    
    Surely having a CGT only puts that amount on to the sale price being offerred ?
    
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    October 21, 2026 9:24am
    - Flossie
      
      Don’t you mean the sale price being asked?
      
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      October 21, 2026 9:40am
      - Paulus
        
        Yes, sorry bad English !
        
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        October 21, 2026 11:28am
- RoboRob
  
  If we just focus on the things we know as a fact, the CGT makse no sense .
  
  1. Labours 3 free doctors visits funded by CGT kicks in next year.
  2. Revenue from the CGT is around 5 years after implementation.
  
  Where does the money come from for the doctors visits come from?
  
  I don’t think house price values will tank, I think that has already happened. I do think lawyers and accountants will be in for extra work as methods to avoid or reduce the CGT are invented.
  
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  October 21, 2026 8:58am
  - RW Capitalist
    
    Simple google search
    NO CGT has ever collected any money to the Govt. in the first five years especially one with such a narrow focus as Hipkin’s one.
    Reasons:
    The very nature of CGT, the govt. only collects on sale.
    NZers houses rollover about every 7-9 years (Mr Google again)
    The bright line test collects at the moment?
    Reported net profit: For the 2023 tax year, taxpayers returned a total of $203.9 million in net bright-line profit on specialized return forms, though this figure represents total profit declared rather than the exact tax dollars collected. The tax collected depends on your total income.
    But at 100% (ludicrous) it could only collect $203m.
    Me thinks, your numbers don’t come, even close to adding up…Mr Hipkins.
    
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    October 21, 2026 9:07am
    - R
      
      Stop thinking!.Hipkins and Labour strategists don’t.
      
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      October 21, 2026 10:20am
    - Paulus
      
      Don’t panic Hipkins will be gone in early November !
      yes this year, and will be replaced by a woman, which he is not.
      
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      October 21, 2026 11:31am
      - Flossie
        
        How can you be sure he’s not if he doesn’t even know himself?
        
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        October 21, 2026 12:13pm
  - Benedict Yu
    
    Three free doctors visits will cause more chaos than Kiwibuild.
    
    Affordability of GPs is not the problem. It is a shortage of GPS. And specialists and access to medicines available in other countries but not here.
    
    This stupid policy is doomed.
    
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    October 21, 2026 9:19am
    - RoboRob
      
      Oh yes, there aren’t enough GPs to make the policy a reality, it cant happen. I was just trying to focus in on the financial aspect of the ‘policy’.
      
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      October 21, 2026 9:34am
    - Hard Cheese
      
      Possibly I’m dumb or out of touch (or both), wouldn’t the policy simply cover the cost of existing GP visits? I get that there’s a shortage of GP’s in any case, but is there a huge section of the population that doesn’t go to the doctor when they’re sick, or that will want to visit their GP to use up their 3 free visits? It seems a bit like voluntarily going to see your dentist for a nice day out.
      
      Anyway, I agree it’s a stupid policy. Undoubtedly Labour will end up borrowing money to cover the funding shortfall.
      
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      October 21, 2026 2:52pm
      - rouppe
        
        is there a huge section of the population that doesn’t go to the doctor when they’re sick
        
        We’re constantly told that maori get sick because the health system is racist.
        
        I bet you that three free gp visits a year will not move the dial on maori health outcomes one bit.
        
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        October 21, 2026 5:42pm
    - NeverMindTheBollocks
      
      On the contrary. There’s no money coming in from the CHT, and no doctors to spend the non existent money on.
      
      Very Kafkaesque.
      
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      October 21, 2026 3:06pm
- R
  
  Don’t ask difficult embarrassing questions. This is elechun yeR, Donch ya no it
  
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  October 21, 2026 9:04am
crash

Some say that because voter enrolment changes close on October 25th until the final election day on November 7, many who were able to enrol on election day in past elections will be denied their vote in this one.

We have three-year election cycles – 156 weeks (or so) between elections. If the new restrictions continue, those enrolling for the first time will have 154 of every 156 weeks to do so. For those that fail to do this in such a tiny closure window, they only have themselves to blame if they are denied their vote.

The reason this was done is because frozen electoral rolls make vote-counting far more speedy than in the past. Note that in the 2023 election (October 14th), with enrolment on election day permitted, it took 3 weeks for election results to be finalised (November 3rd). During that time, we knew which party would lead the Government and who they would invite to join them but Winston Peters refused to start coalition agreement negotiation until the final counts were known – so
there was a 3-week hiatus. Hopefully this will not be repeated this time around.
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October 21, 2026 8:07am
- imalwaysright
  
  Keep an eye on your letterboxes. We received personalised voter cards (paper).
  Easy to nick and use.
  
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  October 21, 2026 8:37am
  - Dudley Quaffquaff
    
    If somebody nicks your card, they will be able to use it to vote. But it doesn’t stop you from voting, and the system will pick up that two votes have been cast using the same details. You will be contacted and asked to confirm which was you, and the other vote will not be counted.
    
    I got mine by email anyway, so it’s on my phone. Less easy to nick and use.
    
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    October 21, 2026 9:56am
  - MCōs
    
    I got something by email the other day
    
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    October 21, 2026 10:06am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    Don’t you miss the high trust society that NZ used to be.
    
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    October 21, 2026 3:07pm
  - rouppe
    
    Mine was emailed to me
    
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    October 21, 2026 5:43pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    ” Easy to nick and use.”
    
    So there is no electronic system to detect/block fraudulent votes like that? If true that is utterly mental.
    
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    October 21, 2026 6:22pm
    - Benedict Yu
      
      What kind of electronic system? You show your card and get crossed off the list. If someone else uses your card and you try to vote later, it will be detected.
      
      You don’t need an electronic system. You just need to show id. Which we don’t have. We ask that people show id to buy beer and to collect a parcel from the post office. But not to vote. Why?
      
