Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – February 13 2019
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.
China-NZ relations
Audrey Young (Herald): Relationship with China a diplomatic mess
Fran O’Sullivan (Herald): Chinese relations must get back on track
Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Until Jacinda Ardern visits China, questions about the relationship will only deepen
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): NZ-China ‘scheduling issues’ cause for concern
Scott Palmer (Newshub): China could hold New Zealanders hostage over Huawei clash – expert
Newstalk ZB: Kiwis warned over ‘hostage diplomacy’ from China
Herald Editorial: Has our govt antagonised China?
Amanda Cropp (Stuff): Business ponders postponement of Chinese tourism ‘do’
Philip Burdon (Herald): China trade is too valuable to take sides in US dispute
Mike Rehu (Spinoff): As Beijing gives NZ a cool stare, do we have to choose between the US and China?
David Farrar: NZ China relationship hits new low
Jason Walls (Herald): Government forced on the defensive over relationship with China
Chris Bramwell (RNZ): Govt needs to sort out relationship with China – National
Anna Bracewell-Worrall (Newshub): Government accused by opposition of destroying relationship with China
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Some irony in Huawei ad campaign, says marketing professor
Jason Walls (Herald): PM Jacinda Ardern is refusing to say if issues around Huawei have been raised through diplomatic channels
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): No deterioration in NZ-China relationship – Ardern
Jason Walls (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says there are challenges in NZ’s relationship with China
Hamish Rutherford and John Anthony (Stuff): Air NZ plane forced to turn around after airline forgot to remove reference to Taiwan
Eleanor Ainge Roy (Guardian): Air New Zealand flight’s U-turn sparks claims of China tensions
Point of Order: NZ’s foreign policy is a key focus for two new public service chiefs
Newshub-Reid Research poll
Dominion Post Editorial: Mind the gap, Simon Bridges
Claire Trevett (Herald): Simon Bridges’ poll gives Labour sweet taste of revenge
Bryce Edwards (Herald): Political Roundup: Is it time for National to burn Simon Bridges?
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): National would be ‘morons’ to change leaders at the moment – commentators
RNZ: Checkpoint: No leadership ‘chopping and changing like Labour’ for National: Judith Collins
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Judith Collins says she isn’t interested in ‘tough’ job of National leader, but doesn’t rule it out
Derek Cheng (Herald): Judith Collins ‘not even interested’ in National leadership
1News: Judith Collins ‘not interested’ in job of National Party leader despite NZ public preferring her to Simon Bridges
Zane Small (Newshub): Paula Bennett praises Judith Collins: ‘It’s great people love her’
Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Revealed: National voters prefer Judith Collins to Simon Bridges
Gia Garrick (RNZ): MPs back Simon Bridges despite low polling
Matthew Whitehead (The Standard): Pollwatch: 11/02/2019
Steven Cowan: Statistical Noise
Parliament
Bevan Rapson (North & South): Back to reality: Ardern has a daunting list to check off
RNZ: Kiwibuild and polls provide political ammunition on first day back at Parliament
Daniela Maoate Cox (RNZ): Parliament’s to do list: the PM’s statement
Herald: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gives Statement to Parliament
Sophie Bateman (Newshub): Watch: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s first speech to Parliament of 2019
1News: Watch: The best of today’s one-liners and insults as Parliament returned for 2019
1News: Simon Bridges taunts Greens MPs about arrival of centrist sustainable party
1News: ‘China not Choyna’ – Simon Bridges’ accent mocked by Winston Peters in Parliament
Sophie Bateman (Newshub): Watch: Simon Bridges gives fiery speech after disastrous poll result
Salvation Army State of Nation Report, wealth, inequality
Katie Fitzgerald and Miriam Harris (Newshub): Inequality still a factor in children’s wellbeing – Salvation Army
Collette Devlin (Stuff): The Salvation Army’s State of Nation Report sceptical about Government’s wellbeing agenda
Isaac Davison (Herald):State of the Nation report: Change of Govt yet to have an impact on NZ’s big social problems
Meriana Johnsen (RNZ): Targeted funding needed to fix ‘appalling’ Māori wellbeing – Salvation Army
CPAG: State of the Nation report shows little improvement for children
Karoline Tuckey (RNZ): Older renters cutting food to cover costs – social worker
Susan Edmunds and Debrin Foxcroft (Stuff): $100k a lot or a little: What’s wealthy in NZ in 2019?
