Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – December 19 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.
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Public service bosses ignored warnings about Thompson & Clark for years
Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Use of private investigators exposes carelessness about role of the government
David Williams (Newsroom): Behind Southern Response’s smokescreen of security
Jessie Chiang (RNZ): Environmental groups call for change after security firm revelations
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Southern Response boss resigns before meeting with Minister
Herald: Southern Response boss Ross Butler falls on his sword following spying revelations
RNZ: Southern Response chair resigns following spying revelations
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Southern Response chair resigns following Govt spying fiasco
1News: Chair of Southern Response resigns after spying scandal
Patrick Gower (Newshub): Southern Response chair refusing to resign after Govt spying fiasco
Lucy Bennett (Herald): SSC report into use of private investigators ‘disturbing’, says Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
RNZ: ‘Disturbing’ behaviour revealed by spying investigation – PM
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Security firm spied on politicians, activists and earthquake victims
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): MBIE involvement in spying on political parties an ‘affront to democracy’: SSC
Lucy Bennett (Herald): Damning report confirms Government agencies used private investigators for spying
1News: Report on security consultants finds widespread failings across Govt agencies – ‘We need to do better’
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): State sector spy inquiry finds wide failings
Emma Jolliff (Newshub): Spies used against earthquake victims ‘an affront to democracy’
Emma Hatton (RNZ): Thompson and Clark spied on earthquake victims, inquiry finds
Electoral Commission: Response to SSC inquiry
No Right Turn: A private Stasi
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Public service spying scum are the biggest threat to the people of NZ
Police investigation into use of private investigators
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Police officers caught moonlighting for security firms
Lucy Bennett (Herald): Police release findings of review into use of private investigators
No Right Turn: Nothing to see here, move along
Cannabis referendum, drug laws
Joel Ineson and Jonathan Guildford (Stuff): Health experts: Regulation key to proposed drug reform
Dominion Post Editorial: Drug referendum could be the gift we can’t give back
John Anthony (Stuff): Cannabis legalisation in New Zealand could bring in up to $240m in tax revenue, economist says
Benedict Collins (1News): New Zealanders will vote on whether cannabis should be legalised for personal use at 2020 election
RNZ: Binding referendum on legalising cannabis for personal use to be held at 2020 election
Anna Bracewell-Worrall and Vita Molyneux (Newshub): Cannabis referendum will be held during the 2020 election
Māori TV: Legalise it? 2020 cannabis referendum confirmed
Eleanor Ainge Roy (Guardian): New Zealand to hold referendum on legalising recreational cannabis
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Andrew Little throws Green Party lifeline of relevancy for 2020 election
Bonnie Flaws (Stuff): Medsafe investigating claims on cannabis billboard
Whanganui Chronicle: Greenfern Medicinal Marijuana launches crowdfunding campaign to build facilities at Normanby, South Taranaki
Migrant labour, immigration
Anusha Bradley (RNZ): Timely survey on working conditions in horticultural industry
