Q&A with Andrew Little 3pm Sunday

Written By: - Date published: 8:38 pm, October 10th, 2014 - 39 comments
Categories: admin, humour, labour, notices, The Standard - Tags: , , ,

andrew little on bullhornAt 3pm on Saturday Sunday, Andrew Little will be on The Standard for discussion with questions from our audience of ardent left-wingers, greens, those who are just interested, and the odd window driven troll.

As always with candidates, this forum will be fully moderated. So if you want questions like “when did you defenestrate your mother-in-law” or its less intellectual equivalents, then this is really is not the forum for you. Because I will be happy to answer you in OpenMike as I drag you to your fate.

However if you want to ask searching and hard questions of this candidate for the leadership of the Labour party without the hinderance of the inflated egos of the media , then this will be your chance.

We will attempt to get the post up an hour or so early to provide you a basis for your questions.

Please, no speeches (or the fenestration awaits). We want to hear what you ask the candidate and their response rather than your current hobby horse.

 


 

If any candidates wish to use the facility of The Standard, then don’t hesitate to use the contact page. Last month we peaked at about 114 thousand unique visitors for the month, most of them from the left. So this is a good place to talk to the 40-60% of the audience who you need to convince to vote for you both in this election and into the next election.


 

 

As an aside, someone else didn’t suggest a title for this post… So today you get some latin.

39 comments on “Q&A with Andrew Little 3pm Sunday ”

  1. Richard RAWSHARK 1

    Hello Andrew,

    What is your vision of the Labour party under your leadership if you win.

    Rate yourself as a debater amongst the candidates. can you get the answers from John key at question time better than they could?

    What is your opinion on opening up more avenues for Labour to get party funding? Do you think the party does enough to garner support for the cause? What can you do about that?

    Oh and are you an opinion seeker or an opinion provider would you say.

    Kind regards

    Richard Kulla

  2. Marksman33 2

    Excellent lprent, can’t wait.

  3. wekarawshark 3

    what?

    Edit, in case anyone wondered what I was what?ing, BM asked Andrew if he was sorry for being a man. Perhaps BM realised the error of his ways, or remembered that Lynn is in moderation mode 😈

  4. ExStatic 4

    Do we take it then that Andrew is seen as a real chance as leader? It was not long ago that he was regarded here as an outside chance at best?

    • greywarshark 4.1

      ExStatic
      Stick around, Your IQ will go up by 10 points in six months or your money back. Oh you didn’t pay any money – well what a bargain you’ll be getting.

    • lprent 4.2

      We have always put up posts from any of the candidates for the Labour leadership who want to have the space.

      Presumably if they want to contend for it, then they are a contender.

  5. greywarshark 5

    I would never ask anything about defenstrating mothers in law. It’s not PC and I don’t know what it means. But Andrew will know, I think after you’ve been in politics for a while, you’ve heard everything that’s weird.

  6. wekarawshark 6

    Andrew Little on Morning Report. I thought he did well, not perfect but with the potential to fill the role.

    Not sure about his equivocating on the left/right thing, but he did make a clear statement that his values and instincts are ‘more left than anything else, absolutely’.

    I also liked how he didn’t let Espiner frame the Labour leader’s job as ‘taking out Key’, but that instead it’s about Labour getting its platform and presentation sorted.

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/20152866/andrew-little-runs-for-labour-leadership

    • boldsirbrian 6.1

      .
      @ wekarawshark (6)

      I think he did well to not be forced into defining himself as left or right. It’s a media game. Say left, and you will be framed by somebody else’s idea of communism. Say ‘right’ and you will be framed by somebody else’s idea of Jamie Whyte.
      Much better not to let yourself be forced into accepting a label …..Let the Party vision, and the Party policies do that far more eloquently.

      If he stays away from “taking out Key”, and concentrates on what he is doing at the moment, he has the potential to do really well. He hasn’t put a foot wrong yet, since his announcement. Of course it is early days.

      Mr. Botany (B.)

      • wekarawshark 6.1.1

        If Labour can no longer call itself a lef wing party because of the game, then it’s got serious problems. But we knew that already 😉

        • boldsirbrian 6.1.1.1

          .
          wekarawshark (6.1.1)

          I am referring to labels given within the Labour Party. It’s divisive apart from anything else. And it’s also relatively meaningless when the user of the label is using it in the context of “I do not like Joe Bloggs”.

          I am not so unhappy to see the terms used when the user is clear about the policies that are being criticised.