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      October 21, 2026 6:58pm
      - NZer In Exile
        
        I was thinking of votes uploaded online BY (maybe that is only for citizens voting from outside the country, I’m not sure).
        The “double-voting follower upper people” detailed by Dudley Q above sounds like a rather slow and painful process (open to corruption also?). Given the ultra partisan and polarised nature of politics today, I’m wondering if a very hard audit looking for fraud vulnerabilities needs to happen in the election system. In Aus I’ve seen some very concerning behaviour of staff at polling booths. People are people and some (including I imagine “trusted public servants/volunteers), will do anything to “help” their ideological tribe win power these days. Maybe there already are very thorough audits of audits re NZ elections, but “trust us bro” in these strange days is not good enough.
        
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        October 21, 2026 7:18pm
- MCōs
  
  The official election results will be announced 20 days after the election; the same as the last election
  At the last election approximate results were announced based on approximately 80% of votes cast and they changed by one or two seats in the final wash up.
  Not a huge deal last time, but could be this time
  
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  October 21, 2026 9:01am
  - RoboRob
    
    Last election their were huge queues at our voting venue. These were caused by a pile of people wanting to do on day enrolments. Even if the vote count takes the same time, the actual on day voting process should be better.
    
    There is no need to leave registering to the last minute.
    
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    October 21, 2026 9:05am
    - 3-coil
      
      RR – I totally agree. At the marae where I voted last election there were pre-registered voters leaving the long queues without voting – frustrated by the massive delays (throughout the hall) caused by late enrolers. The staff could not handle it, and were very flustered.
      
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      October 21, 2026 9:45am
      - rouppe
        
        Should have had a queue for enrollment, and a queue to get forms.
        
        Enroll, go to the back of the voting queue. Consequences.
        
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        October 21, 2026 5:46pm
- R
  
  Enrolment…..young people, and many not so young, have become accustomed to being spoon feed all their life. Get off your bum and do something for yourself.
  
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  October 21, 2026 9:07am
  - Flossie
    
    I seem to recall that rolls closed a couple of weeks prior to Election Day a few years ago. And Election Day meant exactly that, and you had to have an extremely good reason to ask for an exception to not turn up at a polling place on that day. I recall having to do that only 20 odd years back.
    
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    October 21, 2026 9:58am
    - RoboRob
      
      Yup, we have 1 (?) election that allowed voting day enrolments and now Labour are claiming that going back to the old system is voter suppression.
      
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      October 21, 2026 11:32am
      - Nobby2
        
        Robo, If I recall correctly the 2020 and 2023 elections allowed enrolling and voting on the same day. Labour introduced it in 2019 and the National coalition got rid of it in 2023/2024.
        
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        October 21, 2026 3:14pm
      - crash
        
        Legislation changes to allow enrolment on election day was passed in 2019:
        
        https://www.lawsociety.org.nz/news/newsroom/electoral-amendment-bill-introduced-to-parliament/
        
        So it was in force for 2 elections it seems.
        
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        October 21, 2026 3:28pm
Tomtoddy

I am so over the TV debates and “expert opinion” nonsense. Government isn’t a TV show.

TV is about entertainment, not education, instruction and in-depth examination of issues. Sadly, too many voters are likely to be influenced by this travesty.
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October 21, 2026 8:13am
- kevn
  
  Tomt… I know people who still get all their ‘news’, as edited by TV1/3.
  
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  October 21, 2026 8:34am
  - MCōs
    
    That’s their choice isn’t it.
    
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    October 21, 2026 9:17am
    - gravedodger
      
      Yes MCōs it is a choice, sadly there are a whole lot of voters intellectually incapable of complying with the Law>
      
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      October 21, 2026 1:47pm
- R
  
  ,’influenced by this travesty’…….that is the intention of the NZ MSM.
  Factual Information takes a distant second place!
  
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  October 21, 2026 9:09am
- Benedict Yu
  
  Like the last two or three elections, I watch none of it. I don’t have access to New Zealand television stations. I avoid most of the news stories. The stupidity of the journalists and the politicians is just too much. I am much better without it.
  
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  October 21, 2026 9:23am
  - pdm
    
    BY – watch the graphics with the sound off.
    
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    October 21, 2026 9:50am
  - Sacha
    
    I turned my TV off the day I saw Jacinda Ardern in her red dress, teeth flashing in that big smile. She was a desperation appointment when the Labour Party was sinking in the polls, and it worked. I know a dairy farmer who was entranced, and all the women on Facebook were in raptures. We got what they wanted.
    The TV is still sitting in the corner, powerless to influence me.
    And I haven’t missed it, not for one minute.
    
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    October 21, 2026 11:17am
    - Flossie
      
      Not all women were enchanted believe me! And the country did not get what we wanted. We thought we were going to get a National government supported by NZ First. Winston had a different idea.
      
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      October 21, 2026 12:17pm
    - [email protected]
      
      The only time our TV gets turned on is when the grandkids come over and watch netflix. The wife and I have not watched TV for at least ten years.
      
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      October 21, 2026 12:54pm
    - kowtow
      
      Did the dairy farmer ever come to his senses.
      
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      October 21, 2026 1:15pm
- Paulus
  
  Elections have become a TV personailty lead each so called personality trying to get the most of their intentions and pay over.
  Didn’t believe Tova O into this year when she joined whatever she does, but suddenly she is there with her usual vitriol against the Government and certain people.
  What a bitcher !
  
