Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – November 27 2018
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.
NZ-China relationship, foreign affairs and trade
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): The Case Of The Problematic Professor
Tim Watkin (Pundit): If Jacinda Ardern wants inspiration on Brady & China, she can look to Khashoggi & Trump
Laura Walters (Newsroom): Worldwide calls for Govt to speak up on China
Dave Armstrong (Dominion Post): We need to speak the truth to our friends, as well as our enemies
Michael Reddell: Thoughts prompted by the open letter
Gia Garrick (RNZ): Anne-Marie Brady: ‘It shouldn’t have to be like this’
Anna Bracewell-Worrall (Newshub): ‘Abandoned and afraid’: Kiwi academics urge Jacinda Ardern to stand against China
Derek Cheng (Herald): PM says she ‘absolutely’ defends academic freedom in NZ
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Jacinda Ardern says she’d act if police told her the Chinese Govt was trying to intimidate Canterbury Uni professor Anne-Marie Brady
Eleanor Ainge Roy (Guardian):Jacinda Ardern urged to protect China critic after ‘harassment’
Adele Redmond (Stuff): Academics urge PM Jacinda Ardern to take stand against Chinese intervention
Thomas Coughlan (Newsroom): Huawei report could be out this week
Mackenzie Smith (RNZ): NZ investigates Niue Premier shareholding in SOEs
Māori TV: Native Affairs: Samoa influenza 100 years on
Government
Newstalk ZB: Government warned over triple-billed 2020 referenda
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Triple-header referendum looms for 2020
1News: Abortion referendum unlikely – Justice Minister
Heather Roy: MMP: Lose the threshold, 4 year term
Jason Walls (Herald): PM Jacinda Ardern responds to National’s claims hers is a Govt of ‘good intentions but poor outcomes’
1News: ‘Significant’ work done to increase wages, says Ardern after Bridges labels Government’s ‘good intentions’ as harmful
Jim Rose (Dominion Post): We’re wasting public money by overpaying Treasury analysts
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter back at work with new baby boy
Lucy Bennett (Herald): Green MP and Government Minister Julie Anne Genter back at work today
Auckland Pride parade
1News: Jacinda Ardern dodges Pride Parade debate, says diary will dictate if she marches
Laine Moger (Stuff): MP Louisa Wall’s ‘hate speech’ comments secretly recorded at Pride Hui
Derek Cheng (Herald): Labour MP Louisa Wall says groups against trans-women should be banned from Pride Parade
Joel Walsham (The Standard): Pride and police
David Cormack (Herald): The price of Pride
Emilie Rākete (Spinoff): The Pride Parade issue is about racism too
Maxine Jacobs (RNZ): ‘This does not feel like a rainbow parade to me’
Danielle Clent (Stuff): ‘Rebirthing of pride’: Auckland Pride Board optimistic about parade but ‘expenses will be different’
Spinoff: Anti-uniformed police protest spreads to Wellington Pride Parade
Urgent meningococcal disease vaccine for Northland
1News: ‘Another brown kid in NZ dying from a f**ked up health system ‘ – Dr Lance O’Sullivan’s scathing critique of NZ health system
Stuff: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern defends Northland DHB on meningitis outbreak
Newshub: Jacinda Ardern defends meningococcal response after 3 deaths
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Mother of student who died from meningococcal B calls for free nationwide vaccinations
Luke Kirkness and Derek Cheng (Herald): Emergency meningococcal disease vaccine announcement bittersweet for grieving mother
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Northland to get vaccine programme to control meningitis outbreak
1News: Targeted response launched after new meningococcal strain kills three in Northland outbreak
Sophie Bateman (Newshub): Meningococcal vaccines to be flown in to Northland for urgent immunisation programme
Derek Cheng (Herald): Govt orders urgent meningococcal vaccination programme for Northland
Karen Brown (RNZ): Urgent meningococcal vaccination programme launched
Health
Paul Gorman (Stuff): Cantabrians may have higher cancer risk from poor drinking water