          I am intrigued as to the methodology that “Vote Compass” used to position the political parties, and contributors on a “left-right” basis. They positioned Greens and Mana furthest to the left, and the Labour Party between them and National.
          Fwiw, I was positioned between the Greens/Mana and Labour. I suppose that labels me as “Labour Far Left” and “Greens/Mana Far Right”. Interesting, but about as helpful as an empty glass in the middle of the Sahara.

          Mr. Botany (B.)

  7. Colonial Rawshark 7

    I think Little has good potential and a serious mind, but is taking his run at Leader too early. And if he won, would the Robertson faction not go back to ignoring the voice of the membership and affiliates, and undermining Little as Leader within months.

    • Lanthanide 7.1

      Robertson should resign if he doesn’t win.

      • AmaKiwi 7.1.1

        Ego.

        Politicians need to have HUGE egos to be in this line of work. Robertson’s ego won’t allow him to quit. Shearer’s ego told him he could be PM, even though he was the least experienced MP in Parliament when he seized / was coaxed into the leadership.

    • greywarshark 7.2

      colonial rawshark 7
      Could he not start moving on these backstabbers, put them low on the list even. Surely he has opportunity and authority to make his own decisions over his working team? Perhaps Labour will need to be run by a Commissioner in the end to allow a completely new board of pollies to be chosen by the people if the MPs can’t treat the job as a service one to the Labour people who provide the basis for their opportunity to be there!

      The leader needs a good set of principled reliable people around him so he can be effective? Otherwise too much time is spent toing and froing and back-stabbing. Otherwise they might get him in the rotunda. That’s the worst spot.
      Rinse the blood off my toga! Et tu Brutus!
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR_5h8CzRcI

      • wekarawshark 7.2.1

        “Could he not start moving on these backstabbers, put them low on the list even.”

        Yes and there is Bill’s view that DC failed to deal with the ABCs so perhaps Little might have the strength or will to do so. However I don’t see any evidence of this yet so I guess it’s a gamble.

        “I think Little has good potential and a serious mind, but is taking his run at Leader too early. And if he won, would the Robertson faction not go back to ignoring the voice of the membership and affiliates, and undermining Little as Leader within months.”

        If DC is reelected leader, what’s to stop the backstabbing from continuing?

        • greywarshark 7.2.1.1

          These pollies are probably suffering from the old-style neurasthenia! A good cleaning out laxative would help. Get them all running and returning quieter and more thoughtful and somehow purer. Lots of water too.

          Perhaps a week in the ranges camping out with meditation, having long walks and time for reflection and then they would emerge with an agreed manifesto that was manifestly agreed to and followed loyally. The quislings could be paid off. It works for National, but someone was tossing $300,000 around as the quid pro quo? Labour might afford $30,000 as they don’t have too many SFC types in their hip pockets.
          In Rutherford’s voice ‘We have a lack of money, so we have to think.’ We need more like him.

          Reading Margaret Thorn, past Labour activist and part of a political team with overseas postings. She said that her husband had a thrombosis before he reached pension time and they were quite poor. I think she was a cook at a place she used to visit as wife of an MP in ceremony. She didn’t get the same respect in her new role, and life was hard for them continually. That was then. They deserved better, and pollies should get what they have earned, but not stay when they stop doing their job for the Party, only for themselves.

  8. Pat O'Dea 8

    Kia ora tatou Andrew, congrats on your return to parliament

    ‘Nough of the small talk brother, let’s get straight into it.

    What is your opinion on the repeated bail out of the “Technically Insolvent” Solid Energy.

    Just days out from the election the Government announced that they were giving an additional bail to Solid Energy of $103million, this is on top of the $150million the Government gave to bail out Solid Energy last year.

    This is more than a quarter of a billion dollars of taxpayer’s money. The bail out of this insolvent company has been described by the taxpayer’s union as government “culture of corporate welfare”.

    In the age of climate change

    Gareth Hughes of the Greens said that this money would have been better spent on a “just transition to more sustainable jobs” for these workers, “jobs that don’t fry the planet”.

    “The National Government need to take responsibility for their mismanagement of Solid Energy and cut their losses,” said Mr Hughes.

    “The banks that made risky loans to Solid Energy need to bear the cost of their mistakes.

    “Coal is not going to be the fuel of our future if we are to stabilise our climate.

    “New Zealanders and Solid Energy workers need a just transition into more sustainable jobs – jobs that don’t fry the planet.

