Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – December 13 2018
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.
The Beehive and Parliament Buildings.
Derek Cheng (Herald): Karel Sroubek supporter texted PM after residency initially granted
Pete George: Sroubek -> Hardcore -> Ardern – pressure builds for full disclosure
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Of all the people to attack, Richie Hardcore isn’t one of them!
Pattrick Smellie (Stuff): Living Standards Framework on it own isn’t going to transform anything
Colin James: Digging “wellbeing” out of Steven Joyce’s fiscal hole
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Budget 2019 priorities leaked to National, include focus on mental wellbeing and call to find lowest 1% of spending
David Farrar: Government doing right thing looking for spending cuts
VUW (Newsroom): The secrets of a good coalition
Parliament, Year in review
Claire Trevett (Herlad): Air NZ strikes bad news for most, good news for Simon Bridges
John Tamihere (Herald): Marking the Government’s cards
Peter Dunne (Newsroom): Next year crucial for both Govt and Nats
Alice Webb-Liddall and Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Political superlatives 2018: Tova O’Brien reviews the political year
1News: The political highs and lows of 2018 according to Labour’s Kieran McAnulty, National’s Chris Bishop
Stuff: ‘Paula Benefit’ gaffe wins quote of the year
Phil Smith (RNZ): The House: Parliament’s to do list: medicinal cannabis, tax rates, & Reserve Bank rules
RNZ: The House: Parliament’s to do list: 12 Dec – (most) politics is local
Phil Smith (RNZ): Keeping it supreme: signing off on subordinate legislation
Daniela Maoate-Cox (RNZ): The House: Listening to citizens: the finance and expenditure committee
State sector
Derek Cheng (Herald): Extra week’s leave sweetens pay cut for public sector chief executives
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Extra week of leave for public service bosses attacked, but SSC say it’s a good deal
Chris Bramwell (RNZ): Public service bosses get extra week annual leave
Scott Palmer (Newshub): Nick Smith flays public service bosses over extra week of leave
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): QC appointed to head Maxwell bullying inquiry
Lucy Bennett (Herald): QC appointed to lead investigation into bullying claims against Retirement Commissioner Diane Maxwell
Rob Stock (Stuff): Investigator named for Retirement Commissioner bullying probe
Herald: Employment lawyer Maria Dew to investigate Diane Maxwell bullying allegations
Kathy Spencer (Stuff): Continual restructuring – it’s such a waste
Thomas Coughlan (Newsroom): RBNZ says it’s underfunded and understaffed
Jason Walls (Herald): An under-resourced RBNZ a ‘pretty significant’ concern, National’s Finance spokeswoman says
Salvation Army ‘State of our Communities’ report
Imran Ali (Northern Advocate): Drugs and gangs in Northland major concerns for law-abiding citizens
Regan Paranihi (Māori TV): Communities call for action
Joanne Holden (TImaru Herald): Survey finds residents concerned about diversity, drug damage and social issues in Timaru
Justice, family violence, name suppression
Press Editorial: Intervention is better than imprisonment
Emma Hatton (RNZ): Early intervention crucial in reducing family violence numbers
Chris Morris (ODT): Survivor shines light on dark past
Tony Wall, Kirsty Lawrence and Blair Ensor (Stuff): Corrections apologises for placing a sex offender with a young family for the second time
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): NZ courts banned naming Grace Millane’s accused killer. Google just emailed it out
Point of Order: Andrew Little sounded a warning about murder-case reporting to local media, too – but were they listening?
Herald Editorial: Court suppression no longer works
Tommy Livingston (Stuff): Grace Millane case: Accused’s name searched more than 100,000 times on Google despite it being suppressed
Herald: NZ users search name of Millane’s accused more than 50,000 times
RNZ: Grace Millane’s father speaks out on daughter’s death
Stuff Editorial: “Incredible compassion” no substitute for credible action
Afua Hirsch (Guardian): Jacinda Ardern’s heartfelt apology spoke volumes about compassion
Kirsty Johnston (Herald): Grace Millane and my year reporting on rape
Michael Reddell: Human costs of big dislocations?
