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6:00 am, May 6th, 2026 - 24 comments
Categories: open mike -
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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 …
Marco Free Cuba Rubio : oh so concerned about Civilian sailors deaths….
Ah..the ILLEGAL attack !
Meanwhile Civilian sailors are indeed being illegally killed by the USA….fully documented !
And earlier, from not MSM….KiwiPolitico :
Nuremburg started the legal and moral principle that illegal orders should not be followed.
The liability for following them, extends all the way from the Orange turd to the military who carry them out.
Rightly, and legally, they should all face charges. I don't see that happening however.
Note as an aside, I didn't think anyone could make Iran's theocracy look like the "good guys". Until now!
Yes, that is certainly one remarkable achievement of the Trump chaos!
Very true that! But!
In a good way…..
Pushing through….
More needed though ! Electrify NZ : )
Central Government is forcing councils to amalgamate. In a pretence of offering choice, they've given council 3 months to finalise their plans. If they fail to present one, Government will make the decision for them.
Council should refuse to produce any plan. Central Government would then have to take responsibility for the resulting changes. Ratepayers are unlikely to enjoy the changes; for starters, they're likely to have less say in their local resources and infrastructure and they're likely to pay more than they presently do and or suffer a fall in quality of service.
There are some mayors though, who believe themselves most suitable for the new role of Potentate, so we'll see how it all pans out.
There will be some regions that will be easy with existing agreement between councils (and their communities) and can move quickly. Southland is a good example where the unification discussion has been going for a while.
Then there will be others where it's not going to be easy to get agreement, or even have the discussion. Otago looks to be in that situation where no one is really saying much at all.
Local government is going to be interesting here, some in Dunedin will see a Greater Otago entity based in and controlled by Dunedin, the rest of Otago might have a rather different idea. Stock up on pop corn.
Great post psych…..solar, the cheapest power on earth and getting cheaper, is finally taking off in NZ. EVs also happening.
Thank you President Trump.
Yes, a day of surprises – another remarkable thing the Trump chaos has achieved!
Our CEO is not available – out to lunch.
Plague got spread by internationally travelling rats in the past with dire consequences. Now all this wealth and international travel has people doing the rats' job! The latest is hantavirus, and I solemnly prophesy that we will possibly work our way through the alphabet, janta, kanta etc.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/594366/passengers-on-cruise-ship-with-deadly-hantavirus-will-need-to-isolate-for-several-weeks
And our own intelligent people attempting to waken whatever brain cells in the business-management and politico class are dismissed as Cassandras.
May.3/2026 https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/health/594118/world-largely-unprepared-if-any-new-pandemic-arises-helen-clark
Apr.7/26 https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/591674/almost-200-000-new-zealanders-are-now-living-with-long-covid-where-is-the-government-plan
Then of course there are the constant outbursts of sadness and anger which is in itself a pandemic of unhappy New Zealanders caught up in the demolishing of our living systems of value to us.
2025 https://newsroom.co.nz/2025/07/28/nzs-multi-billion-dollar-hidden-epidemic/
Does The Standard and its ilk que sera about this?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/594400/broadcasting-standards-authority-to-be-scrapped
TS doesn’t fall under BSA.
TS has no ilk.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_Bartlett
https://www.bsa.govt.nz/
Times change. Is/was the BSA ill-equipped to adjudicate on an imminent tsunami of complaints about AI-laced broadcasts? Ah well, that's one more source of 'entertainment' denied – Next, Please.
Im guessing people will now have seen the National ads on YouTube.
Fronted by Willis, this is a clear media management decision to withdraw Luxon as a public liability and play to their strength.
If it came to it, Willis would be a formidable leader against Hipkins in October and November.
National is fighting back, on behalf of Luxon, apparently.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/06-05-2026/the-national-partys-five-point-comms-plan-to-seize-back-the-agenda
The photo at the top of the article says it all.
I thought the same of Nicola Willis before, but now I think that she’s too rigid to be an effective leader who can come up with a coherent plan for the country and execute it.
I would have thought she would have a hard time defending their economic record, let alone be credible standing in for Luxon as the coalition's front office manager.
She's a rasp. He hasn't shown his mettle yet.
Bring it on.
Nope. Nat MPs are subpar – sometimes good for a laugh, but I prefer serious funnies.
A CoC sycophant bites the dust. And if you can't stack regulatory authorities, scrap 'em.
"Fulsome discussion" before the CoC takes any decision?!!! Tell him he's dreaming.
The BSA is gone. Can't say I'm gonna miss it.
Can I just say wish we had more people in power with this amount of spine, courage and integrity. Hon Dr Jim Chalmers speaking about One Nation and their anti worker voting record. Starts at around the 7minute mark.
Whole video is interesting if your interested in Australian politics.
In reply to Ad @8
The National Party’s five-point comms plan to seize back the agenda
Via the Spinoff.
”Through the mists of all of this, a discernibly new National strategy has taken shape.
Perhaps it started with the appointment of Simeon Brown to the role of campaign chair, in place of Chris Bishop. Perhaps it was settled upon in that epic caucus meeting – the one, recall, that chief whip Stuart Smith was sadly unable to attend – at which Luxon put his leadership to the vote. But a reboot, a new assertiveness, is clear enough to see.”
It’s going to get really nasty.
Colour me on the back foot and taken completely by surprise!!
There should be a joker entertaining the motor convoy waiting to go through the Awakino Gorge.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/community/594448/motorists-enjoy-the-wait-as-convoys-continue-through-awakino-gorge
In 1971 a French film with Mr Hulot and Jacques Tati were confused and it was called French surrealism. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8S8pmJ9Tn0