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.
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?