1News: Dairy farm nitrates in Canterbury rivers endangers health – Fish and Game
Mei Heron (1News): Dairy farm nitrates in Canterbury rivers endangers health – Fish and Game
Emma Russell (Herald): Shocking: New Zealand death rate for motor neuron disease five times global average
Hannah Martin (Stuff):New Zealand has highest motor neurone mortality rate in the world
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): New Zealand has world’s highest death rate from motor neuron disease – study
BBC: Global investigation finds patients given unsafe medical implants
Adam Hollingworth (Newshub): ‘It’s not OK’: Report reveals faulty medical devices handed out without clinical trial
Joel MacManus (Stuff): Police investigating secret deathbed confession
Ruby Mcandrew (Stuff): Pacific heath service facing bankruptcy saved by philanthropic businessman John Fiso
Angie Skerrett (Newshub): New agreement good news for rural surgical service
RNZ: Academic hails gout medicine for Pasifika
Ngahuia Wade (Māori TV): Super Kai
Heath Moore (Herald): Paula Bennett’s heartwarming message to Kiwis struggling with weight loss
Ryan Dunlop (Herald): National deputy leader Paula Bennett makes personal post 12 months after gastric bypass
Stuff: Paula Bennett answers the big questions about her 50kg weight loss
Health sector employment
1News: Some of NZ’s lowest paid hospital workers getting big pay increases
Anuja Nadkarni (Stuff): Pay rise of up to 40 per cent for thousands of hospital services workers
Tom McRae (Newshub): Service workers in tears after New Zealand’s DHBs offer pay rises
Tema Hemi (Māori TV): Hospital workers pay increase will never be enough – Dame Glavish
Cate Broughton (Stuff): Union: Striking midwives’ treatment ‘patently unfair’
NZ Post, Kiwibank
Alex Ashton (RNZ): New Zealand Post to close 79 shops: ‘I do have concerns’ – PM
Annette Lambly (Stuff): Whangarei NZ Post looking to split from Kiwibank
Housing
Thomas Coughlan (Newsroom): KiwiBuild: Beneath the hood
Herald Editorial: Housing Minister Phil Twyford’s HUDA will have unbridled power
Anne Gibson (Herald): Twyford rejects call to immediately reform $50 billion apartment sector
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Twyford says ‘no’ to Nats’ apartment legislation
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Rents soar 50pc in some parts of New Zealand
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Here’s where rents have been rising fastest
Liam Dann (Herald): Will the New Zealand property market follow Sydney off a cliff?
Jenny Ruth (BusinessDesk): House prices could follow Australia’s down: ASB
Santa parade controversies
Alex Braae (Spinoff): An urgent plea on the debate over Santa’s gender
Southland Times Editorial: Treading carefully on parade
Stuff: Santa stoush: Simon Bridges says it’s PC gone too far
Nicole Lawton (Stuff): Santa stoush: Santa can be played by a woman, but she has to fill the boots
Amy Ridout (Stuff): Nelson’s ‘Rednek’ determined to fly Confederate flag at Sunday’s Santa Parade
Luke Appleby (1News): ‘Redneck’ Santa parade float owner told to drop Confederate flags before Nelson event
National Party
Newsroom: Police investigate incident after Young Nats event
Liam Hehir (Stuff): National haunted by the ghosts of 2002 as it approaches next election
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): ‘Premature’ for National to rule out increasing tobacco tax – anti-smoking group
Newshub: Simon Bridges vows to halt ‘sin taxes’ on cigarettes or alcohol if National wins 2020 election
Anuja Nadkarni (Stuff): Simon Bridges says Government’s warming up to a capital gains tax
Derek Cheng (Herald): National promises to axe the Auckland fuel tax and have no new taxes in its first term
1News: National promise no new taxes and repeal of Auckland fuel tax in first term
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Bridges: National won’t introduce new taxes in its first term if elected into government, and will reverse any laws passed introducing a CGT
No Right Turn: What “no new taxes” really means
WOF checks, transport, roading
