Vernon Small

International Chess Master, columnist and political commentator.

[Vernon Small @VernonSmall]

Chairs’ casting vote needed to keep OCR at 2.25% in latest RBNZ rate decision.

[Vernon Small @VernonSmall]

Asked AI why so dim. Reply political gold. “To me, a real fact & a convincing lie look exactly the same if they use right grammar, vocab, & tone. I don't have a "truth-checking" mechanism running in the background that validates my output against a source of absolute reality.”

[Vernon Small @VernonSmall]

Asked AI why so dim. Reply political gold. “To me, a real fact & a convincing lie look exactly the same if they use right grammar, vocab, & tone. I don't have a "truth-checking" mechanism running in the background that validates my output against a source of absolute reality.”

[Vernon Small @VernonSmall]

Brent crude oil contract is tapping on the door of $US115 a barrel

[Vernon Small @VernonSmall]

Finmin Willis has confirmed one Treasury scenario saw inflation go above 7% but only if the Iran war fallout got much worse including oil price almost double today’s approx $95 a barrel price. https://t.co/Sr9zCI3SpG

[Vernon Small @VernonSmall]

May need the help of AI to track down all the times shooting the messenger has worked.

[Javokhir Sindarov @GMJSindarov]

I won candidates !

[Vernon Small @VernonSmall]

While it’s hard to know which numbers mean anything long term at the moment, crude oil prices have rebounded above US$100 a barrel this morning after US President Trump’s talk of blockading the Hormuz Strait.

[Szabolcs Panyi @panyiszabolcs]

💥🇭🇺🗳️ BREAKING: Péter Magyar says Viktor Orbán called to concede and congratulate him.

Magyar will be Hungary’s next prime minister and, as it stands, is set to secure a 2/3 supermajority – enough to fully dismantle Orbán’s system.

A 16-year chapter is over.

[Vernon Small @VernonSmall]

@mrfreemannz Well I might take issue with “short” but bow to your on the job knowledge.

[Vernon Small @VernonSmall]

As an exercise in non-communication hard 2 top Whangarei DC letter on plan changes 4a and 4c. Who in WDC thinks most of us are any wiser 2B told it’ll change “the road hierarchy layer of the energy, infrastructure and transport mapping group within the district-wide mapping maps”

[Forbidden Stories @FbdnStories]

🔴 27.03.2026 - Orbán’s Inversion: The Spied-On Journalist Branded a Spy

Forbidden Stories stands in full support of investigative journalist @panyiszabolcs, with whom we have worked on multiple cross-border investigations, including the #Pegasus Project.

Panyi is a journalist who was himself targeted with the Pegasus spyware—and is now being accused of “espionage” by the Hungarian government. This reversal is as troubling as it is revealing.

These accusations come just weeks before national elections and follow his reporting, including with VSquare, on Russian influence operations and the proximity between Hungarian authorities and Moscow . His work serves the public interest. It is precisely why it is being attacked.

Turning a journalist into a suspect is a well-worn tactic: when facts are inconvenient, discredit the messenger.

We stand firmly with Szabolcs Panyi.
-
@laurentrichard0
Journalist
Founder & Executive Director
Forbidden Stories

[Vernon Small @VernonSmall]

91 petrol prices nudging above $3.40 in Wellington

[Vernon Small @VernonSmall]

In light of the govt’s weekend $52.7m EV charger announcement there was a press release in April 2025 that talked of setting aside up to $68.5m in grant funding for concessionary loans for EV chargers.

[Vernon Small @VernonSmall]

Worrying trend in fuel supply chain certainty as UK LNG shipments diverted after other countries outbid them … and now reports from Australia of 6 shipments diverted.

[Vernon Small @VernonSmall]

I’m not sure I knew there was a Royal Palace in Naples but it is opulent and only a couple of handfuls of visitors when we were there today. Very taken with the rotating document device. Like having several screens open.

[Vernon Small @VernonSmall]

@Frecciarossa_IT Italian train service lists New Zealand on its wifi list as +24 instead of the correct +64 and will not let you change it .. so no wifi for Kiwi passengers.

[Vernon Small @VernonSmall]

After ⁦@EurostarUK⁩ left us stuck in London we managed to wrangle a flight to Paris just in time for the New Year fireworks.

[Vernon Small @VernonSmall]

Eurostar (@EurostarUK) cancelled our train and all others from London ‘til late afternoon and suggest we rebook but where is extra capacity to replace cancelled trains? So of course seats for next 2 days booked out. Although they do thank us for our understanding which is nice.

[Vernon Small @VernonSmall]

Saying gday to the Scottish Parliament.