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  October 21, 2026 9:30am
Damocles11

There has been no genuine cost cutting by this government. We are spending well over $9 billion a year on the interest on our debt yet we continue to add to this debt at a frightening pace. ‘Total Crown borrowings and gross debt figures track past $281 billion to over $330 billion depending on the specific scope of liabilities tracked.’ The recent figures posted by Alwyn Poole highlighted a $655 million spend on consultants for 2025/26, up 7.2% in a year. We should be learning from the profligacy of France, not emulating it. As far as I can see, only ACT is serious about cutting costs. Centre-right voters need to strengthen their hand so they can get some meaningful change underway: we cannot go on down this spending track, that way leads to ruin.
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October 21, 2026 8:19am
- RoboRob
  
  Confirmed. Only Act is looking at reducing spending.
  
  https://www.taxpayers.org.nz/bribe_o_meter
  
  National are looking at growth to out pace increased spending to get back to surplus.
  
  NZF, much loved by some here, are pledging to spend MUCH MORE then Labour.
  
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  October 21, 2026 9:07am
  - pdm
    
    And still splurging.
    
    No mention yet of $3billion for Jonsey’s slush fund.
    
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    October 21, 2026 9:53am
- R
  
  If NZ was to follow the ACT policies to the publicised letter, NZ residents would very quickly be living at subsistence level.
  Most of the Coalition borrowing is to service past irresponsible vote buying borrowing. The remainder is to provide some level of progressive development. The lack of a handbrake in government would assist progress back to a more normal level.
  
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  October 21, 2026 10:34am
  - Damocles11
    
    Crown revenues will bring in approx $100 billion this year and additional to that the government is expecting to borrow $34 billion, so we aren’t ‘borrowing to pay the interest on our debt’. Rather, we are just living well beyond our means. Your mention of ‘progressive’ tells me you may be from the Left of the political spectrum.
    
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    October 21, 2026 11:28am
    - Taieri
      
      So, we are borrowing about 25% of the total expenditure already. How much more we’ll have to borrow to satisfy all those pre-election promises from various parties?
      And who will lend it to us?
      This country is fast becoming a basket case.
      
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      October 21, 2026 12:13pm
- Sir Henry Morgan
  
  Agree. Debt is the most fundamental problem, yet National simply ignore it.
  
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  October 21, 2026 2:36pm
Albie

“If voters don’t understand the relationship between productivity, wages, taxation, government borrowing and living standards, they may find it difficult to judge whether a party’s promises are economically credible.”

Just a small excerpt from a response to a question I asked of ChatGPT as to why almost half of New Zealanders polled would want the very people who put the country in the state it’s in back in charge.
Explains why Chippie wants to unwind the positive changes made to the education system under this government perhaps?
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October 21, 2026 8:22am
- Burtland
  
  half the population are marxist and use girl math – economics is way out of reach
  
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  October 21, 2026 10:14am
- Paulus
  
  You are assuming that Voters went to a school where they learned to read and write and possibly do arithmetic which would help them get the Social and nothing to do with who gets it for them.
  
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  October 21, 2026 11:36am
Hugh Jarse

Tom, 99% agree with you. I disagree with the thought that a lot of voters are influenced by these sideshow ‘s designed to increase the media’s listeners or viewers and appeal to the moderators ego’s.
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October 21, 2026 8:23am
- David Garrett
  
  Hugh: Oh dear…please tell me the apostrophes in sideshows and egos are some kind of joke…
  
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  October 21, 2026 1:05pm
  - Hugh Jarse
    
    Just testing you !
    
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    October 21, 2026 4:14pm
Yvette

The Maori Party is advantaged in comparison to parties that lack ethnically concentrated seats. The Māori electorates will likely allow it to convert support into several parliamentary seats independent of nationwide party-vote performance.

In a word the Maori Party has changed a Party Vote to a Coalition Vote.
Which is totally legitimate under MMP, but taking advantage of special seats that are probably illegitimate in terms of the Declaration of Human Rights – equal voting rights.
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October 21, 2026 8:26am
- mike
  
  Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
  Please expand on your argument that the Māori electorates harm others’ rights.
  
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  October 21, 2026 9:12am
  - cmm (semi-retired edition)
    
    Any race based policies harm rights.
    
    Did apartheid harm anyone’s rights?
    
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    October 21, 2026 9:16am
  - KKNZ2025
    
    Please explain how they don’t.
    
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    October 21, 2026 9:30am
  - Yvette
    
    Mike, if you consider why we do not have an Islamic Party, a Gloriavale Party or a Sinistral Party, you may be on the way to understanding why special Maori electorates are undesirable.
    
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    October 21, 2026 9:44am
    - cmm (semi-retired edition)
      
      I don’t think having a special interests Maori Party or a Hindu Party or Christian Party or even a One Legged Lesbian Party is anti-democratic.
      
      What would be is special voting rights/voter rolls for Hindus, Christians, One Legged Lesbians, or, indeed for Maori.
      
      But, hey, Maori were given the vote before non-Maori so why not keep the grift going?
      
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      October 21, 2026 10:06am
      - MCōs
        
        Male Maori were given the right to vote the same day as pakeha. The problem was they had to have title to land to a certain value and communal land didn’t count, which is why the Maori seats were established fourteen years later.
        Maori seats are still around and they ain’t going away any time soon, but everyone still has only one party vote.
        
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        October 21, 2026 10:57am
  - pdm
    
    mikey he is one very simple reason.
    
    I cannot vote in Maori Electorates.
    
    Maori have the choice of voting in either Maori or General Electorates.
    
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    October 21, 2026 11:10am
    - RoboRob
      
      Giving people different rights based on skin colour, surely that’s racist!
      
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      October 21, 2026 11:34am
  - Pineapple Lumps
    
    Mike – with MMP the candidates who get into parliament are selected based off Party Vote. So I can’t see how would it harm anyone’s rights if there were no Māori seats and any party including TPM campaigned for the Party Vote.
    
    Mike, what disadvantage to Māori would occur in becoming part of the general electorate/party system?
    
    I hope you will engage with the question in a non-trolling manner.
    