Jami-Lee Ross
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Jami-Lee Ross confident National can’t kick him out of Parliament with waka jumping law
Derek Cheng (Herald): Jami-Lee Ross’ first day back at Parliament
1News: Jami-Lee Ross returns to Parliament, takes back-handed jab at Simon Bridges
Zane Small and Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Jami-Lee Ross: ‘I regret many things about last year’
IRD, tax
Liam Dann (Herald): NZ’s lack of Capital Gains Tax unusual – global expert
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Capital gains tax ‘could blow up’ Kiwi tax system
Jason Walls (Herald): Greens co-leader James Shaw says it’s time for the Government to adopt a capital gains tax
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Government must be bold enough to bring in capital gains tax, Green leader James Shaw says
Anne Gibson (Herald): Business debate: Should NZ introduce a capital gains tax?
Eric Crampton: Let’s make a polling deal
Commercial fishing
Gerard Hutching (Stuff): Fishing industry under fire for killing endangered albatrosses
Derek Cheng (Herald): Critically endangered seabirds killed by longline fishing vessel
1News: Five endangered albatross killed in Bay of Plenty by longline fishing vessel
Environment, conservation
Farah Hancock (Newsroom): Hello cows, bye-bye rare beetle
Gordon Campbell: On the Nelson fire and what it says about our response to climate change
Amber-Leigh Woolf (Stuff): The rise of vegetarians: 1 in 10 New Zealanders mostly, or completely, meat-free
1News: Plastic ranks as Kiwis’ top environmental or social concern, new survey reveals
Rob Stock (Stuff): Consumers fooling themselves over their sustainability, but don’t blame them
Rob Stock (Stuff): Kiwis fear being judged as ‘odd’ or a ‘nuisance’ as they cut their environmental footprint
Matt Brown (Stuff): National Party MP unsure what’s ‘scientifically accurate’ wades into methane debate
RNZ: Avian botulism from sewage pond kills 600 birds
Scott Palmer (Newshub): Insectageddon: New Zealanders have ‘two weeks of life’ after insect apocalypse – expert
Govt axes Saudi sheep deal
David Farrar: Saudi sheep deal shorn
No Right Turn: Good riddance
Health
Herald: Breast cancer patients die while waiting for life-saving drugs
Milind Mandlik (Newsroom): Obesity and empowered choices
Natalie Akoorie (Herald): Waikato DHB calls for new coroner in closed case of Nicky Stevens
Libby Wilson (Stuff): Waikato DHB challenges coroner inquest over Nicky Stevens’ death
RNZ: Nicky Stevens’ family told DHB wants new inquest: ‘We’ve never heard of a challenge like this’
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Nicky Stevens’ parents shocked by DHB’s call for second coronial inquest
Jessica Tyson (Māori TV): Community works to raise $250k for mother’s life-saving surgery
Daniel Birchfield (ODT: Oamaru Hospital staff feel ‘worthless’
Health sector industrial relations
Cleo Fraser (Newshub): Junior doctors say mistakes happen under current rostering system
Janine Rankin (Manawatū Standard): Junior doctors strike again, while senior doctors struggle
RNZ:Junior doctors on third two-day strike
Bay of Plenty Times: Tauranga midwives on strike: ‘Your delivery for us is overdue’
Libby Wilson (Stuff): Waikato midwives on the march: pickets for pay, staff shortages
Education
Laura Walters (Newsroom): Overhaul on way for vocational education sector
Adele Redmond (Stuff): Major announcement on future of New Zealand’s polytechnics expected
Duncan Garner (Newshub): Major shakeup for polytechnics on the way
Florence Kerr (Stuff): Former Wintec chair says taxpayers got value for money
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Victoria University name change causes rift between mayor and councillors
Tim Miller (ODT): Telford job losses revealed to staff
Adele Redmond (Stuff): AgResearch to build own research facility at Lincoln Uni after joint facility plans scrapped
Brian Rudman (Herald): All students (and MPs) should study NZ’s early history at school