RNZ: NZTA warrant failures: ‘There will be a hefty bill’ – Twyford
1News: Motorists urged to ‘go get your tyres checked’ following WOF recalls
Cleo Fraser (Newshub): WoF warning: More than 5500 motorists driving potentially dangerous vehicles
RNZ: NZTA contacts 3700 people over possibly faulty warrants
Herald: 3700 vehicles need WOFs re-checked after West Auckland garage suspension
Ben Strang (RNZ): NZTA to test Nissan electric cars after suspected brake failure
Edward Gay (Stuff): Witness says a driver’s licence tester asked for bribe after failed test
Damian George (Stuff): Cost of controversial Wellington bus hubs blows out by more than $5 million
Catherine Hutton (RNZ): Wellington bus hubs: $14m budget blowout
1News: Air NZ boss wants to work with smaller airlines on regional routes, defends company after Shane Jones’ criticism
Jimmy Ellingham (Manawtū Standard): Illogical and old-fashioned thinking about Manawatū Gorge replacement route not on
Sam Kilmister (Manwatū Standard): Feilding’s notoriously dangerous road to get $1 million safety upgrade
1News: Warning issued after hundreds of Kiwi pets found locked in vehicles this year
1News: Otago Police promise more impaired driver checkpoints after ‘disappointing’ weekend
Bikes in Schools project
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): ‘Minister of Bikes’ Julie Anne Genter puts our money where her mouth is
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Julie Anne Genter’s peddling nostalgia, not sensible cycling policy
Kate Hawkesby (Newstalk ZB): Julie Anne Genter trapped in 1980s time warp
Virginia Fallon (Stuff): $23 million in Government funding announced to get more school children cycling
Jo Moir (RNZ): Thousands of kids to have access to bikes and helmets
RNZ: Bikes in Schools project gets funding boost
1News: ‘Help ensure kids don’t miss out’ – $23m pledged to get children on bikes
Immigration and refugees
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Immigration minister likely to make announcement on Karel Sroubek investigation this week
Herald: Prime Minister says a decision in the case of Czech drug-smuggler Karel Sroubek imminent
Tony Blackett (Dominion Post): We can make a difference for refugees, one family at a time
Meg de Ronde (Spinoff): The community have proved they can change refugees’ lives. Let’s not quit now
Edward Gay (Stuff): Mother to be deported to New Zealand, leaving 6-year-old daughter in Australia
Child abuse
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Oranga Tamariki ‘absolutely appalling’ in case of woman’s death
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Support group reveals more victims as Church stands silent
1News: Children’s stories from Family Court system highlight need for inquiry, campaigners say
Herald: Youth worker Devonte Mulitalo, who sexually abused 12yo, gloats about avoiding jail
Catrin Owen (Stuff): Family’s worst nightmare: Auckland youth worker turned sexual predator
Anna Leask (Herald): Gross exploitation: Auckland youth worker groomed, sexually abused 12yo girl in his care
Workplace relations bill, employment
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Controversial workplace relations bill to be reintroduced this week with support from NZ First
Nicholas Jones (Herald): Kathmandu to stop asking job hopefuls about medications
1News: Kathmandu drops question asking job applicants if they are on medication
Raniera Harrison (Māori TV): Call for collaboration to help country’s most at-risk youth
Will Trafford (Herald): Workplace bullying expert warns Kiwi businesses to protect employees
Luke Kirkeby (Stuff): South Waikato rife with job redundancies
Tracy Neal (RNZ): Employers unable to fill vacancies in Marlborough
Catherine Groenestein (Taranaki Daily News): Building crew learns a new language on the job thanks to Keith
Chelsea Boyle (Herald): ‘I consider myself lucky’: farmer’s rescue after quad bike roll
RNZ: Engineering firm fined $300k after transmission tower topples
Environment and conservation
Catherine Harris (Stuff): After plastic bags, what’s next? Govt tackles ‘circular economy’
No Right Turn: Climate change: Cross-party?