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    October 21, 2026 12:35pm
    - Yvette
      
      Party presence in Maori Electorates –
      National: Coral Raukawa is standing in Te Tai Hauāuru, ranked 56 on National’s list, alongside Labour’s Te Pūoho Kātene and Te Pāti Māori’s Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. There is no National candidate in the other six seats
      ACT and New Zealand First – no candidate listed in any Māori electorate.
      
      So apart from National’s Coral Raukawa is standing in Te Tai Hauāuru (against Debbie Ngarewa-Packer), in the six other of the seven Maori Seats, candidates are not competing with any candidate from the present Coalition. That advantage would disappear if there were only General Electorate Seats.
      
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      October 21, 2026 3:52pm
      - mike
        
        It can hardly be described as an ‘advantage’. Any party could choose to run candidates.
        
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        October 21, 2026 4:33pm
    - Pineapple Lumps
      
      Mike – as expected you won’t engage with a simple question.
      
      What true disadvantage would occur to Māori with the removal of Māori electorates? In terms of representation the only disadvantage is that parliamentary representation would be more proportionate and the disproportionate representation created by vote splitting would disappear. NZ would have a fairer, more democratic system.
      
      Do you want NZ to have a fairer, more democratic system?
      
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      October 21, 2026 7:53pm
      - waikatosinger
        
        The activists love their racialised politics and hate Hobsons words “now we are one people”. But in a few more generations we will be; and Maori seats will be irrelevant. Lets not blow the country up over this issue. Time will fix the problem.
        
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        October 22, 2026 4:49am
  - rouppe
    
    Because those electoral seats may be voted for only on racist grounds, yet the Electoral seats carry the same weight as every other seat.
    
    Because any given place is covered by two electoral rolls, which doesn’t happen anywhere else.
    
    Because those electoral seats mean that their representative doesn’t have to compete equally with every other candidate on the general roll to gather support for their candidacy.
    
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    October 21, 2026 6:38pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Mike now do special seats for “those with European heritage”.
    
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    October 23, 2026 3:38pm
Gravelroad

Re the Verian poll from last night:
Does it seem odd that NZF is apparently on 8% support while Opportunity is allegedly on 7%?
NZF is an established political party with a track record.
Opportunity has done nothing and will achieve nothing.
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October 21, 2026 8:26am
- pdm
  
  Obviously the people polled see no track record as better than a track record of unreliability as we have seen from Winston Peters over the 40 plus years of his Parliamentary career.
  
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  October 21, 2026 8:40am
- RoboRob
  
  It seems very strange that this poll has NZF well below Act in polling. Whilst I think that’s a good thing, almost all other polls have the reverse.
  
  National on 32% is great but really out there too compared to all other polling and trends. It seems to me this poll might be ‘rogue’.
  
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  October 21, 2026 9:10am
  - R
    
    Perhaps, being three weeks to the election people are beginning to take voting intention seriously; or maybe they polled a new, ‘representative’, group instead of their selected team.
    
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    October 21, 2026 10:41am
    - greybeard
      
      Or maybe some of the respondents are simply telling porkies to the pollster just for the fun of it.
      
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      October 21, 2026 11:16am
  - pdm
    
    RR Winston and NZFirst peaked early and are paying a price just like ACT did in 2023.
    
    If the trend continues ACT will have timed their run perfectly.
    
    The results we are seeing are reflecting in door knocking in Napier and Hastings. We can only hope it is the same throughout the rest of New Zealand.
    
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    October 21, 2026 11:12am
    - Pineapple Lumps
      
      I think highly of Seymour and parliament is better off with him there. However he ran a poor campaign in 2023. Getting off track on side issues and alienating many with his hubris and arrogance. Every time he misspoke the ACT vote diminished.
      
      He is doing a bettter job this time round so far.
      
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      October 21, 2026 12:39pm
- cmm (semi-retired edition)
  
  Nope, not really that weird.
  
  They appeal to very different people so they are not competing against eachother.
  
  TOP are competing with Green.
  
  The one thing an unproven party with no track record has in its favour is that all its supporters can think it will be perfect – since it has no track record to prove otherwise.
  
  All things to all people sort of thing. If they do get a bum on a seat then people will know them better – for good or bad – at the next election.
  
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  October 21, 2026 9:14am
  - Flossie
    
    If Opportunity are competing with Greens, then why are Greens polling higher than they ever have?
    
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    October 21, 2026 9:47am
    - Pineapple Lumps
      
      Both parties are benefiting from the electorates dislike of Chris Hipkins. While he spins and lies and puts blame on everyone but himself he doesn’t realise it just keeps confirming that we know he is a liar and bully and wouldn’t trust him as far as we could throw him.
      
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      October 21, 2026 12:43pm
    - greybeard
      
      Flossie !
      They are POLLS !
      They are not REALITY !
      
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      October 21, 2026 5:43pm
- MCōs
  
  The people who conducted the poll asked a certain number of people who they fancy at that particular time and NZF has an established track record that has little appeal to 92%, which I can understand. 93% don’t fancy Top either
  68% don’t think much of National
  This must be the most glum NZ has ever felt about their long standing political parties
  
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  October 21, 2026 9:41am
  - Paulus
    
    Correct – the media put New Zealanders there over the last three years.
    Clever ain’t they ?
    
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    October 21, 2026 11:40am
Tomtoddy

A High Court Judge recently wrote a judgement that among other things stated, “the tikanga principles of mana whenua and kaitiakitanga may require specific consideration in this case”.

Could the legal minds among us explain what this actually means?

