Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – November 22 2018
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.
Defence
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Nicky Hager attacks Defence Force for making the inquiry about reputation
David Fisher (Herald): ‘Highly secret’ NZDF documents available on Nato website, journalist Nicky Hager tells Operation Burnham inquiry
RNZ: Hager calls for open inquiry on SAS mission in Afghanistan
Andrea Vance (Stuff): More than 17,000 documents not disclosed to Hit and Run Inquiry
Alex Baird (Newshub): Historic inquiry into NZDF raids in Afghanistan underway
Simon Plumb (1News): New revelations as inquiry begins into the SAS Afghanistan raid at the centre of Hit & Run allegations
David Fisher (Herald): Operation Burnham: Inquiry into controversial SAS raid outlined in Hit and Run begins
RNZ: Some closed evidence sessions considered in Hit & Run inquiry
No Right Turn: NZDF is hiding evidence
Alison Mau (Stuff): PM says Air Force sex attack victim will not be forced to pay Defence legal costs
Simon Ewing: Reserve Force Law is an Ass
Auckland Pride parade
Jason Walls (Herald): PM Jacinda Ardern says the Pride Parade is ‘at its best when it’s an inclusive event’
Herald: Auckland Pride Parade loses another supporter as NZME ends sponsorship
Laine Moger (Stuff: ‘This could be the end of pride’, Auckland Pride Parade’s founding member fears
RNZ: Pride parade: More sponsors pull their support
Danielle Clent and Melanie Earley (Stuff): BNZ joins growing list of companies pulling out of Auckland Pride Parade
1News: ANZ and BNZ join list of corporates backing out of Pride Parade as organisers stand firm on police uniform ban
Zane Small and Lauren Paddy (Newshub): Loss of sponsorship could refocus Pride’s appeal, says board chair Cissy Rock
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Has Woke Twitter gone into meltdown now Jacinda has said Pride Parade is best when it’s inclusive?
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Trans Activists vs Rainbow Community vs Mike Hosking (this is what it sounds like when the Doves cry)
David Farrar: Even greater idiocy from Auckland Pride Board
Socialist Aotearoa: No Pride In the Police
Eleanor Ainge Roy (Guardian): New Zealand pride parade in chaos after ban on police sparks mass withdrawals
Primary and extractive industries
Henry Cooke (Stuff): NZ First blocking scientist’s fisheries review appointment over bias claims
Joanne Carroll (Stuff): Mine firm takes coal battle to the Supreme Court
Mike Watson (RNZ): More than 40 dairy farms fail effluent discharge conditions, council inspectors find
Lyn Webster (Stuff): Stop thinking of cow poo as a pollutant and make use of it
Allan Barber (Interest): The inescapable conclusion is that it is the ownership structure, not board composition, inhibiting Fonterra from reaching its true potential
RNZ: NZ shearers dominate after pay rise creates shortfall in Australia
Employment
RNZ: Bullying most likely to lead to workplace whistleblowing
1News: ‘We see far too much of this’ – migrant worker spent up to 92 hours a week working in Christchurch dairy
Oliver Lewis and Joel McManus (Stuff): Migrant worker to employers: ‘I am not your servant’
Oliver Lewis (Stuff): Christchurch dairy worker underpaid for up 92 hours a week
1News: Christchurch dairy slapped with $188k fine after worker underpaid more than $103k, worked 92-hour weeks
RNZ: Christchurch dairy owners made employee work ‘monstrous hours’
Hilary Stace (Public Address): Jacinda, please can you help disabled people find employment?