    GARETH HUGHES Press Release Oct. 1,2013

    Do you agree with this view expressed by Gareth Hughes Andrew?

    Or do you have some other take on the bail out of Solid Energy?

    Considering that the bail out was originally sold to the public as a measure to save jobs, do you think that following Solid Energy’s continuing their brutal layoffs and closures, that the Government should have heeded Gareth Hughes advice?

    Andrew as a life long union man and an advocate for the workers in parliament, are you of the view, or do you disagree with the statement below;

    ‘Coal mining is an unacceptably dangerous and ecologically unsustainable industry in the 21st Century. Not unlike Asbestos mining in the 20th’?

    Pat O’Dea Mana Movement spokesperson for climate change

  9. xanthe 9

    thank you pat I also would like to hear the answer to that question

  10. ianmac 10

    fenestration. A new word to me. So my wife and I are adapting it for household use. She spilled a bottle of cream that did not have its lid on properly. My fault because I did not consider the capping fenestration. Hmph!

    • greywarshark 10.1

      ianmac
      I suggested to a RW trole that he keep commenting here and his iQ would be up 10% in six months. I reckon that applies to all of us. Reading all the stuff here certainly keeps my brain humming and increases my vocab sometimes in sstrange ways,.

  11. red blooded 11

    A few questions, Andrew:
    1) You have said that there were too many big, abstract policies during the last campaign and that people voted for stability. You’ve also said that Labour needs to meet people’s concerns rather than trying to shift their opinions. these are both reasonable statements, but how would you ensure that a party you led did more than just follow opinion polls, and took a leading role in shaping the political landscape and developing concrete solutions to social, environmental and political issues?
    2) Team building skills – what would you do differently?

  12. greywarshark 12

    Hello Andrew –
    I am thinking about tax as it affects lower income people. A small change there would have a big effect on this group. Would you comment on –

    1 Doing away with secondary tax? It I think dates back to when everyone could make a reasonable living from one, and doing extra lifted one into the higher income level. Now multiple jobs may be required to basically manage. It would wipe a barrier to achieving better conditons.

    2 I would like regions that have peaks of tourism say in low populated areas to get more from such tourists. This would be done by allocating some GST taken from the area (which would be identified by a number code in the GST number) and go back to the Council providing infrastructure, roads, toilets, care. The more effort an area did, the more business it achieved for its efforts, the more it would receive. I consider this would be a very positive and encouraging return for regions. (Don’t know how it would apply to Auckland – the local and central govt could argue that one.)

    3 Stop taxing savings. I have been taxed at 39.5% i think, huge, until I got to and got the code changed. Now it is down to 19.5% I think. Why? The little interest received gets taxed at this huge amount. It’s a disgrace.

    4 CGT on all houses over average for that area? Seems reasonable. There are I think 100,000 NZ businesses in the housing industry, far more than in any other NZ industry sector. Why should they be able to have taxation friendly opportunities when there are rich pickings to be had in this area, the most important business to most apart from dairy. Or bring back stamp duty, or both.

    5 Estate duty, what about it? The rich get rich, and the poor get children was the old cry. Less children now though, that can be contained, but the rich are still accumulating capital. And staying rich, and the poor staying poor. A reasonable small percentage estate duty across the board would help restore the coffers after lots of tax avoidance by the wealthy smarts.

    • Craig H 12.1

      I worked for the IRD contact centre until last year, so although I’m not Andrew Little, and I’m a bit short of time to fully answer the tax questions, I can quickly post that no secondary tax and no tax on savings favour the rich, not the poor.

      For example, I took a call from a doctor who was doing some extra work for a second practice (it’s quite common for doctors and surgeons to have second jobs of one sort or another), and they wanted to know why they had a bill from the year before. The reason was they earned 6 figures from their main job, so every extra dollar they earned from their second job should have taxed at the top rate, not the bottom rate as actually happened (they used two M codes instead of ST for the second job).

      The only ways to truly eliminate secondary tax are to either update FIRST (the taxation computer system at IRD) so it can calculate tax in real time based on current earnings, and legislation to permit this, or to create a flat income tax system (i.e. same rate on every $). Any other system will allow people to pay less tax than they are supposed to, or more than they should.

