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6:00 am, August 1st, 2026 - 35 comments
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Open mike is your post.
For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.
The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).
Step up to the mike …
Not a word about Winston's racism in the Herald headlines this morning.
Well blow me down.
Incognito accidentally alerted us to the reason yesterday: our privilege system, instituted in the colonial era to ensure that the elite are a class above us.
Best not to publicise his racism lest voters realise he's using parliamentary privilege to do it. Sheeple may cotton on. Racism is legal in parliament, illegal outside. So either the law is an ass, or the double-standard is a damn good idea! Whaddaya reckon?
Well said Dennis.
But the people need to be informed that NZF is led by racists. Shame on the Herald.
Readers of the Herald must surely get news from other sources as well. Will there be many adults who haven't heard yet about Peters' racist baiting and slighting of our Chinese trade partners?
Nope, it was deliberate, targeted, and pertinent, not accidental, and a direct reply to the gap in your knowledge.
Nope, that’s utter nonsense (BTW, it also sounds as if you’re using ‘colonial’ as a pejorative).
Sigh
https://www3.parliament.nz/en/visit-and-learn/how-parliament-works/parliamentary-practice-in-new-zealand-2023-by-chapter/chapter-57-parliamentary-privilege/
Parliament, or rather the Debating Chamber, is not a lawless pit. Geoffrey Palmer (‘Sir G’, as you like to call him) has written extensively about Parliamentary privilege, as you can imagine.
https://lawnews.nz/treaty-maori/sir-geoffrey-calls-for-privilege-overhaul-amid-haka-row/
He’s even written a whole book on it.
https://teherengawakapress.co.nz/products/parliamentary-privilege-in-aotearoa-new-zealand
Whilst finding 18 breaches of te Tiriti is absolutely spiffing, it is merely a legal opinion.
Goldsmith may play his Maori card as an insider. A pause would be politic if meaningful co-design with Māori was a realistic possibility. Goldsmith may wonder what proportion of Maori are happy to finagle treaty rights in this manner, or he may not care, preferring to rearrange history as if it were a deck-chair display.
Probably depends how anchored he is in his ethnic matrix, eh? Has anyone yet measured Maori collective opinion to discover the ratio of the main bodies of their public? Are fundamentalist treaty-clingons above 90%? Are those seeking to rewrite the law to put bounds on rights above 1%? Are those in between inclined to become progressive?
If he doesn't have Potaka & other key conservative Maori on board, best to park the thing until after the election. He hasn't made a public case for reform that is compelling.
The record of the 2017-2023 government on child poverty.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/weve-forgotten-how-to-tackle-child-poverty-its-time-to-remember/premium/XRCMPMXDVZBYHEZENRBMSH4EPI/
https://archive.li/gCkf3
The Children's Commissioner recently wrote an open letter to all party leaders urging them to make ending child poverty a priority.
https://www.manamokopuna.org.nz/publications/media-releases/open-letter-to-all-party-leaders/
However, we need to do far better than that and change the focus to all poverty – not merely child poverty.
For example, we have a growing elderly population and elderly poverty and financial hardship is also growing. And we should all know there is also great taxpayer cost associated to that failure. The longer we ignore it and only focus on child poverty, the worse it will get. So again, we need to focus on all poverty and we need to do it now.
You are right TC, when we get to the stage that we have to tack child onto poverty before it even gets glanced at, that is a Bad Sign but so many of us don't take note.
It shows that the government and their funders are trying to slip away from their proper tasks of, managing the economy and distribution of resulting revenue. They sneak off with goodies in their wallets that are needed for essentials by the common people. And some of us are more common than others, and some of us get a bit together and advance up the class ladder forgetting those still struggling behind reaching for a hand-up to help reach the first rung.
Weka wrote,
"I don't know why Xu-Nan was asking Peters if he is vaccinated, but I can guess."
31 July 2026 at 3:12 pm
Me too. Xu-Nan will have known that Peters did choose to be vaccinated and that his pretence to the Anti-vax crown is hypocrisy writ large. He will also have known that Peters hates to be exposed as a hypocrite, and that Peters listens very closely to heckling when he's speaking in the House. He will have known also, that Peters frequently over-steps the mark with his acerbic responses. That's why, in my view, Xu-Nan asked his question. The result has been tremendously bad media coverage for Peters and a serious diminishment of respect for him amongst the other MPs of all parties.
It hasn't fed a culture battle, it has exposed an on-going political behaviour of Peters; dishonesty. That's a sticky substance to be brushed with, imo.