Melanie Reid (Newsroom): Out of the frying pan, into the fire
Foreign affairs and trade
Michael Reddell: Blathers away when directly asked
RNZ: No ‘smoking gun’ evidence of Chinese cyber attacks in NZ
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Money talks in the Pacific and New Zealand doesn’t have the coin
Chris Carter (Herald): NZ can help ease Rakhine tensions but it will not be easy
Gordon Campbell: On New Zealand’s complicity in Africa’s last great neo-colonial dispute
National Party, Jami-Lee Ross
Graham Adams (Noted): Simon Bridges: Nine months of disaster management
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Jami-Lee Ross makes first public appearance, at Middlemore Hospital
Jason Walls (Herald): Former National MP Jami-Lee Ross will attend the opening of the Taiaho Mai building at Middlemore Hospital
Health
Nicholas Jones (Herald): Cancer warning as delays hit gynaecology services: ‘Lives put at risk’
RNZ: Smoking in cars: ‘Just the worst thing you can do with children’
Matthew Theunissen (RNZ): ‘Big holes’ in regulations for junk food ads that target children
1News: ‘Avalanche of children’ needing intensive dental care in Auckland has caused eight-month backlog
Emma Russell (Herald): Mums matter: Postnatal trauma haunts years later
Oliver Lewis (Stuff): New book explores Canterbury health system’s earthquake response
Deena Coster (Stuff): Importance of kaumātua highlighted at national conference
RNZ: Govt announces $80 million to fix Middlemore Hospital
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): Middlemore Hospital receives $80 million investment to fix rot and mould problem
Jake McKee Cagney (Stuff): Waikato Hospital’s under-staffed pain management service declines almost 70 per cent of referrals
Karen Brown (RNZ): Call for urgent action over tongue-tie surgery: ‘It’s putting infants at risk’
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Tighter rules on baby formula marketing enacted by industry
Megan Sutherland (Newshub): Nationwide paracetamol shortage forces pharmacists to ration the drug
Catherine Hutton (RNZ): National paracetamol shortage leads to restrictions
Lucy Warhurst (Newshub): Ultrasound to diagnosis in an hour: Auckland’s speediest cancer clinic
Samantha Gee (Stuff): Abuse claims at Jack Inglis Friendship Hospital not substantiated, say managers
Charlie Dreaver (RNZ): Emergency call locater expands service to reach more cell phones
Sam Hurley (Herald): Inquest examines unsuccessful police search for missing Auckland artist
Midwives pay dispute
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Midwives deserve higher pay than nurses – union rep
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): Striking midwives promising ‘maximum disruption’
Hannah Martin (Stuff): More than a thousand midwives kick off two weeks of strike action
Stuff: Waikato hospital midwives start rolling strikes as part of national action
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Midwives ready for strike action
Drugs
Peter Dunne (Newsroom): All angst and little action on drug policy
Russell Brown: When drug law gets so complicated we should rip it up and start again
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Ōtaki struggles with rise of meth: ‘This wolf needs to be snuffed out’
Ruby Mcandrew (Stuff): Urgent action needed to prevent a US-style opioid crisis in New Zealand, expert says
Chris Fowlie (Daily Blog): Cannabis Referendum Conference lays foundation for Yes campaign
Phil Saxby (Stuff): Why not be a world leader on cannabis reform, instead of a follower?
Education
Herald Editorial: Free tertiary education should do more than stop polytechs’ decline
RNZ: National and Labour face off over tertiary fees-free policy
RNZ: Principals urge against foreign teacher ‘dumping ground’
Leigh-Marama McLachlan (RNZ): Underfunded kōhanga reo means staff earning minimum wage
Adele Redmond (Stuff): Petition to appoint student rep to NZQA board aims to ensure student voice, creator says
Lisa Bryant (Stuff): Rewarding and stressful: Teaching is like no other job I’ve had
Tema Hemi (Māori TV): New intake of 20 to move into Hato Petera hostel, Whakaruruhau
Melanie Earley (Stuff): Girl with chronic illness banned from graduation due to 86 per cent attendance rate
Katie Fitzgerald (Newshub): Student excluded from Pukekohe High School graduation over attendance
RNZ: Otago University cheating probe: Medical students ‘incredibly anxious and stressed’
Belinda Feek (Herald): Massey’s Auckland campus investigates ‘cheating services’ by students
Housing
Christina Persico (Stuff): $40k deposit out of reach for many Marfell residents