      No tax on interest generated by savings (the actual savings themselves are not taxed, just the income they generate) favours people who have more savings over those who have less, particularly people who don’t work, or don’t work much, and primarily live off interest from savings. Again, not exactly favourable to the poor…

      • wekarawshark 12.1.1

        “I can quickly post that no secondary tax and no tax on savings favour the rich, not the poor.”

        How does your example demonstrate that removing secondary tax doesn’t favour the poor?

      • greywarshark 12.1.2

        @ Craig H
        As weka is I think thinking, you are considering two different tax concerns. I did point out somewhere that when you have very little money, every $ more in your hand is effective for you. So I would like the matter being looked at first from that point of view.

        For people getting lots, they should be preparing annual tax returns that show all their income and any adjustments come from the overall situation. They are likely to be getting into marginal tax rates, and paying tax on discrete sums would not give a true reading of what they should pay under the correct tax regime for their total earnings.
        And it shouldn’t require a super computer to work that out.
        They should be able to do it on their computer at home and fax it or email the spreadsheet which of course they will know how to do, or their accountants.

        I agree that it would be nice to get some tax on people who are so wealthy they can live off their interest. So may be 2% on interest under $1000, that is most of us, and say 15% over? If they were living off dividends, what would they pay on those?

  13. whateva next? 13

    Hello Andrew,
    How would you manage the ” I want a PrimeMinister I could share a pint with” approach to the electorate choosing who they want to govern the country?

  14. Treetop 14

    Andrew were you not running for leader or you miss out.
    Would you be happy being the deputy and taking on the roll of uniting the Labour caucus?

    • Treetop 14.1

      This has been answered on Q&A with Andrew Little.

      I even corrected the spelling for role!

  15. greywarshark 15

    Hi Andrew
    1 I’m thinking now about small business in NZ. Would you increase assistance to people trying to get these off the ground, if they had a good business plan and experience say?
    There isn’t enough money circulating in the communities that stays in the community and we need more entrepreneurial spirit. Seeing that established businesses are not willing to pay decent wages and respect their employees by giving them set hours on a permanent basis, people could put the same sort of graft into starting businesses that often take a number of years to get going before they can bring in good money. I think they would if given advice and extra skills available to carry out some good idea.
    Would you support help, loans and advice for small business.

    2 Then there is the Grameen style lending for small one-person initiatives. Ordinary people helping themselves, when they have an idea they can earn from. Can we get more of this going. We have something in Nelson like that but haven’t enquired lately how it’s going. It has been successful for some years. Would you support this.

    3 Also there is the situation of working beneficiaries. To me it seems a good idea, now we have the flood of cheaper imported goods that have killed off our own initiatives here and helped keep our wage rates low. The economy functions at that level. If people could get as much work as they could reasonably manage and still be able to get monetary and accommodation assistance, we would get healthier happier people and they could manage on a lower income with small aspirations and be happy. But social mobility would be available too. So would you be open to this practical approach, paying benefits and encouraging people to work and receive top-ups and not be counting every penny people earned, though keeping in touch to ensure that benefits be slowly reduced when appropriate levels of earnings achieved.

    4 Would you support a citizen investment fund to buy NZ developed and operated businesses to stop all our innovative, profitable businessses being sold overseas or getting into one wealthy NZ person’s hands, but rather being managed and run well by and for NZs.

  16. boldsirbrian 16

    Andrew, you stated on a TV3 interview on the 11 October , that “Labour should not have anything to do with Internet Mana”

    Are you aware that is a relatively controversial position that Labour took?

    Could you please comment on the possibility of embracing Mana in future elections, in the same way that Labour previously worked with Jim Anderton, and National is successfully working with Act and United Future?

    • greywarshark 16.1

      boldsir brian
      Have your transferred this question over to the current thread for Andrew Little? You will need to do so as I am for it to be on the hot spot thread.

  17. greywarshark 17

    What about regional cooperatives hosting industry with investment funds from the local citizens backing it? Would that get your interest and support?

  18. Pat O'Dea 18

    “If any candidates wish to use the FACILITY of The Standard, then don’t hesitate to use the contact page. Last month we peaked at about 114 thousand unique visitors for the month, most of them from the left. So this is a good place to talk to the 40-60% of the audience who you need to convince to vote for you both in this election and into the NEXT election.

    LPRENT

    I was rather looking forward to David Cunliffe’s contribution.

    Since I don’t think that we will get to see David Parker or Grant Robertson availing themselves of this worthy public service anytime soon.

    So I expect that this will probably be the last post we will see like this.

    More’s the pity

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    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    6 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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