Someone please explain why this does not indicate confusion, uncertainty, and a make work scheme for lawyers and the judiciary.
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October 21, 2026 8:26am
- Yvette
  
  Tomtoddy, if you refer to this case –
  
  Woman vows to continue occupation of abandoned school despite Treaty settlement
  In a decision released this month Associate High Court Judge Andrew Skelton said “the tikanga principles of mana whenua and kaitiakitanga may require specific consideration in this case”.
  https://www.stuff.co.nz/home-property/361048531/woman-vows-continue-occupation-abandoned-school-despite-treaty-settlement
  
  – consideration of tikanga principles of mana whenua and kaitiakitanga may be factors in understanding the situation, but probably as reference rather than the direct means of administering law.
  At least it has relevance to this case, rather than Ellis V R which apparently had no Maori connection.
  
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  October 21, 2026 8:44am
  - imalwaysright
    
    Maybe the woman has violated the ‘tikanga principles’ and will suffer the ire of the Judge…
    
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    October 21, 2026 8:51am
- Simon
  
  Third worldism sweeps across the land.
  
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  October 21, 2026 9:46am
peterwn

Author Sean Ackland commented on Facebook –
“Spare a thought for the right-wing politicians and commentators still trying, in the year of our Lord 2026, to sell Chlöe Swarbrick as some naive, pie-in-the-sky idealist.”
Well, she is. End of matter. There are less kind things that could be said.
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October 21, 2026 8:37am
- David Garrett
  
  How about “a mad communist” ??
  
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  October 21, 2026 9:02am
  - MCōs
    
    I can’t help noticing that as soon as Top started edging above 5% they are suddenly the most dangerous party in the country with all sorts of stories surfacing to discredit the party
    
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    October 21, 2026 5:31pm
    - waikatosinger
      
      To me it seems more like after the initial rush of enthusiasm for a new alternative, people began to see what they were really like. They discredited themselves.
      
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      October 22, 2026 4:58am
- Gravelroad
  
  Won’t matter if Ms Swarbrick is a “naive, pie-in-sky idealist” – or not.
  If she gets the influence that MMP votes buy, she could be the next Minister of Finance.
  
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  October 21, 2026 9:06am
  - David Garrett
    
    Gravel: That is a truly terrifying prospect…but very unlikely given Hipkins ruling it out..but then who knows?
    
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    October 21, 2026 9:14am
    - In Vino Veritas
      
      Hipkins would sell his wife for power David. He understands he’ll be on the scrap heap in short order, with no future prospects if he fails to make a coaltion. He will give literally everything away to make and lead a coalition, if it is required.
      
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      October 21, 2026 9:33am
      - kowtow
        
        Scrap heap?
        No way . The Uniparty Establishment would look after him.
        
        David Cunliffe washed up in yesterday’s news , the front man for some study or other .And no it wasn’t related to basic biological facts that even cjhildren understand.
        
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        October 21, 2026 10:37am
      - pdm
        
        McAnulty has to win Wairarapa.
        
        What happens to the Labour leadership if he fails.
        
        He is a poor option but the rest are probably much, much worse.
        
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        October 21, 2026 11:17am
      - peterwn
        
        But could Chris Hipkins successfully hold together a coalition for three years? Jacinda held things together for three something years, but that was thanks to the Mosque shootings and Covid. But she could not hold things together in the second three years (and she did not have any pesky coalition partners to worry about) and threw in the towel.
        
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        October 21, 2026 12:09pm
      - Taieri
        
        But she could not hold things together in the second three years
        ————-
        
        I think the reason she threw her towel in was the realisation that she’s going to lose the next election. And to lose it badly. And, then, her whole glory would go down the drain, because nobody likes losers.
        
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        October 21, 2026 12:17pm
      - David Garrett
        
        Vino: I fear you may be right.
        
        4 0
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        October 21, 2026 1:09pm
      - Nobby2
        
        In vino, he has already sold his wife and got himself a new girlfriend.
        
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        October 21, 2026 3:26pm
      - crash
        
        Vino: I am certain that Edmonds will be Finance Minister and the Greens will be part of a Labour-led Government. The Greens can only ever be in a Labour-led Government or part of the opposition (and consigning Labour to the opposition too), so Hipkins has the upper hand.
        
        Having Cloe as Minister of Finance will cause huge ructions in Labour and rightly so.
        
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        October 21, 2026 3:44pm
    - peterwn
      
      Jim Bolger allowed Winston Peters to be self styled ‘Treasurer’ in the first coalition government in 1996. But Jim successfully imposed strict conditions. He appointed Bill Birch as deputy mininster of finance and required that all of Winston’s communications be copied to Bill so there was no surprises.
      So Chris Hipkins could well do similar with Chlöe Swarbrick this time round although in reality the Greens have little bargaining power.
      
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      October 21, 2026 10:09am
      - pdm
        
        Hipkins isn’t even fit to scrape the dog dung off the late Bill Birch’s shoes.
        
        14 1
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        October 21, 2026 11:18am
      - In Vino Veritas
        
        Only thing is peter, Labour have no one with any financial expertise in their party that would be any better at the job than Swarbrick. So it would be the inept looking over the inept.
        
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        October 21, 2026 11:45am
      - crash
        
        Vino: since when has the office of Minister of anything required demonstrated competence?
        
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        October 21, 2026 3:48pm
      - Ra Henare
        
        Correction. Bill Birch was actual Minister of Finance when Winston Peters was Treasurer.
        
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        October 21, 2026 8:19pm
    - David George
      
      Terrifying alright.
      No one can put any faith in Hipkins standing up to these crazies. Chloe will just say “misogynist”, Waititi & Jackson “racist” and he’ll collapse like a wet rag.
      
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      October 21, 2026 10:16am
  - nz_aj
    
    Chloe is nothing compared to Barbara Edmonds.
    Not that I want the left anywhere near the books.
    
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    October 21, 2026 10:48am
  - Pineapple Lumps
    
    If we end up with the extreme-left governing NZ instead of the Centre-Left, there will be a new department- The Department of Financial Ruin.
    
