"It's perfectly legal to be a tobacco lobbyist" is an argument that was made with, apparently, a straight face

We will sell the river too.

At least OH is objectively real.

We are born with the *capability* to understand every single language on earth at birth.

We just need to be exposed to the correct stimuli to learn each.

If they successfully disenfranchise ~450,000 people *who wanted to and otherwise would have voted* there will be a revolution.

I doubt it. The current National party are only in power for corruption and their own ego. They don't really have a theory of government.

Future National party leaders will just assume that they personally are better at negotiating than Luxon was.

Key was the same. He just was better than Luxon.

Also, I think that if National had "listened" to the submissions on the bill, voted it down, and then Seymour *had* caused a snap election, well, it would probably play OK for National.

National voters don't give a shit about this bill, but Luxon would at last look tough.

What a great name for a cat!

Defibrillation is a great sign.

When compared to embalming.

MPs "swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance."

Perhaps arguable what that means, but "intentionally voting for what you thought was wrong", seems like it would be meant to count as breaking that oath.

Of course, they can always claim they were idiots instead.

Although, if you follow through semi-competently on your corruption, you get to be the chairman of a bank or something when you retire.

Plus, they were saying everyone whose submissions were ignored were right all along!

But that National were too corrupt, too stupid and/or too incompetent to do anything with that.

Anyway: everyone who feels pissed off at the regime for wasting our time by ignoring our submissions, they're now saying they wasted our time in a completely different way. Also that nothing they say can be trusted, ever.

Very high.

Although it feels like every day the probability of them having the numbers to form a coalition is lower, but still much too high.

Yes, they are going to campaign on repealing it and:

either, not get into power, and so not need to do it,

or, get into power in coalition with ACT, who will make not repealing it part of the coalition agreement.

And really, the context is just the opening crawl of the original film.

Or their insurers.

Will be funny cruise ships stop coming, because their insurers don't think they can be rescued if they run into trouble.