After that last post, I saw that, apropos of nothing, the idiot Troll dragged up nothing at all relevant about PH.

I have never believed that she is Prime Minister material -she is not - and only a morons like the Troll would think that she is.

One Nation is a useful as tits on a bull. It has had no influence on anything, and is highly unlikely to ever do so. All it does is give disenfranchised conservatives the opportunity of casting a principled first preference before wading through the rubbish they really don't want to put a number against, and wouldn't if they weren't undemocratically forced to.

We need an entirely new party, formed by the conservatives in the Liberal Party and the National Party with, perhaps, One Nation as a junior partner. Plus a more mature electorate, and removal of Third World immigrants.

"After that last post, I saw that, apropos of nothing, the idiot Troll dragged up nothing at all relevant about PH."

I kind of have to agree with Paul, they DO have a great shopping bag policy!

For the most part I refused to buy those paper bags
Woolies used to have these good fabric ones for $1 but I think they've replaced them with others now.

If you must talk about plastic bags: no, they should not be banned. I've used the same ones for years, and the 'compostable' ones are too flimsy. And, try passing on rooted plants - damp to keep them alive - in a paper bag.

The plastic bags in the oceans that the environment tragics carry on about have been proven to come from Asia. Tell the Asians to lift their game.

And. I should not have call that irritating bugger a moron.

I think I might be willing to reassess the situation.
Israeli Cabinet approved the peace deal.

Firstly long term prospects of peace remain at 100:1

But I think the hostage / prisoner swap and ceasefire might go ahead.
But I'm somewhat doubtful it will ever get to Stage 2.

Will Hamas give up their weapons?
Maybe, but only if a Palestinian State is truly on the table.
As in ruled by Palestinians, and safeguarded by an international security force.

I don't see the long term prospects of peace however.

One of the problems is that Netanyahus coalition government will fall apart if they cave to everything Palestinians want and have peace.
Also Netanyah needs war to avoid his criminal cases.
He may be able to form a new government without the religious hardliners Smotrich and G'vir.

Likely Israel will concoct some reason to break the ceasefire at some point, if we get that far.

Whether or not Israel conducts decapitation strikes on Iran again and whether it's successful or not is a factor.

It's even money on another Israeli attack on Iran before Christmas, one which sees Israel destroyed as an Iranian response, and one which may be designed to force U.S. to enter a full scale war with Iran.

Netanyahu can stay in power, keep his coalition government, avoid his legal battles, attack Iran and pull the U.S into that war.
And break the ceasefire and restart conflict against the Palestinians again, after the hostages are taken off the table.

I think the hostages have reached a point where they've become a liability for Hamas now, best to give them up if any progress or agreements can be made re a Palestinian state.