    But we probably won’t realise as it will be badged with an incomprehensible name like Te Wharepaku Putea.
    
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    October 21, 2026 12:48pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    One slight blessing I guess will be the reduction in quality of life will be so bad that even the lefties might wake up and come over to the dark side.
    
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    October 21, 2026 6:03pm
- In Vino Veritas
  
  The most kind thing that could be said about Chloe Swarbrick is “unbalanced loonie”.
  
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  October 21, 2026 9:29am
  - Colville
    
    I think she is quite balanced.
    A big chip on both soulders.
    
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    October 21, 2026 9:51am
  - NZer In Exile
    
    IVV I think you meant neurodivergent feminist democratic-socialist with super-powers.
    
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    October 23, 2026 3:41pm
NeverMindTheBollocks

One of the things that irks me about modern NZ is that we are losing some of our traditional values.

Growing up, we prided ourselves on being fair.

In my post on pro EV agitation above, the proponents are nakedly saying that some should be favoured at the cost of others. EVs are heavy and rip up the roads more than do comparable petrol vehicles, yet no road tax for them. Similarly, advocates urge for no FBT on EVs, modelled on the great public sector e-bike giveaway. What’s fair about that?

Purchasing an EV is a personal decision, which should be made on its own merits. Don’t be taking money from other taxpayers to fund your personal preference. That’s not fair.
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October 21, 2026 8:38am
- MCōs
  
  Electrical vehicles incur road user charges.
  
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  October 21, 2026 9:47am
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    My point, Cossie, is not as things are but things as the activist crowd want them to be.
    
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    October 21, 2026 8:43pm
- mike
  
  Some are always favored at the expense of others. That’s inevitable for most areas of public policy.
  
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  October 21, 2026 10:24am
  - Sponge
    
    Yes, I agree Mike. The feckless are always favoured over the successful. And the poor old net taxpayer are then villainised and despised for their success to boot.
    
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    October 21, 2026 8:32pm
- SoloView
  
  @ NeverMind
  
  Currently the bottom rung of the RUC ladder is 1kg to 3,500kg. A 2026 Nissan Leaf has a curb weight of 1,791kg.
  
  If we start charging EVs a higher rate would it be fair to say (as an example) that all vehicles over 1,791kg and up to 3,500kg should also pay a higher rate?
  
  And if we start charging a higher rate for vehicles under 3,500kg should vehicles above this rate also be paying a proportionality higher rate?
  
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  October 21, 2026 11:01am
NeverMindTheBollocks

Well now. Regular readers will be aware of my irregular reporting on the number of bikes parked up at the expensively provided Shell Lane bike rack. Its cost of $587.5k blew out when first security cameras and second the electric fittings to power them were unexpectedly added to the business case.

A posting on Facebook tte other day concerned an expensive e-bike being stolen from this rack. No problem, you would think. Just pass the footage to the police, job done. ….. Cue awkward silence.

It’s not known whether anyone has been monitoring the footage, or in fact whether there is footage to monitor. But it seems, as if more evidence was needed, that ratepayers funds have been wasted by the terminally incompetent.

Incidentally, there are 6 bikes on site at the time of posting. Go figure. Nice day for biking, too.
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October 21, 2026 8:46am
- Taieri
  
  Regular readers will be aware of my irregular reporting
  ————
  
  I’m very disappointed that your reports are so irregular now. You used to report just about every day and they were a highlight of my morning. What’s happened?
  
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  October 21, 2026 12:20pm
  - David Garrett
    
    Taieri: Me too…those reports also made me feel OK about my reports on the weather in the Kingdom. Please do recommence your reports
    
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    October 21, 2026 1:14pm
  - NeverMindTheBollocks
    
    What happened? Work, the curse of the reporting classes.
    
    But, I shall endeavour to improve.
    
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    October 21, 2026 8:44pm
Quail

Opportunity Party is simply a bunch of opportunists using the flawed political system that is MMP to put the whole electoral system at risk.
It is ludicrous that a “party “ who even had to hire its leader could control who will be the next Government. Potentially huge powers!
Next any Corporate in NZ will be hiring politicians.
Where does that leave individual voters and their suffrage?
Who has consulted the majority of NZ ?
The fact that TOP could be kingmaker should tell us all, that there needs to be urgent change in our political system.
MMP is an anti democratic mess!
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October 21, 2026 9:14am
- Yvette
  
  Qiulae Wong says Opportunity would not have signed up to current coalition deals
  “We’re not supporting things like a Treaty Principles bill in this next term of government. But if there are other things that we can work with parties on, whether that’s tackling competition or investing in innovation, then we will work with them on that.” – Opportunity leader Qiulae Wong
  
  Since there is now so much confusion over the Treaty, sovereignty and rights, ACT proposes a law that restates Government has the right to govern, declares all New Zealanders have equal rights and responsibilities, protects private property, and says the Government and all its services are secular – preserves spiritual neutrality.
  
  Would Opportunity leader Qiulae Wong find that unacceptable, since she says “We’re not supporting things like a Treaty Principles bill in this next term of government.”
  
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  October 21, 2026 9:21am
  - imalwaysright
    
    The harm caused by uncertainty within NZ, and the foreign perception of us, cannot be underestimated.
    
    We are too small to weather major policy changes, especially those from the minor parties who have little or no skin in the game.
    
    NZ is becoming a sand pit for politicians.
    
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    October 21, 2026 9:56am
- David George
  
  The Opportunists Party.
  Sounds about right.
  
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  October 21, 2026 10:19am
- Paulus
  
  If we assume the Oppo Part get 5% who are going to be their MPs.
  Have they put a list forward or is their only employee
  Iain Lees-Galloway left Parliament in 2020 after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern dismissed him from his Ministerial portfolios. Rees-Galloway remember the Labour Minister kicked out of Parliament and a one time Nurses Union leader !
  