Angie Skerrett (Newshub): Farming group welcomes proposed work visa changes
Tracey Roxburgh (ODT): Mixed reaction to work visa changes
RNZ: Proposed immigration changes would benefit regions – Lees-Galloway
1News: Major change to temporary work visas proposed by Government as jobs go unfilled
Google name suppression breach
Jo Moir (RNZ): Grace Millane: Google unable to explain suppression breach
Laura Walters (Newsroom): Little lays down the law for Google in NZ
Jamie Ensor and Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Grace Millane: Google to review system after ‘unacceptable’ name suppression breach
Herald: Justice Minister Andrew Little meets with Google over Grace Millane name suppression breach
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Justice Minister to tell Google breaking suppression is not acceptable
RNZ: Little to meet with Google reps over suppression laws
Justice, corrections
Kirsty Lawrence, Tony Wall and Blair Ensor (Stuff): Report reveals Corrections inaction over child sex offender in motel with children
Herald Editorial: Fine balance in Rouxle Le Roux sentencing
Belinda Feek (Herald):Hit-and-run victim’s mother calls for calm after driver’s death threats
Newstalk ZB: Lawyer says Le Roux was not solely to blame for hit and run (audio interview)
Michael Neilson (Herald): Hit and run driver subject of death threats as public backlash to sentence grows
Laine Moger (Stuff): Death threats for hit-and-run driver Rouxle Le Roux
Sophie Bateman (Newshub): Rouxle Le Roux: Death threats made 19yo ‘afraid to sleep’
Jason Walls (Herald): MPs accept 143,000 signature petition demanding tougher sentence for killer driver Rouxle Le Roux
1News: Tearful father of teen killed in hit-and-run asks Crown to ‘make this right’ as tougher sentence petition delivered to Parliament
RNZ: Teen’s grieving parents hand over petition with 143,000 signatures
Kendall Hutt (Stuff): Family of hit-and-run death cyclist submit petition over driver’s sentence
Eleisha Foon and Vita Molyneux (Newshub): Rouxle Le Roux: Petition handed to Parliament appealing hit-and-run driver’s sentence
Kate Gudsell (RNZ): Does NZ need a DNA databank for every citizen?
David Farrar: A sound choice for Chief Justice
Ross Meurant (Daily Blog): The real story behind the Crewe Murders
Ross Meurant (Daily Blog): Bok Tour reflection 2018
Foreign Affairs, Huawei ban
Fran O’Sullivan (Herald): Power of the Five Eyes in Huawei ban
Jason Walls (Herald): NZ Foreign Minister Winston Peters and US Vice-President Mike Pence agreed to pool resources in the Pacific
Zane Small (Newshub): Winston Peters praises ‘personable’ Mike Pence after White House meeting
Point of Order: Pacific Reset – what Labour really thinks about it will be seen when US ships arrive
Environment and conservation
Kate Gudsell (RNZ): Kidney failure-causing pathogen found in Canterbury rivers
RNZ: Southland wetlands being lost at rate of 157ha a year
Paul Gorman (Stuff): Cleaner water goal of far-reaching Environment Canterbury strategy
Laurel Stowell (Whanganui Chronicle): Erosion work at Kai Iwi Beach ‘unforgivable’ – spokesman
Debrin Foxcroft (Stuff): No more single-use plastic bags in shops from July 1 next year
Zane Small (Newshub): Single-use plastic bags banned from July 1, Government confirms
ODT Editorial: The appalling 1080 fanatics
Angie Skerrett (Newshub): Million dollar scanner boosts Auckland Airport biosecurity
1News: 3-D technology behind new ‘game changing’ scanner for Auckland Airport
RNZ: New million-dollar x-ray scanner for Auckland Airport
Rachael Kelly (Stuff): Deadline looms for Invercargill’s aging heating appliance upgrades
Health
Nicholas Jones and Natalie Akoorie (Herald): Unfair care: What’s going wrong in the health system?
