Politics Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – February 26 2018 – Today’s content

Politics Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – February 26 2018 – Today’s content Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. [caption id="attachment_297" align="aligncenter" width="640"] The Beehive and Parliament Buildings.[/caption] Below are the links to the items online. The full text of these items are contained in the PDF file (click to download). National Party Audrey Young (Herald): Simon Bridges ahead all the way but still not assured of success in National leadership race Richard Harman (Politik): National MPs angling for Deputy or Finance Audrey Young (Herald): National’s biggest challenge lies within its ranks Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Final countdown in National’s leadership race Tracy Watkins (Stuff): A glimpse behind the scenes in the corridors of power Audrey Young (Herald): Paula Bennett may have big influence over outcome of National leadership contest Lloyd Burr (Newshub): National Party leadership battle settles into two-horse race Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Anything can happen in National leadership battle John Armstrong (1News): Judith Collins ‘will almost certainly be spared’ joy of leading National Party with vote just days away Critic: Judith Collins: Critic Takes on the Crusher Duncan Garner (Stuff): Key, English, then Joyce – experience counts Claire Trevett (Herald): Dope, gay marriage, abortion… Where the National leadership candidates stand Terry Barnes (Herald): National needs to pick leader for the long haul and MPs should look across ditch before they vote Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Head to head: The candidates fighting to be the next National Party leader Steve Braunias (Herald): Secret diary of Cyclone Gita Andrew Gunn (Stuff): The Mostly-Famous Five go up in a trial balloon Stacey Kirk (Stuff): The leadership vote where everyone is confident of their numbers Seven Sharp: ‘Would you share my toothbrush?’ Jeremy Wells speed dates both Simon Bridges and Amy Adams Heather Roy: National needs an MMP Leader Daniel Walker (Newstalk ZB): No clear leader in National leadership race Chris Trotter (Bowalley Road): Prepare Ye The Way Of The Lord! Daniel Couch (Stuff): Dear Mark Mitchell: New Zealand deserves answers, not insults, on war for profit Jason Walls (Interest): Interest.co.nz spoke to each candidate  Elizabeth Gordon (The Spinoff): Simon Bridges has the accent of New Zealand’s future. Get used to it Dan Satherley (Newshub): National Party leadership hopeful Judith Collins urges opponents to quit before next week’s vote Regional development Henry Cooke (Stuff): Shane Jones rolls out the pork barrel to save NZ First Mike Hosking (Herald): This could be the Labour-led government’s stroke of genius Claire Trevett (Herald): Shane Jones starts to splash from his ‘big risk’ fund Claire Trevett (Herald): PM Jacinda Ardern and Shane Jones launch $3 billion fund for regions Henry Cooke and Marty Sharpe (Stuff): Shane Jones doles out millions of dollars to Northland, Hawke’s Bay, and rail regeneration Jane Patterson (RNZ): Back on track: Chunk of $60m regional fund goes to rail Claire Trevett (Herald): Billion trees to cost $180 million: Shane Jones Anna Bracewell-Worrall (Newshub): Government announces half-million dollar irrigation scheme Zaryd Wilson (Wanganui Chronicle): Government earmarks $6 million for Whanganui’s port and rail Nicola Russel (Newshub): Shane Jones stands by appointment of Roger Finlay 1News: Jacinda Ardern urges solo mums to ‘stay ambitious’ while out promoting new Provincial Growth Fun RNZ: ACT leader questions level of regional funding for Northland Russell McVeagh Danyl McLauchlan (Spinoff): Russell McVeagh and the limits of the law Melanie Reid and Tim Murphy (Newsroom): Law firm faces new sex claims Herald: Fresh claims of sex in toilet after heavy drinking at Russell McVeagh law firm Joel Maxwell (Stuff): Russell McVeagh responds to fresh accusations of inappropriate behavior Herald: Fresh allegations against law firm Russell McVeagh RNZ: New allegations over inappropriate sexual conduct at law firm Newsroom: “This letter is not intended to threaten Newsroom…” Newsroom: ‘Review could cause more harm than good’ Sasha Borissenko (Newsroom): Law firm commissions inquiry into itself David Fisher, Charlotte Carter and Cherie Howie (Herald): Russell McVeagh sexual harassment allegations: Former employee’s mixed feelings about planned independent review into incidents involving senior staff and law students Charlotte Carter (Herald): Russell McVeagh launches independent review of sexual harassment allegations Jessica Long and Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Russell McVeagh announced