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): New Plymouth KiwiBuild houses set to sell for $100k more than suburb’s median price
Jason Walls (Herald): National Leader Simon Bridges says Labour ‘woefully underestimated’ KiwiBuild in Opposition
1News: Watch: Jacinda Ardern ‘hopes’ rents won’t increase when letting fees abolished
Greg Ninness (Interest): Rising prices have pushed home ownership further out of reach for first home buyers
Elton Rikihana Smallman (Stuff): Latest property valuations send affordability criteria upward
RNZ: HomeFit: New Zealand healthy housing programme launches
Kim Webby (Māori TV): Homelessness issues among indigenous peoples under spotlight
Daisy Hudson (ODT): School site now set for state housing
Privacy Commission
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Commissioner urges Government funding for new privacy law
RNZ: Shake-up at Privacy Commission after ‘unpleasant’ internal feedback
Laura Walters and Thomas Coughlan (Newsroom): Privacy Commission won’t be able to uphold new law without funding
Government
Herald: Mike Jaspers resigns as PM’s strategic communications chief adviser
1News: Jacinda Ardern’s communications chief adviser Mike Jaspers resigns
David Farrar: Two PMO departures
Kelvin McDonald (Māori TV): Mahuta makes world’s 100 influential women list
Stuff: Jacinda Ardern’s Christmas plans
Environment and conservation
Nicholas Boyack (Stuff): Land confiscation claims as councils grapple with biodiversity challenge
Johnny Moore (Stuff): It might be time to revisit a compelling book
David Williams (Newsroom): DOC timid, weak on ‘illegal’ heli-hiking: FMC
Kate Nicol-Williams (1News): Kāpiti locals launch 24/7 surveillance camera to deter marine reserve poaching
Colin Campbell-Hunt (ODT): Halting the march of warming
No Right Turn: Climate Change: What would real action look like?
No Right Turn: We need fewer cows
Sally Blundell (Listener): Rising sea levels are putting our coasts in crisis – should we adapt or retreat?
Herald: Environmental group Friends of Sherwood seek referendum on 1080
Dominic Harris (Stuff): Pleas to conserve water go down the drain as residents flirt with chlorination return
Farah Hancock (Newsroom): Kauri funding boost could fall short
Kristy Lawrence (Stuff): Defence Force needs to take ownership of water-contamination problem, mayor says
Jamie Morton (Herald): Auckland’s microplastic scourge under the microscope
Transport, road toll
Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): ACC abandons plan to hike petrol levy, but motorists will still pay more
Jason Walls (Herald): Public backlash: ACC will advise Government to increase rego levies and not increase petrol taxes
1News: NZTA played ‘unacceptable’ role in fatal crash involving faulty seatbelt, boss acknowledges
RNZ: Fatality demanded tough response sooner, admits NZTA
Karen Rutherford and Sophie Bateman (Newshub): Dargaville mechanic who approved car before fatal crash denies improper vehicle inspection
Thomas Coughlan (Newsroom): Government has no idea how many unsafe cars on the road
RNZ: Motorcycle incidents: Riders just need the right skills to handle modern bikes, expert says
Gerald Piddock (Stuff): Waikato Regional Council backs business case for passenger rail service
Melanie Earley (Stuff): Deadly Auckland highway to get much-needed safety improvements
Local government
Tom Hunt (Stuff):$10,000 offered for a viable candidate to take on Wellington Mayor Justin Lester
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Gathering of ‘freedom campers’ on Wellington scenic waterfront cause concern
1News: Councillor causes a stir after suggesting group living in cars in Wellington are freedom campers
1News: Wellington’s century-old band rotunda could get new lease of life
Catherine Harris (Stuff): Tauranga’s begging ban applauded by retailers, but will it work?
Mere McLean (Māori TV): By-law the result of few “bad apples”
Michael Hayward (Stuff): Regional rate suggested to cover Christchurch stadium operating costs
Conan Young (RNZ): Mayor promises fix for leaking Franz Josef sewage ponds
Auckland
Todd Niall (Stuff): Is Phil Goff losing control of his council?
Bernard Orsman (Herald): National MP Simon O’Connor considering a tilt at the Auckland mayoralty
Roger Hanson (Stuff): The impacts of an increasing population
Justice, corrections
John Tamihere (Herald): Wally Haumaha, Awanui Black — two instances of injustice
Harrison Christian (Stuff): Staff handcuffed to mentally unwell inmate at Auckland Women’s Prison for more than a week
RNZ: Should repeat drink drivers be banned from the road?