Oliver Lewis (Stuff): Drugs and alcohol significant in mental illness sudden deaths
RNZ: One in six ED patients had alcohol-related problems – snapshot
Merryn Gott (Newsroom): Lift the stigma to ease loneliness
Sam Hurley (Herald): Paedophile teacher granted ‘clean slate’ to work in aged care, despite industry fears
Stuff: Family of Nicky Stevens to meet with Minister of Health David Clark
Brianna McIlraith (Stuff): Teen cancer charity users slam closure of regional branches
Paul Mitchell (Stuff): Manawatū CanTeen branch to close in cancer charity’s national restructure
Janine Rankin (Manawatū Standard): Palmerston North still well down the queue for hospital revamp
Year in review
Richard Harman (Politik): So what is next? How this year will define 2019
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): No party covers itself in glory as parliamentary year draws to a close
Tim Murphy (Newsroom): Media Person of the Year
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): TDB Political & Media Awards 2018 Part 1
Child Poverty bill
Anna Whyte (1News): Child Poverty Reduction bill ‘pioneering’, unashamedly bold’ says Ardern as it passes its final hurdle in Parliament
Lucy Bennett (Herald): Child Poverty Reduction Bill passes third reading
RNZ: Child poverty bill passes third reading in Parliament
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Baby Neve watches Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speak on child poverty reduction in Parliament
Government, budget
Jason Walls (Herald): Increase in contracts for Minister’s partner’s firm not conflict of interest – PM
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s big prediction for 2019
Parliament
Bryan Bruce (Daily Blog): Voting Blind in Britain and New Zealand
Phil Smith (RNZ): Tuesday’s things to do: reading it thrice
Daniela Maoate-Cox (RNZ): Parliament’s final week for 2018
Lucy Bennett (Herald): Former National minister Chris Finlayson bows out of politics
Anna Whyte (1News): Chris Finlayson praises Gerry Brownlee and Nikki Kaye, takes swipe at NZ First during valedictory speech
1News: Watch: Jacinda Ardern made to apologise after ‘simple, Simon’ comment in Parliament
Stuff: Did the prime minister just call her opponent names?
Education
Ross Himona: Tomorrow’s Schools Yesterday.
Tom Hunt (Stuff): Staff stood down pending investigation into Lower Hutt childcare centre
Natalie Polley (Waikato Times): St Stephen’s School in Bombay, south of Auckland, to re-open in 2020
Jessica Long and Katarina Williams (Stuff): Victoria University of Wellington name change rejected by Minister
Herald: Victoria University’s name to remain unchanged after Education Minister intervenes
1News: Education Minister denies Victoria University’s application to change name
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): Victoria University of Wellington has been denied a name change
RNZ: Victoria University of Wellington name change declined by education minister
Laura Walters (Newsroom): No name change for Victoria University
Jan Antolic/Karel Sroubek residency decision
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Immigration never expected Karel Sroubek to be granted residency
Gia Garrick (Stuff): Sroubek’s prison call to ex-wife behind minister’s u-turn on decision
Derek Cheng (Herald): Minister confident safety concerns of Karel Sroubek’s ex-wife taken care of
1News: Extracts of conversation between Czech drug smuggler Karel Sroubek and estranged wife released
Derek Cheng (Herald): Angry, desperate phone call from Sroubek to estranged wife released
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Karel Sroubek wife releases ‘threatening’ taped conversation of the drug-smuggler
Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Karel Sroubek allegedly threatens estranged wife in secret recording
Chief technology officer position scrapped
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Government scraps plan for national ‘chief technology officer’
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Government scraps Chief Technology Officer role in favour of ‘a small group’
RNZ: Govt may ditch Chief Technology Officer role
Transport
Damian George (Stuff): Vision Zero: Lethal drunk and drugged drivers an increasing menace on our roads
Todd Niall (Stuff): Free Auckland buses and trains to curb drunk driving
Newshub: Why public transport will be free in Auckland on Friday
Gerald Piddock and Libby Wilson (Waikato Times): Hamilton-Auckland train trial gets tick from NZ Transport Agency