Ah, I did wonder about that. You make the point well. Press the right button in the psyche, the real person comes out. Greenie hit his mark accurately, so he deserves his list ranking! I presume privacy law protects Winston's hypocrisy; he has a private right to act contrary to his overt political alignment as per Machiavelli.
Wasn't Peters calling for Hipkins etc to be charged (re covid failure) at the time of the interjection?
As it seems to have drawn the main stream media attention away from that
No – you cannot find the evidence for your nonsensical but rather bold suggestion in the Hansard. Not that you tried, evidently.
Because it lives rent-free only in your own lucid imagination.
Lurid.
Peters is forever pointing his wrinkled finger at those he worked with in the past, blaming them for his own short-comings – the "main stream media" are fatigued by his caterwauling and don't rush to print every time he wheezes.
Peters performative display is quite intsructive, it's under parliamentary priviledge so he can't be held to account and in response to some standard NZF hyopcrasy being put on display.
Heat needs to be applied by media and opposition in general to the destructive policies and culture wars being stoked whilst kiwi's struggle by the coalition.
Winston has a ferry shaped albatross around his neck and should be held accountable for that. Bet he goes troppo if asked as he's one very precious polly when it's not going his way as we've seen through the term.
Helen Clark says Peters lost his rag, well, she says,
“I think the interjection struck a nerve and Winston spun out. He’s made a very serious mistake. I don’t think it was calculated.” Her advice to Peters was: “Offer the appropriate apology and move on”.
"She doesn’t think Peters’ comments in the house were premeditated:".
Xu-Nan got under his flabby skin and that's easy to do if you look foreign – Peters ain't takin' no lip from up-starts from over the sea!
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/01-08-2026/how-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-winston-peters-fine-political-minds-offer-luxon-advice
A brave MP could ask Winston about the dead bird hanging around his neck, in plain English without accent, female voice, and ethnic or other baggage that might trigger the curmudgeon. Don’t expect a reasonable answer though.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/07/29/new-conspiracy-theories-hatch-following-bird-flus-arrival-in-nz/
Wow!!!
Ngai Tahu to "farm" Molesworth!
""For us, Rangitahi is not simply a farming opportunity. It is an ancestral landscape woven into the whakapapa of Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kurī, Ngāti Māmoe and Waitaha. To be entrusted with its stewardship is a responsibility we approach with humility and determination.""
This'll have the Feds in a lather!
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/854409/ngai-tahu-farming-chosen-to-operate-country-s-largest-farm-molesworth-station
Younger generations seem keen to climb aboard the racism bandwagon: https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/08/01/geoffrey-palmer-be-careful-what-you-wish-for-new-zealand/
So common knowledge is spreading! Sir G seems freaked out: Winston is acting just like a Trump acolyte. Fences, obstacles and constraints apply…
Or disrespect. Optionality is the key here. Influencers get that gnosis. Sir G artfully pivots upon T's stance.
Elegance of cultural analysis is commendable style, but let's focus on substance instead. Folks tend to grieve rather than argue – few are inherently disputatious. Grievance politics is therefore a consequence of human nature. When they notice the left & right colluding in their oppression, folks grieve more. Elefuckingmentary. If a hero emerges to represent their feelings via his instincts, they will naturally support him.
Sir G just doesn't get it. Yet he does get part of the politics involved. The pale stale male role models personified by PM & Leader of the Opposition. Then he demonstrates classic Labour street cred by carefully avoiding the solution to the problem. The truth is out there, he signals, in the form of "a genuine answer". Who knows where it is?
It’s you who doesn’t get it – you were looking in the mirror and didn’t see or recognise your own reflection, which resembles a dreadful druid.
As per usual, you turned [on a] a well written, considered, and constructive article into a negative diatribe about the author and his former party [Labour] and missing the author’s key point, of course.
While keeping up with the USA debacle is important, for the sake of NZAO, time must be spent on looking at our own debacle, smaller but perfectly made! (Though note Toffler.)
Quotes from thoughtful people: You've got to think about big things while you're doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction. Alvin Toffler
And the air was full of Thoughts and Things to Say. But at times like these, only the Small Things are ever said. Big Things lurk unsaid inside. Arundhati Roy b,1961 Indian author – political activist https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/small-things.html
Alvin Toffler – Wikipedia Alvin Eugene Toffler[1] (October 4, 1928 – June 27, 2016) was an American writer, futurist, and businessman known for his works discussing modern technologies, including the digital revolution and the communication ,,,
You can't achieve anything in life without a small amount of sacrifice. Shakira
I am a person who has many dreams. But as soon as I accomplish one, I move on to the next. That's my fatal, absurd nature. Human beings are slaves to our dreams, and I am, too. Now I think I just want to share my musical proposal in its entire form. Shakira: Colombian songwriter b1977 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakira
AI is likely to defeat a powerful coalition of lawyers and bureaucrats, unless they mentally condition their stance via repetitive uttering of `jack be nimble, jack be quick". https://www.cfr.org/articles/cfr-surveyed-350-experts-about-ais-future-most-think-governance-is-failing
Top corporations have climbed the ladder of parity with state economies, so we are shifting to an era where state/corp hybid governance will happen:
Strange your summary doesn't mention the EU's ai regulation framework. They're about to start fining non-compliant firms.