external review following sex assault complaints TVNZ: Top Wellington law firm orders external review of its offices over alleged sexual harassment of female interns Chris Morris (ODT): Otago law student among harass David Slack (SST): A morality tale for our times International relations and aid Stephen Jacobi (Herald): Criticism of China connection is more insinuation than fact Golriz Ghahraman (Newshub): Not a Muslim? Then don’t make assumptions about Islamic culture Weekend Herald editorial: Iran’s no-handshake rule did not deserve a rude response Michelle Duff (Stuff): Women’s rights or cultural customs: It’s not black and white Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Iran Embassy says handshake request, of Labour MP, out of respect Laura Walters (Stuff): Judith Collins: Women’s rights trump cultural customs in NZ Heather du Plessis-Allan (Herald): Labour’s no-shake ‘ballsy’ and deserves respect Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Male Labour MPs take Twitter offence at Iranian handshakes (and what’s worse, you allowed Judith Collins to crow) Bali Haque (Stuff): A kick back to the Mike Hosking boot into aid agencies Justice and police Nicholas Jones (Herald): The Police, the cocaine bust and the racism row NZ Herald editorial: Racial profiling should not negate crime RNZ: Put money where mouth is, Salvation Army tells Little David Fisher (Herald): Corrections on ‘disaster’ footing as ballooning inmate numbers drove creation of a mega prison Dave Armstrong (Stuff): Locking away the logic and throwing away the key Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Labour – between a hard rock and a Megaprison – the one question media isn’t answering yet Newshub: There’s only 300 beds left in New Zealand prisons, but do we need a 3000-bed facility? RNZ: Bail law changes led to prison population increase – Little RNZ: Collins defends previous govt’s bail law changes Nick Truebridge (Stuff): Judith Collins warns Andrew Little over possible bail law changes Nikki Macdonald (Stuff): ‘Access to justice is being denied to almost all’: Human Rights Review Tribunal chairman Rodger Haines Rob Stock and Madison Reidy (Stuff): Cost vs justice: Should tax dodgers go to jail? David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Little wants shorter sentences for criminals David Garrett (Kiwiblog): Labour’s goal of a safer society doomed to fail – unless there is a radical re-think Stuff Editorial: Why are more New Zealand women going to jail? 1News: ‘Structural issues’ are to blame for the increase of young women offending, not social media – youth justice advocate Kerre McIvor (Herald): Social media great for vain crims 1News: Sewing workshop surprise hit at NZ’s largest prison Newswire: Government opens Rangatahi Court in Whangarei to ‘deliver greater access to justice for young Maori’ EQC and Canterbury earthquakes John McCrone (Press):Buried trouble: Christchurch’s next insurance battle over the ‘on-solds’ Michael Hayward (Stuff): EQC introduces special unit for settling remaining Canterbury claims Press Editorial: Seven years in EQC limbo is too long Nick Truebridge (Stuff): EQC chairman Sir Maarten Wevers resigns, admits some claimants were not supported No Right Turn: Finally, some action on EQC Herald: The cost of the Christchurch earthquakes Democracy and integrity Simon Sheppard (Newshub): Wealthy investors meet for exclusive million-dollar lunch Peter McKenzie (Newsroom): MPs should be free to take an independent stand Life after parliament Jonathan Milne, Audrey Malone and Craig Hoyle (Stuff): Life after politics: Former PMs advise Bill English on what to do – and what not to do Kate Hawkesby (Herald): What next for Bill English – and why he’d make a great corporate leader Jonathan Milne (Stuff): Former PM Mike Moore struggles to walk and talk, but not scared of hard work Dionne Christian (Herald): Political theatre as ex-MP Catherine Delahunty takes to the stage PM and Labour Party Herald: 60 Minutes reporter Charles Wooley slammed for ‘repugnant’ interview with Jacinda Ardern Stuff: Jacinda Ardern endures uncomfortable Aussie 60 Minutes interview Herald: Jacinda Ardern described as ‘young, honest and pregnant’ by 60 Minutes Australia Anna Bracewell-Worrall (Newshub): ‘Young, honest and pregnant’: Aussie media fawns over Ardern Peter Eley (Stuff): PM’s partner Clarke Gayford prepares for parenthood and the catch of a lifetime Herald: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern serenaded by school choirs Florence Kerr (Stuff): Labour MP Jamie Strange rocks out at Waikato University Herald:‘Let’s do this’ condom giveaway at University of Canterbury event Education Brittany Keogh (Herald): Ministry and school clash over ‘flexible learning spaces’ ODT Editorial: The changing face of education Newshub: Charter