37 Comments
11 hrs agoLiked by Nick Rockel

Isn't it time that we got rid of the myth that Tories are good money managers? This lot has recklessly spent the country's income on baubles like tax cuts for the rich and the landlord tax rebate and find the purse is empty when it comes to feeding the children and paying for healthcare. If this was a household, you'd be sending them to budget management classes. 🤔

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Absolutely.

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It's not a household but yes, somehow people always think conservatives are good at managing money and the evidence says otherwise.

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True, Patrick. Luxon et al think running the country is like running a business. But the same principles apply. If you spend all your business income on limos and fancy lunches, but don't pay your staff or pay the power bill, you're out of business.

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11 hrs agoLiked by Nick Rockel

Hilarious and informative - Thanks Nick. Strange how little we hear from the deputy leader of Act. I guess only being able to come out at nighttime does cramp one’s style a bit… 😉

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🤣😂🤣😂

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founding
11 hrs agoLiked by Nick Rockel

OMG, thanks so much for this - those facts about US gun deaths is just horrific - I had no idea.

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It is hard to understand why Americans do not see that their gun laws are incompatible with safe communities.

Nicks idea of supporting Mexico in legal action against the gun companies is brilliant!

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The gun lobby's are so powerful lots of money for good old fashioned bribery

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Americans are taught that the only thing better than a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. What happens when the good guys run out of bad guys to shoot? Do they then decide what constitutes a bad guy and start killing them just in case they may be? Who's the bad guy in this scenario?

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And they have an advocate here as part of the current coalition government ministers. Crazy stuff.

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YÈS. DEVESTATINGIS THE CORRÈCT WORD

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11 hrs ago·edited 10 hrs agoLiked by Nick Rockel

The first change that came to mind was to get Joe Bonamassa to rewrite the score for our national anthem, ( a fabulous CD the song came from BTW) Whatever language is sung, the music is just plain bloody boring! It needs updating desperately.

Your right on the money (or lack of it) with all the changes for Nicola. The only problem there is that to eat humble pie, one has to grasp the concept of "humble". Otherwise a great list.

Hosking hating the Haka is no surprise, he hates just about everything to do with AotearoaNZ. The best change for him would be to honour the threat he made some time ago and head to Australia. I'm sure he would make a great host for another mindless game show of the type we seem to be inundated with, and our Government could threaten to send more of his ilk over if they don't stop sending us 501's.

I think giving up hope for America if Trump wins is the least mind boggling option. If Kamal wins, there might be something left of democracy, after the civil war is over. It's a frightening and quite believable prospect. At least the gun makers will be happy, they'll be vindicated in their desire to have a gun for every occasion in every patriotic American home.

I think that's enough for now. Have a lovely day y'all. Yeehaaaa👍

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10 hrs agoLiked by Nick Rockel

Great read Nick. If society were to treat greed with the same disdain as we do theft (cos they are actually the same) then we could eliminate both overnight. Sadly (I blame Thatcher/neoliberalism) we bestow our greatest accolades on the greedy, when they should be given to those who give more to society than they take from it.

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10 hrs agoLiked by Nick Rockel

Thanks for this article Nick, and boy you have some great suggestions there. Personally, when I first read Joe Marler's comments I have to admit I was bloody furious because as a wāhine Māori I love the HAKA and I love your idea of removing the English version of it. I recall Dame Hinewehi Mohi singing our anthem in Te Reo at Twickenam and bloody hell I was proud.

Joe Marler's comments were stupid, but he did later provide some context to what he meant. He was just poking the bear, although he did it in a way that was offensive to many, and it wasn't just Māori that were furious with him.

In my opinion people in the USA need to bloody well wake up and smell the roses and see the damage Donald Trump will do to their country.

As far ax our politics are concerned, what I really want to see is our government actually stand up and just bloody well own their screw-ups. I realize this is a stretch, but I'm either an optimist, or just bloody stupid.

Have an awesome day Nick and GO THE AB'S.