RNZ: Thousands gather for Grace Millane vigils across NZ
ODT: Grief must be followed by action
Newshub: All men need to help stop gender-based violence – Mark Longley
Anneke Smith (RNZ): Checkpoint: Samoa’s Attorney General didn’t want witness to give evidence
Edward Gay (Stuff): Aucklander’s mental condition deteriorated before being found dead in Samoan prison cell
Edward Gay (Stuff): Medical team approved of trip for man later found dead in Samoan cell – Mum
Edward Gay (Stuff): Man’s mental health issues not shared with Samoan authorities before death
Greyhound Racing New Zealand report
Lincoln Tan (Herald): NZ greyhound racing industry ‘killing a dog a day for gambling profits’
Stuff: Anger over greyhound racing as 353 dogs euthanised this year
RNZ: Hundreds of greyhounds euthanised last season
Air NZ strike, industrial action
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Politics is about perception
Peter Dunne: Spectre of Don Goodfellow’s infamous response of all those years ago still looms
Grant Bradley (Herald): Unions and Air New Zealand need to do their disagreeing at a different time of the year
Herald: Strike notice lifted for Air New Zealand after airline and unions reach agreement
RNZ: Air New Zealand strike notice lifted
Stuff: Air NZ engineers’ strike action called off, negotiations were successful
1News: PM denies Government’s stance on unions has ’emboldened’ them to carry out strikes
1News: PM urges Air NZ dispute to reach resolution – ‘No one wants to see this go ahead’
RNZ: Air New Zealand engineers’ strike: What you need to know
John Anthony (Stuff): Air NZ strikes triggers travel cover warning from Insurance Council of New Zealand
John Anthony (Stuff): Air NZ and unions playing game of ‘who blinks first’, industrial relations expert says
Michael Neilson and Grant Bradley (Herald): Thousands of Kiwis’ holiday plans up in air as Air NZ engineers threaten strike days before Christmas
Simon Shepherd (Newshub): ‘I can’t do anything but wait’: Families left in limbo over Air New Zealand strike
RNZ: Air NZ engineers’ strike could affect 100,000 people – travel agent
Grant Bradley (Herald): Strike threatened Air New Zealand passengers anxious, Jetstar still has seats
Katie Fitzgerald (Newshub): How the Air New Zealand strike will affect Christmas travel plans
Health
Ruby Macandrew (Stuff): Health organisations join calls for a review into government drug-buying agency
Mei Heron (1News): Government moved too slowly on regulating e-cigarettes, lead respiratory doc warns
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Government divided over possible ban on smoking in home
Ryan Dunlop (Herald): Medication errors prompts Health and Safety Commissioner to call for nationwide electronic system
Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Ministry of Health changes travel policy after blowout Las Vegas trip
Martin Johnston (Herald): Child with meningococcal disease admitted to Palmerston North Hospital
RNZ: Heart disease breaking up young Pasifika families
Farah Hancock (Newsroom): The race to eliminate hepatitis C
Helen Harvey (Stuff): ‘Serious adverse medical events’ result in two deaths at Taranaki hospitals
Karen Brown (RNZ): Rotorua seeing major benefits of new Children’s Health Hub
Danielle Clent (Stuff): Youth cancer charity calls on Australian counsellors after 17 local jobs cut
Natalie Akoorie (Herald): Psychiatrist downplays role of Ehlers-Danlos – Dr Rachel Palmer bedridden and broken
Donna-Lee Biddle (Stuff): Syphilis among STIs keeping Hamilton health clinics busy this summer
Joanne Carroll (Stuff): CDHB procedures left ‘wanting’ before 28-year-old man died of heart attack
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Maternity petition put on hold
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Treatment push for juvenile eating disorders in South
Jane Matthews (Stuff): More than $20,000 donated Taranaki boy in need of $2.5m surgery
ODT: Otago students advised to get immunised over break
RNZ: A third of nurses have fallen asleep while driving home – study
Sunscreens fail Consumer NZ test
RNZ: More than half of sunblocks don’t protect as well as labelled
Sarah Templeton (Newshub): Consumer NZ testing shows six out of 10 sunscreens aren’t up to scratch
Stuff: Sunscreens fail Consumer NZ SPF test
Cameron Smith (Herald): Sunscreen left red-faced by consumer test being canned
1News: Consumer NZ finds many sunscreens don’t meet their label claims
Medicinal cannabis bill passed
Deena Coster (Stuff): Medicinal cannabis campaigner’s ‘mixed feelings’ on law changes
Talisa Kupenga (Māori TV): Passing of Medicinal Cannabis Bill prompts iwi discussions
ebecca Reider (Spinoff): We won, sort of: A medicinal cannabis user at yesterday’s historic vote
Transport
Amanda Cropp (Stuff):1300 vehicles recalled after Tokoroa WOF inspector suspended
Collette Devlin (Stuff): A Wellington regional fuel tax could have covered $500m in transport projects
Belinda Feek (Herald): NZTA debacle: Dream car sits idle after $15k compliance work
RNZ: Motorists against 30km/h Auckland CBD limit
Jason Walls (Herald): The Opposition says Auckland Transport’s CBD speed reduction plan is ‘anti-car zealotry’
Gerald Piddock (Stuff): Councillor pushes for speed limit cut on rural roads in Waikato
Herald: Vehicle registration costs to change in mid-2019: How much will you have to pay?