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  October 21, 2026 11:49am
  - Steve Todd
    
    Have they put a list forward […?]
    
    Paulus! You are beyond the pale. Did you not read my response to you yesterday, here: https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2026/10/general_debate_20_october_2026.html/comment-page-1#comment-3890585?
    
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    October 21, 2026 2:35pm
- Gravelroad
  
  @Quail:
  This is the person who manages and organises the Opportunities Party:
  The Honourable Iain Lees-Galloway:
  “A former union organiser, Lees-Galloway was a Labour Party Member of Parliament from 2008 to 2020, representing the Palmerston North electorate. From 2017 until his dismissal in 2020 he was the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, Minister of Immigration, and Minister for ACC in the Sixth Labour Government.”
  Anyone who thinks that the Opportunity Party might be a useful coalition partner for National needs to think again.
  It is a Trojan horse for the Labour Party.
  
  8 1
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  October 21, 2026 12:44pm
Gulag1917

Alberta independence referendum defeated 3 to 1
https://youtu.be/sjCQNkrIvXQ?si=MOK0ANDYoEdGp4XX
9 1
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October 21, 2026 9:39am
- MCōs
  
  I think it was what we call a citizens initiated referendum to see if the locals wanted to carry on the process towards separation including a referendum.
  
  7 0
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  October 21, 2026 10:01am
Simon

Navy boat guy Darren Katipa

“The 47-year-old was told by Justice Michael Robinson there was no possible way his sentence for the cocaine scheme could be anything but imprisonment,”

But you can bet the Court tried real hard to keep him out of prison. They even would have sounded real sorry about it.

So sorry Mr. Katipa you had a amazing career in the Navy and you were so good and great but one single moment of poor judgement left undone all the great and amazing things you did in the Navy and your so good life. So very sorry Mr. Katipa to send you to…….
10 2
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October 21, 2026 9:42am
Fisiani2

The Maori party are advocating that voters give their party votes to the Greens to get a 2 seat overhang. We can do better than that. If National voters give their party vote to ACT then we would have a 6-8 seat National hangover Thats the power of MMP
16 2
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October 21, 2026 10:12am
- Observant Octagenarian
  
  I’m in Christchurch Central and that’s what I’m doing.
  Luxon is too much lefty for me.
  
  8 2
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  October 21, 2026 11:06am
- peterwn
  
  Overhang is an undesirable effect of MMP, not a feature.
  
  2 2
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  October 21, 2026 1:33pm
  - KKNZ2025
    
    “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing”
    
    3 0
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    October 21, 2026 2:08pm
  - NZer In Exile
    
    Maybe. I hope you will be voting in whatever way it takes (hint hint; electorate vote to the Nats, Party vote to ACT or NZF) to keep the dangerous twits out of power. Losing the country to the twits must not happen.
    
    3 2
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    October 21, 2026 6:09pm
Boy Geoff

Senior Labour figures seem to be suggesting the latest Verian poll is rogue.

I imagine that another hastily leaked Talbot Mills poll will confirm their suspicions…
19 1
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October 21, 2026 10:20am
MCōs

You can’t beat a steam train
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1139739321912800/?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V&fs=e&fs=e
7 5
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October 21, 2026 10:33am
- greybeard
  
  Lovely stuff !
  
  3 0
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  October 21, 2026 11:33am
- MCōs
  
  When I was a kid I always wanted to be a train driver. When I boarded at St Bedes we regularly caught the steam train up to Chch
  The Flying Scotsman from London to Edinburgh went so fast the fireman had to shovel coal constantly to whole way.
  Anyway along came diesel engines and I lost interest overnight
  
  1 0
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  October 21, 2026 5:14pm
Jack5

Challenging political times everywhere …

From a New York Times article by Steven Erlanger, a Berlin-based political commentator for the newspaper:

“Satisfaction with how democracy is working has been declining dramatically, according to regular opinion polling from the Pew Research Center. In France, Pew found this year, 69 per cent of the population is dissatisfied with democracy. In Spain, it is 68 per cent. In Italy, 62 per cent. In Poland, the newest democracy after years of Soviet occupation, it is 47 per cent. In the United States, it is 69 per cent.”
5 0
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October 21, 2026 10:38am
greybeard

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/361048992/retired-council-boss-received-six-figure-golden-handshake

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/361049041/former-kainga-ora-official-among-four-charged-alleged-42m-bribery-scheme

These two articles are appalling, and unfortunately typical:
NZ, per head of population, must have one of the highest rates of both local government ineptitude and lack of accountability as well as ingrained corporate greed and corruption of anywhere on the planet.

The sheer volume of wasted and misappropriated money in this tiny country is mindblowing: the rot is there to see from everyday reports of debts to IRD, scams involving immigrants and recent arrivals to countless instances of public service wastage and incompetency.

The whole country is at it !
16 0
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October 21, 2026 11:02am
- Damocles11
  
  It’s a wholesale looting of the public finances. The out-of-control spending and huge debt of councils and central government is providing cover for this looting; there is no restraint, no fiscal responsibility, and therefore this banditry has now become commonplace. They are all like so many pigs at the trough.
  
  12 1
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  October 21, 2026 11:43am
  - ISeeRed
    
    Yep. Even most “informed” citizens are oblivious to how dire things have truly become for our little country. The levels of disinformation, gaslighting and propaganda regurgitated by the media and other bad faith actors are epic and very effective.
    
    6 1
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    October 21, 2026 2:02pm
  - greybeard
    
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/361049159/discount-retail-chain-folds-owing-51m-across-seven-stores
    Here is an update. Expect many more.
    