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Locking up people for longer periods not the answer?
Newshub: Duncan Garner slams judge’s sentencing of drink-driving ‘monster’ who has killed four people
RNZ: NZ chief justice rejects call for High Court to sit in Tokelau
Anna Leask (Herald): ‘Jailhouse lawyer’ Arthur Taylor’s Facebook page blocked after ‘derogatory’ comments about guard
Catrin Owen (Stuff): Prisoner Arthur Taylor’s social media page blocked after comments about prison guard
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): TDB prisoner rights blogger punished for outing Corrections Officer bullying
Raniera Harrison (Māori TV): Implementing tikanga Māori rehabilitation across all prisons
Superannuation
Susan St John (Newsroom): Some myths about NZ Super
Jenesa Jeram (Stuff): Raise the pension age regardless of future Super affordability
Banks
Rob Stock (Stuff): Report on bank lending to fossil fuels extractors seeks to shame ANZ over oil loans
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Why Kiwibank is closing some branches and opening others
Tom Hunt and Felix Desmarais (Stuff): Kiwibank to close branches in parts of northern Wellington and Lower Hutt
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): ASB, like BNZ, adopts facial recognition technology to enable new customers to apply for a bank account in 15 minutes without entering a branch
Economy, business
Richard Harman (Politik): Bank tells Government it can spend more
Liam Dann (Herald): Down, down, down – grim market news fuels global recession fear
Liam Dann (Herald): NZ’s top business leaders crowned at Deloitte Top 200 awards
Graham Skellern (Herald): Visionary Leader: Marilyn Waring — a pioneer visionary
Natalia Rimell (Herald): Diversity and Inclusion Leadership: SKYCITY — accelerating leadership
Hayden Eastmond-Mein (Spinoff): Why are Lime scooting around the question of whether they’re paying GST?
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): ‘Shameful behaviour’ hurting businesses too small to argue, EMA boss says
Police
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Police wrong to Taser teen lying on the ground – IPCA
Anna Leask (Herald): Police used ‘excessive force’ on man tasered on the ground: IPCA report
Danielle Clent (Stuff): Excessive force used by Auckland police in Taser arrest, IPCA finds
Anna Bracewell-Worrall (Newshub): Police recruitment numbers falling well short of Government promise
Tom Hunt (Stuff): $1.1 million on police recruitment hailed as money well spent
Gender
Martin van Beynen (Stuff): Bill on transgender birth certificates creates big issues
Sarah Hendrica Bickerton (Stuff): Time to come out: Hi, I’m Sarah, and I’m intersex
Media
Te Kuru o te Marama Dewes (Māori TV): What’s the future of Māori Broadcasting?
Alistair Thompson (Scoop): It’s Crunch Time For Scoop.co.nz – An Open Letter To Readers
Other
Pattrick Smellie (Stuff): The looming ‘three waters’ crisis
Isaac Davison (Herald): Housing, petrol prices and living costs top New Zealanders’ concerns at end of 2018
Newshub: Social workers ditch NGOs for better pay at Oranga Tamariki
Jo Moir (Stuff): Should New Zealanders send in voting papers online in general elections?
David Farrar: Labour wants to gamble with the NZ Super Fund
Paula Hulburt (Stuff): Shortfall in cultural knowledge leaves some Māori ’embarrassed’
RNZ: Kaitaia’s close call
Jake McKee Cagney (Stuff): NZ Post to close Thames and Whitianga branches and replace them with postal outlets
Zane Small (Newshub): Location of Auckland Erebus memorial site revealed
1News: The Story with John Campbell: Abortion, a woman’s right to choose?
Don Gilling (Briefing Papers): Follow the Money: Archives New Zealand, the National Library and the Department of Internal Affairs
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): How did anyone think Rocket Lab wasn’t working for the Amerikan Military Industrial Complex?
Jo Lines-MacKenzie and Scarlett Powell (Stuff): Woman overcomes upbringing straight out of Once Were Warriors
1News: Commerce Commission releases warning video showing consequences of selling a toy that doesn’t meet standards