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-starts-enforcing-ai-act-rules-and-new-transparency-requirements-2-august
"Under the new rules, chatbots and other interactive AI systems will have to tell users they are dealing with AI, not a human. Deepfakes (images, videos, or audio that have been edited or generated using AI) will have to be labelled. AI-generated or altered content will also have to carry machine-readable marks so it can be detected more easily.
The measures are intended to reduce deception and manipulation and help people make informed choices. They also give businesses clearer obligations and a practical way to show compliance. "
It's certainly a good begining, dealing with the pointy part of ai: how firms use it on consumers.
It’s not static legislation, either, but part of an improve-in-place initiative.
Farrar is blubbing like a baby again, this time about his favourite target, Jacinda Ardern. NZ's chief Zionist is upset our former PM is able to work on speaking tours and able to pay the bills for her family.
https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2026/08/aussie_taxpayers_making_jacinda_rich.html#comments
Methinks the Zionist is jealous.
He is, and snippy with it.
Farrar's a big, blobby cry-baby.
The old goat's morphing into tRump.
https://x.com/winstonpeters/status/2083027510594544033
A global far-right movement is finding recruits among disaffected young New Zealand men. Its activists are looking for a path into mainstream politics and believe generational change will carry them there. CHARLIE MITCHELL reports.
https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/361051995/young-men-behind-new-zealands-new-far-right-movement (read only in chrome works for me)
https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/the-press/20260801/281487873148739
On a trust scale for me Charlie Mitchell is in the 9/10 region but that's not the story. On a trust scale for me Winston Peters is a zero.
I reckon it's a tale of two lobes, frontal and temporal.
Some idiot here (it was Res Publica) asked recently and plaintively why Opportunity had gained momentum and visibility as if it wasn't stupidly obvious.
The money has allowed them to make themselves relevant and big in media. This is why anyone is even slightly entertaining their ridiculous concepts. The money…
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[all you had to do in that comment was leave the name out. But you decided to personalise it, pejoratively, and not only provide no evidence but frame it in such a way as it’s hard for anyone to look up. In addition Res Publica is an author here. I take a very dim view of people that use this kind of commenting that undermines another commenter or an author. Take a week off – weka]
mod note.
Fair enough, but the point is it's not good enough for commenters, especially authors, to ignore basic analysis of a subject.
In this case it was why TOP are approaching 5%.
I can't find the post because the search function here is rubbish but Res Publica suggested it was because of policy and completely ignored the possibility it was because of marketing funding.
Surely we can't be satisfied when senior members of this forum (your concept) don't do the homework?
Stewart and Corey Doctrow and on Musk's SpaceX IPO scam.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OOLj4nl1FFs
transcript
Jon Stewart: So your argument is that this isn’t just another speculative bubble.
You’re describing a financial time bomb that, if it played out the way you fear, could make the mortgage-backed securities crisis look small.
Is that why all these billionaires seem so eager to get to Mars?
https://www.facebook.com/nadines1/posts/an-excellent-explanation-of-how-billionaire-screw-over-working-people-even-when-/10174711688705305/
AI and the Enshittification Era w/ Cory Doctorow | The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart
This discussion is fantastic, will be sharing it widely, thanks Joe90. I already knew about the dodgy Spacex IPO strategy forcing indexed retirement funds to carry the loss, while the big players offload their stock.
Plundering pension funds is last-stage piracy by the rich of the rest of society.
As for Jon and Cory's lightening to-and-fro, with an exposé per minute, is the very best example of true conversation…
PS. Turns out I somwhow watched the whole conversation, not just the short. Find it on youtube, it’s amazing at Jon’s site.
DoubleDown News background the recently dead Lindsey Graham, who, Trump eulogised "Never met a war he didn't like".
Graham was a US Army lawyer, involved in Iraq and Afghanistan. DDN claim his role was to enable US war crimes to be hidden, such as at the notorious Abu Graibh detention centre. DDN also expose his desire for the complete distruction of Palestine.
Watch to learn just what a nasty person he was (it's not long).
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-oM8Z62BFBA