school fight will end up in court – David Seymour John Gerritsen (RNZ): Little benefit from zero-fee policy – universities Adele Redmond (Stuff): Large loss to international student economy looms under Govt immigration plans Ophelia Buckleton (Herald):Top Kiwi chef among huge number of Kiwis wanting to learn te reo Maori Employment and retirement Jared Savage (Herald): Operation Spectrum: Immigration fraud on Auckland building sites, nearly 200 illegal workers found RNZ: Illegal Malaysian workers deported Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Labour warned if economy turns, minimum wage plans will hit the young and unskilled 1News: ‘Now I can start fighting again’ – 2018 New Zealander of the year Kristine Bartlett Herald: New Zealander of the Year Kristine Bartlett pinged by pricey Jetstar flight change fee Anuja Nadkarni (Stuff): Law firm boss says bad behaviour in workplaces must be stamped out Sam Price (WSWS): Job cuts continue in New Zealand under Labour government Herald: A third of women have less than $5000 in KiwiSaver accounts Cameron Bagrie (Stuff): Raise retirement age or create a crisis Defence Audrey Young (Herald): Defence Minister says NZ has no ulterior motive to be in Iraq Tony Wright (Newshub): New Zealand needs to drop its pacifist outlook Piers Fuller (Stuff): New Zealanders and Japanese unite to remember ‘Featherston Incident’ Tax Brian Easton (Pundit): Taxing for Wellbeing Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Has Labour’s tax agenda just been Trumped? Media Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Commission could report directly to Parliament on RNZ, public media funding Newshub: Advisory group set up for Public Media Funding Commission John Drinnan (ZagZigger): Branding Checkpoint Max Towle (RNZ): WWE on Māori TV? Bring it on, say Māori leaders Emma Espiner (Newsroom): Time for a Māori Black Panther Housing Rob Stock (Stuff): Leave regions and millionaires’ mansions out of foreign ownership ban, MPs told Thomas Coughlan and David Williams (Newsroom): Businesses question foreign buyers ban The Standard: Special laws for rich people Bryan Cadogan (Southland Times): If we made landlords, not tenants, seek the rent supplement . . . Eric Crampton (Interest): Fixing problems constraining infrastructure financing and with local government housing supply incentives must be the Govt’s most important task Shomi Yoon (International Socialists): The housing crisis hits – again Health Cecile Meier and Liz McDonald (Stuff): Long wait times for mental health patients in ED ‘unacceptable, discriminatory’ Karen Brown (RNZ): Long wait times for mental health patients in ED ‘disturbing’ Tony Reeder (ODT): Long past time for effective Govt action on skin cancer levels in NZ 1News: Northland health authorities claim $25m funding hit from poor census participation RNZ: Govt subsidy for medicinal cannabis firm unlikely – Jones Newswire: How $160m medical cannabis deal could transform a small East Coast town Ruby Nyika (Stuff): Crisis in aged care looms Nicole Skew-Poole (Spinoff):It’s okay to be uncomfortable about abortion Environment Anthony Hubbard (Stuff): National Portrait: Parliament’s green watchdog, Simon Upton James Shaw (Idealog): Great adaptations: James Shaw says climate change is not going away. So we all need to change – now No Right Turn: No “breakthrough” in the Mackenzie country Alison Mau (Stuff): We have a split personality when it comes to cats Primary industries Keith Woodford (Stuff): High country farming is a battleground Gerard Hutching (Stuff): Farmers make a point with wool gifts for Prime Minister’s baby Newshub: Foreign farm owners need to let Kiwis through – lobby group Obama visit Herald: Barack Obama to visit New Zealand next month Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Barack Obama to visit New Zealand in March RNZ: Obama visit confirmed for March Other Liam Dann (Herald): GDP is great but how good is the economy really? Tony Wall (Stuff): Taharoa tensions: Community fights back amid claims of corporate greed at min Scott Hamilton (Spinoff): Peter Thiel is looking for paradise in New Zealand. History is against him Cherie Howie (Herald): Who are we, New Zealand? Lawyer Mai Chen champions new social media campaign #myidentity Al Williams (Stuff): Michael Laws promises to be a $25,000 knight in shining armour for the rodeo Susan Strongman (RNZ): Why this year’s census won’t ask questions about sexual orientation, diverse gender and sexual identities Rod Oram (Newsroom): NZ leads digital race Newswire: Kiwis want Govt services through single app – survey Collette Devlin (Dominion Post): Wellington City rates sitting at 4.5 per cent increase – mayor wants to trim more fat Audrey Malone (Stuff): The Chiefs have their first chairwoman, and isn’t it bloody great?]]>