1News: DOC appeals for public help re-floating eight stranded pygmy whales in Far North
Danielle Clent and Bayley Moor (Stuff): Attempt to refloat whales before midday after becoming stranded on Ninety Mile Beach
Elena McPhee (ODT): Decision to euthanise whales ‘heart-breaking’
Liz Carlson (Stuff): Mass whale stranding on Stewart Island: The worst experience of my life
1News: Aerial footage shows mass pilot whale stranding on Stewart Island
Māori TV: Multiple whale strandings in one weekend
RNZ: 145 pilot whales die after stranding at Stewart Island
Amber-Leigh Woolf (Stuff): Capital Kiwi: Hundreds join the trapping force to bring kiwi back
Janine Rankin and Paul Mitchell (Manawatū Standard): Progress on cleaning up Manawatū River celebrated
Primary industries
Heather Chalmers (Stuff): Two new North Island Mycoplasma bovis farms confirmed
Gerald Piddock (Stuff): Dairy cow numbers rise by 2.7 per cent in latest numbers
Angie Skerrett (Newshub): Big growth predicted for NZ’s kiwifruit and apple industries
Cherie Sivignon (Stuff): Subscribers confirm Waimea Irrigators Ltd water shares for Waimea dam
Mark Quinlivan (Stuff): Investigation launched after needle found in strawberry purchased at South Island supermarket
RNZ: Police investigate after needle found in strawberry punnet in South Island
Matt Shand (Stuff): Needle found in capsicum bought at Tauranga Countdown over weekend
Newshub: Wellington bus hubs: $14m budget blowout
Justice, police
Tony Wall (Stuff): A police iwi liaison officer is in hot water for helping a Mongrel Mob boss in his fight against land seizure
Leigh-Marama McLachlan (Stuff): Virtual reality unlocking educational doors for inmates
Tara Shaskey (Stuff): Convicted killer to give talk to offenders on how to live a better life
Mike Yardley (Stuff): Put beat police back in the central city
FMA review of auditors
Rob Stock (Stuff): Auditors are there to protect us, and they’re still sometimes failing
RNZ: Lazy auditing of KiwiSaver finances highlighted by regulators
Local government
Matthew Littlewood (Stuff): Timaru District Holdings Limited advocates for other shareholders to join Alpine Energy sale
Elena McPhee (ODT): City’s faiths happy having Christmas tree
Tourism
Jason Walls (Herald): Government’s $100 million tourism fund has become easier for councils to dip into
1News: Air NZ boss says New Zealand needs to start charging tourists more
Media
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): Andrew Little: NZ is watching Facebook closely and will take action if needed
Tim Murphy (Stuff): MediaRoom: Herald owner’s market value plummets
Stuff: Bauer Media joins Stuff in content partnership deal
RNZ: PNG journalist Scott Waide reinstated
RNZ: PNG journalist’s suspension shows board ignorance – Media Council
Steve Braunias (Spinoff): We cross live to Golriz Ghahraman in Hamilton
Education
ODT Editorial: Free fees a failed election bribe?
Adele Redmond (Stuff): Christchurch audio engineering students must move across NZ to finish degrees
Sport
RNZ: Fallout from damning cycling review continues
Newshub: CEO Andrew Matheson parting ways with Cycling NZ
Ian Anderson (Stuff): US rugby club alters its name to ensure correct Māori spelling
Te reo Māori
Mānia Clarke (Māori TV): Whatarangi Winiata receives Reo Lifetime Achievement Award
Joel Ineson (Stuff): Bigger venue needed after surge of interest in free te reo Māori classes
Regional development
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): 8 Rivers ‘clean energy’ project breaks cover in push for $20m in funding
Jamie Baalbergen (Herald): Teen writes to Shane Jones’ Regional Economic Development fund – and gets $50k
Other
Julie Iles (Stuff): Short-term loan, long-term debt: Superloans under investigation after slew of complaints
Mandy Te (Stuff): Auckland residents prevail in fight against proposed Super Liquor store
Benedikt Fischer (Herald): Canada provides lessons on legal cannabis
Māori TV: Native Affairs: Piri and the Prince
DeenaCoster (Stuff): Ngāti Maru treaty claim on track for completion by 2019
RNZ: Timaru residents urged to conserve water
Sam Hurley (Herald): Judge orders Colin Craig to preserve cellphones in defamation case with John Stringer
Newsroom: Fire union’s elections face challenge
Jessica Marshall (Stuff): Devonport overlooked for artwork, despite lengthy quest for suffrage memorial
Andrea Fox (Herald): Are power bills fair? Mixed views on low response to electricity pricing probe
Georgina Campbell (Newstalk ZB): Wellington hospitality businesses sign up to the ‘Don’t Guess the Yes’ campaign
Michael Reddell: Central bank minutes released: a small victory for transparency
Annette Lambly (Stuff): Whangarei NZ Post looking to split from Kiwibank
Charlie Gates (Press): Govt officials: Minister has no power to intervene in Catholic cathedral demolition
RNZ: Investor confidence bounces back from two-year low
Belinda Feek (Herald): Waikato woman accused of leaving baby to suffer dehydration while playing pokies
Anne Gibson (Herald): The interview: New Property Council boss Leonie Freeman out to solve real estate issues
Aimee Shaw (Herald): Commerce Commission hits kids’ clothing company Goodwear with $50,000 fine
