If National wins ...

[RGR367]

National and/or Labour may or may not like it, but Edward Snowden joined Twitter today

[elZorro]

Good to see National setting aside a large ocean sanctuary (not sure what the difference is between this & a maritime reserve?) at the Kermadecs. Its one of the first major conservation moves in 8 years by this government. However this does then not give them carte blanche to open up the rest of NZs seabed to mining and oil & gas. I was very unsurprised that National kept re-iterating the economic cost of setting aside the reserve, it must have been said three times when the reserve was announced. No mention of the economic gain by preserving fisheries... Anyway credit, where credit is due its a good thing that has been done here.

Yes, I agree with that. I've never been there, but it looks magical. One end of the islands is not protected, there are rare earth minerals known to be there. Only $165,000 of fish caught there annually now, by my reckoning that would be about 1.65 people's wages. Not a lot to lose. Can't help but suggest it was probably a good idea kickstarted by the Greens or Labour before 2008. Will wait to be informed.

[craic]

Highly unlikely, none of the residents there have ever been known to vote for Labour or the Greens. I wonder how long it will take for one of the tribes to make claims on it under the Treaty of Waitangi?

[westerly]

Not so. They come up to the house for a drop sometimes. I happen to be a believer in the nether world.

Perhaps you should watch the number of drops

westerly

[elZorro]

Not so. They come up to the house for a drop sometimes. I happen to be a believer in the nether world.

Yep Craic, they were great, weren't they? Especially Annie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE82oke8BWM

How about this classic, inspired by a throwaway line from Robert Muldoon?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HVogejKx_c

[elZorro]

Fran O'Sullivan on the Lochinver deal.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/best-of-bu...1+October+2015

That station is just too iconic, and even for National (Bill English), it was a step too far. At least that's one decent decision. I'm glad it wasn't John Key's to make.

[craic]

Lochinver is a large station but there are others half the size and twice as good from a farming perspective. The Chinese could buy a couple of those without raising too many eyebrows.

[Daytr]

New tax laws on overseas property purchases come into effect today.
Apparently Chinese buyers have been largely absent in recent weeks from auctions etc.
Amasing this buying with dodgy money was allowed to continue for so long.
Now Bill English is worried about a housing collapse from the bubble they have created with their record immigration numbers and not reigning in foreign buyers much, much earlier.

[elZorro]

Lochinver is a large station but there are others half the size and twice as good from a farming perspective. The Chinese could buy a couple of those without raising too many eyebrows.

I quite agree, Craic. I suspect far too many farming people in NZ have some sort of a connection to Lochinver, it's accessible, and it's always been there.

Steven Joyce is away overseas, sorting out the panda issue. Again, Labour get to score some points. It'll start hurting soon.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA150...panda-pimp.htm

Daytr: Mike Hosking gets slapped on the hand with a wet bus ticket for laying into the waitress at the centre of Pony-tail-gate - on prime-time TV. He used that position to do all he could, to help the PM. Pity he didn't seem to know many of the facts. It's never stopped him before.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment...t-mike-hosking

One really good comment:

TV one just continues to make mistakes. Those who think he is a tosser, may snigger at some of his diatribes, but allowing someone like Mike Hosking to have an unbridled 'rant' at the end of each show is just asking for trouble. They are advertising their bias through a right wing mouthpiece and it was bound to bite back. Hosking has been allowed to slander the good name of a young woman who was poorly treated by those who are supposed to be there to support and protect her and it is not the first time he has used this platform for his own ends. This behaviour, which has become commonplace during JK's reign, allows for those in power to deliberately try to sway public opinion - as he himself has done with the flag debate for example - and manipulate and drown out those who do not have an equal voice. Hosking is the wrong person to give this sort of power to, as he will abuse it.

[Daytr]

Yeah I saw that Ez. Hosking makes me sick. So much ego, so little conscience.