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Agree let’s get rid of that awful anthem but not sure if it’s possible to make David Seyless human like!

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All very chilling stuff Nick. It's as if ordinary, 'normal' people in the world have fallen asleep at the wheel. And as for New Zealand, I just can't believe what is happening. Keep up the good work sir!

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10 hrs ago·edited 10 hrs agoLiked by Nick Rockel

"Seymour become warm-blooded..."

That's not possible. He's as cold blooded as a fish and he even looks like one. (Yeah I know. You're not supposed to comment on a person's features but hell... it's true. He does remind of those skinny, colourless fish that swim endlessly around goldfish bowls etc.)

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10 hrs agoLiked by Nick Rockel

Very sensible suggestions Nick. I ßupport all of them.Hosking will have to take on Sth Africa as well for time wasted.They have 3 versìoñsnòt mention Argentina who have a sort of prequel to theirs.

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Nick, the thing I hope is that your readers become supporters, as we need to support the voices on the left to reach a large and diverse array of readers.

Perhaps many don't realise if they managed $5 a week/$10 a fortnight it could allow you to read and research even more. You have become a definite go to for our family and friends.

Thank you for the great cartoon of Hosking. USA and the gun lobby.. when freedom from gun regulations actually threatens someone else. Willis, well when she held up one sheet of paper, we all knew.

One term Government please.

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founding

This is a racist idea to bring Tama Potaka into line - make him (and any other coalition MPs who identify as Māori) stand in one of the Māori seats. So, no list places and no ‘safe’ seats like Epsom…

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I quite like the idea that the Epsom electorate might disappear with the need to alter the boundaries.

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I vote you for PM Nick all fantastic ideas personally I can't stand the English version of our national anthem Maori version any day of them week as for the haka that's a part of our cultural heritage it gives me goosebumps when the All blacks do it .

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founding

Another korero of genius perspective and writing. I’ve sent your piece on the ‘gun-makers’ to a Mary Trump, yes Donald Duck’s niece who detests him so very much. One idea which is worth perusing to aid our Health System was to create a fund, via tax similar to Kiwisaver, say for particular health events. Oh another, to improve the death toll,on our roads - create many more passing lanes as carried out in Sweden to great effect. One great improvement to our psyche and society would be, wait for it, dump this COG.

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Yes Gloria They need to go... so voting by the Left has never been more needed.!!!

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Yea!!! lets get some ideas and some action! The Haka always makes me emotional, never a passive experience - surely that is exactly what it is ALL about! Then the anthem, worshiping a few privileged people who live 12,000 miles away that are a waste of space, yet many of us are brainwashed to do exactly that! Then- a gun is a tool, the express purpose of which is to KILL- makes those who have them - killers! What to do about the whole mess? Change our political system, (Westminster) as Paul King has commented, is a binary system that is divisive, expensive, violent, and not-fit-for-purpose! It never was- the "Ruling Class" have had their day, and what a mess they leave behind, we-the people need to claim a future for our kids the country - and the world, starting in Aotearoa!

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Sorry Phil, you wrong about our National Anthem worshipping a few privileged people 12,000 miles away. Not one word refers to Queen, King or the “old country”. It does however as for God’s protection over our nation, and sets out hopes for the wellbeing of all. It’s lucky we don’t sing the entire English language version as it’s quite long.

Personally I think just the Maori version would be fine.

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Oh, I was thinking more of the sentiment, I don't really know the words I guess?

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You’re not alone there, mostly we only here the first couple of verses at most (there are 5), and the words are often mangled by the amplifiers and not very clear. There are also many sports people who don’t sing either version, which is not a good look.

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And another thing-clicking "like" does nothing, nice but not useful! We need action to "make things better" - not physical action, but legal action! Get enough of us to put names on a list, thousands of us, and we CAN make things happen! Let the comments show who will join a list, then make a page to store the names and emails, then lets see about real legal action! Just imagine the news when that hits the media?

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