RNZ: ‘Deja vu’ for Wellington Airport extension
Christine McKay (Hawkes Bay Today): National MP Alistair Scott pushes for cycleway and walking path across ranges
Alex Loo (Stuff): Landowners to meet with officials regarding expressway in Horowhenua
KiwiSaver
Madison Reidy (RNZ): MSD tells KiwiSavers to pull funds to survive
No Right Turn: WINZ undermines KiwiSaver
Anna Whyte (1News): National reach out to speed up KiwiSaver changes for life-shortening conditions
Environment and conservation
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Does the taxpayer fund climate compensation for beachfront homeowners?
Kate Gudsell (RNZ): Environmental watchdog warns of shortcomings in farming nutrient programme
Eloise Gibson (Newsroom): Water-quality tool seriously flawed: watchdog
Richard Harman (Politik): Simon Upton is back and still fighting heavy-handed Government
Jamie Morton (Herald): Govt to cap units, bring permanent forestry into ETS
David Hall (Stuff): Paris riots show importance of getting climate policy right
No Right Turn: Climate Change: Forfeiting the profits of fraud
Jamie Morton (Herald): Stagnant master plan to save gulf ‘could have been done better’
Marty Sharpe (Stuff): Report calls for giving Te Mata Peak same status as a person, and closing some areas to public
RNZ: Te Mata Peak should get legal status as person – iwi
Laurilee McMichael (Taupo & Turangi Weekender): Kinloch’s poisoned native trees an act of ‘eco-terrorism’
Samantha Gee (Stuff): Worker pleads guilty after killing kea at Motueka Valley construction site
Water bottling plant
Paul Gorman (Stuff): Cloud Ocean Water’s deep-bore bottling plan approved without public input
1News: Controversial Chinese company given consent to take water from deeper bore in Christchurch
1080
Nita Blake-Persen (RNZ): Anti-1080 float wins top prize at Taupo Christmas Parade
1News: Alternatives to 1080 explored, but poison ‘remains a critical tool’
Herald: Native birds used in a 1080 protest all were killed by unnatural means – but not poison
Brooke Hobson and Vita Molyneux (Newshub): Bird dumped at Parliament by 1080 protesters was shot by rifle – autopsy
1News: Weka left on Parliament steps by 1080 protesters was shot, autopsy finds
RNZ: No birds at anti-1080 protest died from poison
Stuff: Weka dumped at Parliament by anti-1080 protesters was shot, autopsy says
Esther Taunton (Stuff): EPA to investigate 1080 drop which killed eight cattle
Foreign affairs and trade
Chris Trotter: Dances With Elephants
Gordon Campbell: On the Brexit & Huawei clusterfudges
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Deportation of Aboriginal man from Australia ‘ridiculous’
RNZ: Family ‘horrified’ as Aboriginal man faces deportation to NZ
Census
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Census data won’t make Budget 2019
Eric Crampton: Census woes
Education
Adele Redmond (Stuff): Schools ‘cautiously optimistic’ about Tomorrow’s Schools review recommendations
Adele Redmond (Stuff): 800 overseas teachers ready for schools to hire for 2019, Ministry of Education says
Derek Cheng (Herald): Up to $50 million paid for fees-free students who either failed or withdrew
Local government
Todd Niall (Stuff): Online voting trial for 2019 elections scrapped
RNZ: Councils halt online voting trial for local body elections
1News: Online voting trial for 2019 local body elections halted because of rising costs
Newshub: Online voting trial shut down over cost
No Right Turn: A win for democracy
Thomas Manch and Julie Iles (Stuff): Engineer claims Wellington City Council ignored seismic warning on BNZ building
Herald: Auckland Council among four local Governments to be investigated by the Ombudsman
Steve Kilgallon (Stuff): Calls to investigate top official for ‘hoodwinking’ council over signed racing helmet
Kendall Hutt (Stuff): Residents want a 15m cell tower moved, because it’s an ‘eyesore’
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): Auckland council car park to skyrocket $40 a day
Debrin Foxcroft (Stuff): Victory for dock workers as Ports of Auckland forced to include start times in rosters
Stuff: Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel seeking third term
Matthew Littlewood (Timaru Herald): Pressure mounting on council to abandon Alpine Energy share sale proposal
Bayley Moor (Stuff): Far North sewage treatment plants breach consent conditions
Rachael Kelly (Southland Times): Gore’s proposed new water restrictions ‘a good start’, council told at hearing
Primary industries
Pat Deavoll (Stuff): From 70 million to less than 30 million: Where have all the sheep gone?
