This is one of the all-time great BBC propaganda fails. https://t.co/avM176HEoD

— Paweł Wargan (@pawelwargan) September 28, 2026

Oops!

https://t.co/SbLTz8o9mq pic.twitter.com/T6M7yABda9

— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) September 28, 2026

But Leftists will be be disappointed, it’s 800 years before their favourite conflict and supports Christian crusaders against Muslims. This is a song written in the early 13th century by Walther von der Vogelweide, the most celebrated German medieval lyric poet.

The Palästinalied was written at the time of the Fifth Crusade (1217-1221). Its subject is the Christian gospel told from the perspective of a pilgrim setting foot in the Holy Land. The song’s conclusion refers to the crusades themselves, asserting that, in view of the claim of all three Abrahamic religions to the land of Palestine, the Christian claim is just: (Al diu werlt diu strîtet her / Wir sîn an der rehten ger / Reht ist, daz er uns gewer “All the world is warring here [in the Holy Land] / Our claim is the just one / It is right that He [God] grant it”).

The poem is written in Middle High German, so not very intelligible to those who know modern German. It is one of the few songs by Walter for which a melody has survived. The oldest source for the melody is the Münster fragment, which is dated to the early 14th century.

from Don Brash of Hobson’s Pledge

For years, Hobson’s Pledge was one of the few organisations willing to speak up publicly — calling for an end to division, a firm deadline on historical Treaty settlements, and the eventual closing of the Waitangi Tribunal. Back then, political commentators claimed it couldn’t be done.

In the past few weeks, we have seen a very clear shift in the conversation, and the political landscape, when it comes to promoting equal rights, is changing for the better. 

We now have two out of the three governing parties aligned with our core vision:

• The ACT Party has officially proposed policy to complete all remaining historical Treaty claims, end the Tribunal’s contemporary jurisdiction, and disestablish the Tribunal entirely once historical work is finished. 
• New Zealand First and Winston Peters have gone even further, pledging to immediately abolish the Tribunal and set a clear end date for all pre-2008 claims.

David Seymour and the ACT Party made their announcement at the start of September. 

Over the weekend, Winston Peters announced that NZ First will campaign on immediately abolishing the Waitangi Tribunal and tabling legislation in their first 100 days to replace it with a final Treaty of Waitangi Completion Commission.

He publicly called out the Tribunal for becoming a “make-work organisation” that interferes with democratic law-making – concerns we at Hobson’s Pledge have been raising for years.

This is a massive breakthrough.

I recently wrote to Winston Peters on behalf of Hobson’s Pledge urging NZ First to take a strong, unequivocal stand—and they have delivered.

See an excerpt of our letter to Winston Peters here, sent on 14 September 2026:

“As New Zealand approaches the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty in 2040, many New Zealanders are asking whether there is a clear endpoint to the settlement process and whether institutions established to address historical grievances should continue indefinitely once that task has been completed.

Hobson’s Pledge is keen to ensure our supporters understand where NZ First stands on these matters.  In particular, we would welcome your responses to:

• Whether NZ First supports the principle that historical Treaty settlements should be completed as full and final settlements.
  
• Whether NZ First supports the disestablishment of the Waitangi Tribunal once all historical claims have been resolved.

We also encourage you and NZ First to adopt a similar policy position as the ACT Party and to make it part of any future coalition policy agreement.

Hobson’s Pledge will welcome your timely and clear statement on these matters so in turn we can share with our supporters.”

That leaves just one government party holding back complete reform: the National Party.

I wrote a letter to Christopher Luxon as well, but so far there has been no reply. 

With two out of three governing parties now committed to ending or disestablishing the Waitangi Tribunal, Christopher Luxon and National can no longer hide on the fence. But as we move deeper into this election period, National will only move if they feel unrelenting pressure from everyday New Zealanders who want equal citizenship and a single law for all.

This is our best opportunity in a generation to finally close down the Tribunal for good, but running a campaign that National cannot ignore requires real resources.

Please pay attention!

NEW stat!

Zelensky’s corruption scares Ukrainians more than missiles!!!

Think how far he has driven Ukraine if people no longer care about rockets.

Everyone fears he will steal everything and all the deaths will be in vain.

Zelensky – a man without… pic.twitter.com/Mny09sES9v

— Diana Panchenko 🇺🇦 (@Panchenko_X) September 28, 2026

from The Local Situation

Council is investigating after an 83-year-old Ulladulla man entered a cannabis plant in the tomato category at the town’s garden competition.

Judges made the discovery only after awarding it first prize.

Panellist Marjorie Budd said the panel was so taken by its lush foliage and rich aroma that nobody asked where the tomatoes were.

The judges were later seen in a car that one young attendee described as “a hotbox” on wheels.

— in Ulladulla, NSW, Australia.

Seen in Taupo but it would have been the same in Waikanae. There is a list of subscribers in Taupo beside it which totals 36.