General Debate 24 October 2026

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General Debate

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Cassandra

The UK has committed to the NATO/Trump target of 3.5% GDP on defence by 2035. First step is 3% by 2030.

So far there’s no plan. Prime Minister Burnham has insisted that national security “can’t come at the expense of social security”. So welfare can’t be reduced, where does the (considerable) money come from?

Note that NZ has neither commitment nor plan.

NZFirst has committed to 3% but the chances of that are zero, particularly if it includes their daft idea of a Marine Corps. (A thousand Marines embarked would need 2,000 more in the pipeline, a base near the navy and some ships. Australia wants NZ to integrate with them ie frigates).
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October 24, 2026 8:01am
- Quail
  
  Cassandra,
  FYI,
  NZ has just purchased @ 1.6 bn. 5 new multi purpose helicopters .
  A substantial start to their defence spend.
  
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  October 24, 2026 8:39am
  - Cassandra
    
    Thanks Quail. It doesn’t change anything, although of course very welcome. FYI my grandson works on that project.
    
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    October 24, 2026 8:44am
Tomtoddy

Someone called Joel Maxwell is ‘senior journalist’ for Stuff. He is Māori.

He has penned a piece suggesting we should fear billionaires far more than Māori gangs. Sadly, it is a small window into the way too many of ‘his people’ think.

It is an effort to excuse the Labour candidate’s dalliance with the Mongrel mob. Of course, he says he hates gangs but just below the surface he is finding creepy little ways to make her misguided actions legit and the lying cover-up an OK reaction.

The harsh truth is that it is the Maxwell’s ultra-thin opposition that helps gangs exist. “Hard case fella’s, eh bro” instead of a totally genuine abhorrence of their behaviour, their crime, their ruining lives, their attitude to women, their wrecking of lives with drugs.

He plays down the naive and deluded actions of the Labour candidate – she was “just campaigning”. He suggests these ugly examples of humanity are just “boogey men”. Then comes the left’s usual excuse – “the poor people around them” are the real victims.

While Māori keep playing these games, excusing violence, explaining away atrocious behaviour, failing to call out these vile activities and cozying up a tad to their gang family members this blight on our community will continue.
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October 24, 2026 8:01am
- pdm
  
  TT you are a braver man than most here Gunga Din.
  
  I read a couple of Maxwells pieces – the English versions – (does anyone read the other incomprehensible, tokenism, option? a couple of years ago and have avoided him like the plague since.
  
  I think he edits and writes for some local New Plymouth rag as well.
  
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  October 24, 2026 8:57am
Yvette

Under New Zealand electoral law if you are eligible to vote and live in New Zealand, you have a legal obligation to enrol. Failing to do so without a good reason can result in a fine.
Once enrolled, voting is entirely your choice. There is no legal penalty for choosing not to vote.

It is that simple, so why is Chloe Swarbrick, and now Hipkins, trying to label Luxon as having committed some vast devious fowl deed?

Chris Hipkins has voiced major concerns over what he terms “reckless” changes to the law. He maintains that the Electoral Commission has not done enough to publicize the adjustment, raising fears that a significant volume of citizens will see their votes discarded, damaging overall public confidence in the electoral system – Google Overview

In all of this, how often has it been mentioned it is illegal to not be registered if you qualify?
And as an aside, do you want someone who won’t observe the responsibility to enrol, to exercise a right to vote?
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October 24, 2026 8:01am
- Gravelroad
  
  Ask the fowls.
  They know about the pecking order.
  
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  October 24, 2026 8:12am
- Cassandra
  
  Chickens not involved. And enrolling should be voluntary too. Easy but voluntary.
  
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  October 24, 2026 8:14am
  - peterwn
    
    It is easy. If you have received your Easyvote letter you are correctly enrolled. If you have not, you pick up the phone or get on your computer before midnight Sunday. The last thing electoral staff want is a heap of last minute enrolments on election day clogging the system and delaying things.
    
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    October 24, 2026 8:24am
    - MCōs
      
      The system wasn’t delayed anymore last time than this time inasmuch as the time period between polling day and the release of final results is the same. Twenty days
      27 November Official results for the 2026 General Election declared
      
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      October 24, 2026 8:53am
- Flossie
  
  What a ridiculous load of nonsense Hipkins is trying to create about voting enrolment.
  It always used to be the rule that in order to vote you had to be enrolled on a specific date before election day. I can’t recall but possibly two weeks? This situation only changed in the last few years – was it because of the pandemic? Don’t recall. However in this day and age it could not be easier to enrol as you can use all kinds of electronic devices. How on earth did people cope when they probably had to get themselves into town and collect a form, fill it in and mail it off!
  
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  October 24, 2026 8:37am

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