Guy Trafford (Interest): Solving the riddle of why farmer confidence is low when prices are high
Eric Frykberg (RNZ): Fonterra offers farmers fixed price for milk
Angie Skerrett (Newshub): Petition numbers grow to keep Tip Top New Zealand-owned
Herald: Feds thank Andrew Little for getting tough on rural crime
Angie Skerrett (Newshub): Rural Women NZ leader to chair Landcare Trust
Al Williams (Timaru Herald): Timaru woman charged with making a false complaint over needle found in supermarket strawberry
RNZ: Woman arrested after false complaint of needle in strawberry
Christmas
Nita Blake-Persen (RNZ): Anti-1080 float wins top prize at Taupo Christmas Parade
Moana Makapelu Lee (Māori TV): Māori Santa accepts invitation to Wellington
Stuff: Māori Santa from Nelson parade coming to Wellington
Edward Rooney (Herald): Raetihi Christmas parade has a Māori Santa – and no one bats an eye
Eleanor Ainge Roy (Guardian): Māori Santa invited to Wellington parade after racist boos in hometown
Martyn Bradbury (Waatea News): ‘How Santa Parades became a flash point for racism‘
Laine Moger (Stuff): Winking, finger-waving Santa could be restored in Auckland
Nicole Lawton (Stuff): 1000 Auckland soup kitchen regulars treated to early Christmas dinner
Housing
Mānia Clarke (Māori TV): South Auckland marae to receive $1mil from Māori Housing Fund
Deena Coster (Stuff): Taranaki tenants speak out about ‘lifelong’ health concerns connected to cold, damp rentals
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Letting fees ban takes effect – what next for rent?
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Ring-fencing, law reform: What will it take to slow investors down?
Kelly Mahika (Herald): Night shelter must move, says fed up Rotorua publican
BusinessDesk: Sydney house price downturn could dampen Auckland prices
Police
Ryan Dunlop (Herald): Police use of pepper spray unlawful, Independent Police Conduct Authority find
Luke Kirkness and Heath Moore (Herald): Camera catches Auckland police playing table tennis during property raid in West Auckland
Whanganui Chronicle: Former police officer imprisoned for series of historical sex crimes
Media
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Stuff sale on agenda, says new owner Nine
Duncan Greive (Spinoff): Sky in 2018: the media monster we’ve all assumed will fail
Glen McConnell (Stuff): Radio NZ cuts Music 101 presenter Alex Behan, plans more staff and music changes
David Farrar: Karl du Fresne on media
Hiwi Tauroa has died
RNZ: Former Race Relations leader Hiwi Tauroa dies, aged 91
Raniera Harrison (Māori TV): Whangaroa hapū prepare to farewell Te Rangihiwinui Tauroa
Herald: Former race relations commissioner and Māori All Black Hiwi Tauroa dies aged 91
Natalie Polley (Stuff): Former race relations commissioner, and All Black, Hiwi Tauroa dies
Other
Gia Garrick (RNZ): Long-running land dispute resolved as Parliament passes Waitara Lands Bill
Liz McDonald and Michael Hayward (Stuff): Earthquake Commission: No agreed claim deal for future disaster
Meghan Lawrence (Herald): Extreme weather costs insurers $226m for 2018 year: Second highest since 1969
Phil Pennington (RNZ): A tale of two steels: Auckland’s Seascape vs Wellington’s Dixon St project
Martin van Beynen (Stuff): New Christchurch courts building already needs repairs
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Christchurch Cathedral reinstatement progresses with steel framing to be removed
Jamie Morton (Herald): New centre to keep 24/7 watch on quakes, tsunami
RNZ: Christmas appeal for children’s beds in Northland
David Chaston (Interest): The myth is that households are getting less and less of the national income
No Right Turn: Member’s Day
Debrin Foxcroft (Stuff): Beware the health claims about bottled water, warns Consumer NZ
John Anthony (Stuff): Harcourts promises not to repeat ‘culturally offensive’ ad portraying marae for sale
Liam Dann (Herald): IMF’s dire warning on global economy
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Lauding it – film subsidies have worked in NZ
Raniera Harrison (Māori TV): Connecting Māori musicians with funding