    2 0
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    October 21, 2026 5:49pm
Damocles11

The TAMW comes to physiotherapy.
‘A physiotherapist discussed sexual topics with a patient, sent her inappropriate text messages and masturbated in her bedroom after going to her home, a disciplinary tribunal has found.
Timi Tapara, who ran the Tū Tonu health clinic in Hamilton, Waikato, was censured for professional misconduct by the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal and ordered to practise under supervision for 12 months upon returning to work.’

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/361049070/physios-inappropriate-messages-escalated-sexual-incident-patients-home
5 1
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October 21, 2026 11:39am
- kowtow
  
  Not good enough.
  Should be fired.
  
  7 1
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  October 21, 2026 1:25pm
Philview

There have been some interesting discussions recently on the taking of funds from the productive sector of society and giving to the non productive. This has been really highlighted in Green Party policy and doesn’t bode well for the future of New Zealand. We have allowed too much Leftwing extremism to take hold in society. We need to seek out sound economic arguments and use them frequently to push back against the Left.
11 1
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October 21, 2026 1:30pm
Philview

“Man dies after having leg amputated following string of failures at Dunedin Hospital”

I see another headline on this story. The use of the word “dies” implies that it is a breaking story. He died in 2021. Is this a deliberate distortion by the media or am I being overly suspicious?
13 1
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October 21, 2026 1:50pm
- MCōs
  
  This story is based on a report released by the Health and Disability Commissioner on 19-October and reported in several publications
  https://www.hdc.org.nz/decisions/search-decisions/2026/cas-14839-m2j9p5/
  “Man dies after delays in escalation of vascular symptoms in hospital”
  The date wasn’t the issue
  
  1 7
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  October 21, 2026 3:06pm
  - Steve Todd
    
    Nevertheless, MCōs, the headline should have said “died”. The decision, necessarily, pertained to an historical event.
    
    9 1
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    October 21, 2026 3:25pm
- Hugh Jarse
  
  I thought that initially and then I realised whatever the intent, what it actually did by referencing the date was to highlight the failures of Labour while they are trying to pretend they had some sort of medical nirvana running during their reign of incompetence with Hipkins and Verrall in charge.
  
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  October 21, 2026 4:21pm
imalwaysright

Was at the Outpatients department this morning waiting while my wife saw a doctor.

Over a period of 30 minutes there were four people who didn’t show up. I got the impression from the staff that this was not unusual.

What a waste.
10 0
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October 21, 2026 1:56pm
- Eastlander
  
  The idiotic plan for free doctors’ visits is mainly for the benefit of the class that makes appointments and doesn’t keep them. One wonders if appointments not kept will count towards the three free visits? If so then one thinks the intended beneficiaries will end up having to pay anyway.
  
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  October 21, 2026 2:44pm
- kowtow
  
  Years ago Linda Clark RNZ morning slot used to talk about barriers or somesuch to Maoris attending the health service ……this made the service systemically racist etc ( if I remember correctly)
  
  Eventually she conceded it was ” they just don’t turn up for follow up appointments”.
  
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  October 21, 2026 3:44pm
  - imalwaysright
    
    Correct Kow.
    The only barriers I saw were the one at the entrance to the carpark, and the one at the exit….
    
    5 0
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    October 21, 2026 4:26pm
- MCōs
  
  Where were you?
  
  0 0
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  October 21, 2026 4:35pm
  - imalwaysright
    
    Hutt Hospital
    
    1 0
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    October 21, 2026 5:06pm
Damocles11

‘Police are searching for a dangerous man who failed to return to prison after being granted compassionate bail.
Cain Te-Kahurangi Hanara, 22, has a warrant for his arrest and is actively avoiding police.
Hanara failed to return to prison on October 15 after being granted compassionate bail by the courts, police said.
He has links to Tauranga and the Kāpiti Coast; however, he is believed to be in the wider Auckland area.
“Hanara is considered dangerous and should not be approached.”’

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-search-for-cain-te-kahurangi-hanara-after-compassionate-bail/AALFDMVW65HRFGX4VEO5QPEIUE/
6 0
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October 21, 2026 2:46pm
- imalwaysright
  
  Article: “Police are searching for a dangerous man who failed to return to prison after being granted compassionate bail.”
  
  Says it all really…..
  
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  October 21, 2026 4:30pm
rouppe

Well this is weird.

Just downloaded my voting paper. In the party vote column it goes:
NZ First
Labour
National
Opportunity
Green
[a distinct gap, an empty row ]
Act
Alliance
Animal justice
…
and all the rest in alphabetical order

What the heck is up with that? I could understand if all the incumbent parties were grouped together, but they’re not.
5 0
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October 21, 2026 6:33pm
- rjay
  
  Parties are listed in alphabetical order of the electorate candidates.
  
  1 0
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  October 21, 2026 8:30pm
rouppe

Listening to the kenepuru candidate debate.

Barbara Edmonds didn’t bother turning up.

Matthew Evetts (National) is sounding very good. Jon Blackshaw (NZF) not too bad either.

TOP and Green lots of slogans and tax the rich from the latter
5 0
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October 21, 2026 8:56pm
Flossie

Just caught part of the debate on TV3 with leaders of ACT, NZF, OP and Greens. I couldn’t help but think of Pollyanna every time Ms Wong spoke. She wants everything to be wonderful but I couldn’t quite get a handle on how she proposes this will happen. It was a bit reminiscent of Be Kind!
5 0
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October 21, 2026 9:01pm
Quail

Flossie,
Did Ms Wong say anything that was remotely useful ,real and positive ? Or was her comment just another word salad as was used by Kamala Harris of USA and another recent female NZ Prime minister?
2 1
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October 21, 2026 11:10pm
- NZer In Exile
  
  The phenomena of QW reminds me of the early days of the rise of JA. All the lefties (and many on the centre right in tow) swooning over her relatively pleasant looks and apparent “niceness”, but nothing of substance really there.
  
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  October 23, 2026 3:47pm

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