That's the problem with politics. Too many middle class ideologues going stright from University to parliament. All so so full of answers they won't listen and think anyone older should hurry up and die so they can build their utopian fantasy. Raise the voting age to thirty and no mps under forty.

She's never had a proper job in her life. She's been a lobbyist, the a staffer in Seymour's office the an mp. Now she's minister for workplace relations. What a joke. We need more boomers who've actually visited the real world instead of these kids.

When I used to smoke, no matter how broke I was I bought cigarettes. Didn't question it - they were essential and came first.

Like roads. We know they pollute, kill people, we can't afford them, that more roads just alleviate the symptoms of addicion, but carry carry on because we 'need' them

In a lot of English speaking countries people have rights. Taking land from them or taking public land requires legal processes where everyone gets heard. Cutting down forests, draining wetlands etc is a lot more complicated. Every tree, bat or animal habitat becomes a drawn out fight.

Democracy is more than just selling your vote. Democracy can only be for the people if it's also of the people and by the people. Whinging about everything and only getting active one day every three years isn't enough

Willfully ignorant 'they're all the same'-ists are the 21st century's useful idiots who are pushing the neo-liberal all government is bad narrative.

Oh ffs. Do you lot remember how every economist in the world was predicting a 1929 style economic collapse? How everybody was afraid they'd lose their jobs and businesses? Maybe they overspent but that beats the downward spiral we could have had. Look at how this govts cuts affected the economy.

If you read dickens you'll know how happy everyone was back then when communities could sort out their own problems

Everyone was so happy and healthy before the government ruined everything with state houses, health and safety regulations and a public health system. We need to rediscover the freedom of the ballantines fire, the Brunner coal mine disaster, rickets and rubella babies.

If they want us to pay attention to them, they need to start winning some medals. Could be for anything. Nothing is too obscure or out of reach for us to take an obsessive interest in if it looks like we might get a medal. Coke addled equestrians, dolphin killing superyachts, teen snow bunnies ...

But it's because the cocoa prices are going up. The Cocoa farmers will all be getting more money for their Cocoa. Right?

Irony. Americans complaining about the cost of their pets healthcare and the high cost of chocolate. Richest country in the world.

www.tearfund.org.nz/Blog-TEST/Pg...

I am not convinced demonizing a tax or levy to fund an infrastructure project is really the best way to criticize this project. Unless you think you're never going to be in a position where you want to raise money to fund your own projects.

So the jack booted brown shirted militarists are going woke? The kinder face of authoritarianism

Remember when people worried about what people will do with an their free time?

You middle class people probably don't get this, but I work long and hard for my money. We haven't had holiday for years. Last year we took the kids to one movie, and went out to dinner once. Seeing my taxes go to 'artists' who can't sell their work as my kids school crumbles won't win my vote.

You'd think they could have just used some of Obama's FEMA camps. Or are they all full?

It's a but like the wizard of oz. Behind the curtain they're all incompetent. There's no imposter syndrome - we're all useless. But the most useless of the useless are the ones who don't know it and think they're capable of running the world.

Can anyone give her a lift home?

What could possibly go wrong?