1News: Government gives Auckland to Hamilton passenger rail service the green light
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): NZTA approves Hamilton to Auckland passenger rail service business case
RNZ: Hamilton to Auckland passenger rail business case approved
RNZ: Delays on new diversion anger Wellington motorists
Brian Rudman (Herald): ‘Tis the season to be silly as scooters hit our footpaths
National Party vs Eminem
Stuff: Nats’ bill for ripping off Eminem music drops $375,000
Newshub: National Party wins bid to have Eminem copyright damages reduced
RNZ: Pleas weak, costs too heavy: Nats win Eminem appeal but must pay $225k
1News: National Party appeal means they will only pay 225K instead of 600K for using Eminem track
Primary industries
Gerald Piddock (Stuff): Council accused of railroading through consent hearing for egg farm
RNZ: Activists protest plans for North Waikato egg farm
ODT: 50,000 cows culled in M. bovis eradication bid
Lisette Reymer (Newshub): Opinion: Fonterra – I don’t know why my dad still flies your flag
Tracy Neal (RNZ): MPI reminds people of rules around use of set nets
RNZ: Foreign fishing crew members caught with undersized pāua
Sally Rae (ODT): Soal new CEO of Irrigation NZ
Housing
Anne Gibson (Herald): Govt eases house-buying cap by $50k, Opposition not impressed
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Housing NZ loans and grants available for more pricey regional new builds
Local government, regions
Matthew Littlewood (Timaru Herald): HC Partners slam Alpine Energy sale proposal as irresponsible
Robert Steven (Stuff): Former Taupō mayor: ‘Rule-breaking hotel will ruin my rule-breaking aspirations’
Evan Harding (Southland Times): Invercargill CBD big winner from Provincial Growth Fund
Chris Morris (ODT): Boost for Southland projects
Zane Small (Newshub): Government funding boost set to transform Invercargill CBD
1News: Sheep and goat dairy industry among beneficiaries of Government’s almost $2 million investment in Southland
RNZ: Southland infrastructure, businesses to gain from new funding
Tom McRae (Newshub): Ferry from Auckland to Coromandel Town among grand plans for ‘neglected’ region
Logan Savoy (ODT): Visitor levy to remain at $5 per person
RNZ: Stewart Island visitor levy increase off the table for now
Matthew Theunissen (RNZ): Aucklanders dig Albert Park tunnel plan
Museums
Nic Rawlence (Herald): Te Papa’s latest restructure is a great leap backwards
Benn Bathgate (Stuff): Rotorua’s $10m Christmas present for museum
RNZ: Diaries describing ‘horror’ discovery of explorer’s body sold to museum
Christmas
Mānia Clarke (Māori TV): Govt challenged to open xmas purse strings for needy
Michael Daly (Stuff): O Come, All Ye Faithful – but keep it green and low carbon this Christmas
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Christmas music is so 1944: It’s offensive and strange, but that’s OK
Business
Kim Savage (RNZ): Measures to protect subcontractors’ money ‘needs to go further’
RNZ: Business confidence perks up
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Some ‘Christmas cheer’ in December business confidence survey
Other
Luke Kirkness (Herald): Auckland Pride Parade scrapped and will be replaced by march, reports suggest
Bruce Munro (ODT): The file on YOU
Teuila Fuatai (Newsroom): Forced Māori representation not the answer
Martin van Beynen (Stuff): Quake claims lawyer Grant Shand questions conflict claims
Terry Baucher (Interest): Expect the Tax Working Group’s final report to recommend the introduction of a realisation-based Capital Gains Tax
Peter Cullen (Stuff): Secretly recording conversation with the boss is a breach of trust
Katie Scotcher (RNZ): ‘Really sad’ women are still harassed, five years on from Roast Busters
Mandy Te and Kendall Hutt (Stuff): Donations cover vet bill for 95-year-old man whose dog died after pack attack
Phillipa Yalden (Stuff): New Ngāruawāhia police station opens its doors
Jenesa Jeram (Spinoff): Stop telling young people NZ Super is unaffordable
RNZ: Māori language revitalisation body gets new chair
Amy Ridout (Stuff): ‘Do Kiwis like stinky people?’ Freedom campers bemoan Golden Bay facilities
Tom Hunt (Stuff): Former MP questions Joanne Harrison’s lack of knowledge about alleged Australian fraud
Stuff: Wellington’s economic agency appoints top brass
Anuja Nadkarni (Stuff): French supermarket Auchan slammed for ‘haka’ advertisement
Florence Kerr (Stuff): Mongrel Mob, Black Power should join forces to repel invaders, gang leader says