Emma Dangerfield (Stuff): Decile 10 Canterbury school under statutory management
Transport
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Warrant of fitness costs may rise as inspectors quit in safety clampdown
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Safety report flags systemic failures within Transport Agency
Amanda Cropp (Stuff): Report on fatal accident shows Transport Agency failed to prioritize safety
1News: Police disappointed after roadside sting in Wellington catches plenty of drivers on their cellphones
Megan Sutherland (Newshub): Dunedin author wants urgent recall of Limes
Alice Webb-Liddall (Newshub): North Shore bus strike called off
Employment
Heather Chalmers (Stuff): Minimum wage rise hits labour-intensive fruit exporters
Herald: Auckland man loses job after seizure three days into his new employment
1News: More Cantabrians with health conditions, disabilities get help to find work
Peter Cullen (Stuff): KiwiBuild former boss Stephen Barclay resignation may have been an own goal
Housing
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Housing Minister Phil Twyford knew in December Kiwibuild targets would not be met
Anne Gibson (Herald): Why affordable Wanaka KiwiBuild homes are unsold: locals explain mystery
Paul McBeth (Herald): Housing squeeze continues as affordability drops nationwide
RNZ: House prices have slowest growth in six years
Thomas Nash (Spinoff): With NZ housing still utterly borked, some are taking matters into their own hands
Jessica Tyson (Māori TV): Public support helps whānau with housing dilemma
Local government
Anne Gibson (Herald): Auckland Council considers avoiding $220m tax bill by transferring property ownership
Alexia Russell (Newsroom): A cemetery out of room and low on options
Jimmy Ellingham (Stuff): Timely promise to keep ratepayers informed after Toyota grant secrecy debacle
Dominic Harris (Press): Axe hangs over Regenerate Christchurch as council mulls slashing $3m off budget
Christina Persico and Leighton Keith (Taranaki Daily News): Councillor ‘ashamed’ to sing Māori version of national anthem fails to attend meeting to apologise
Sam Kilmister (Stuff): Manawatū District Council rated number two for customer experience in New Zealand
Matt Burrows (Newshub): 95yo Northland man Jim Morgan attacked by dogs again – on the same street
Brendon McMahon (ODT): Kokshoorn’s quick response saves friend
Attack on Aziz Al Sa’afin and friend
Lee Suckling (Herald): Kiwi reporter’s homophobic attack on K’Rd a wake-up call
Alice Webb-Liddall (Newshub): ‘Gay bashing still exists in New Zealand’ says LGBT+ activist after violent attack at pride
Sean Plunket (Newshub): I now understand why gay people need pride
Herald: ‘I thought I was going to die’: Kiwi reporter ‘bashed’ in homophobic attack
Stuff: Journalist Aziz Al-Sa’afin beaten up in Auckland in homophobic attack
Te reo Māori
John Boynton (RNZ): NZ’s unique te reo tweets
Jessica Tyson (Māori TV): Te reo Māori going global
Catherine Harris (Stuff): Linguistic app Drops introduces te reo Māori to world audience
Cannabis
Derek Cheng (Herald): Stuart Nash backs police aerial drops to kill cannabis
Alex Ashton (RNZ): Medicinal cannabis users fear supply running out amid aerial culls
Scott Kuggeleijn
Isaac Davison (Herald): Sports Minister Grant Robertson says New Zealand Cricket needs to respond clearly to Scott Kuggeleijn concerns
Michelle Langstone (Spinoff): I adore NZ cricket. But I won’t watch until the silence on Kuggeleijn is broken
Banking
Thomas Coughlan (Newsroom): Returning MPs ponder RBNZ land mine
Katie Fitzgerald and Delphine Herbert (Newshub): Banking sector sees massive profit increase, but uncertainty on the horizon
Gyles Beckford (RNZ): Black clouds hover over big banks’ golden run, expert warns
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Govt unperturbed by bank lobby warning of potential credit crunch
Immigration, refugees
Lincoln Tan (Herald): Immigration NZ’s threat to deport 2-year-old NZ born girl leaves family in shock
Alice Angeloni (Stuff): Concerns for rental market as refugees to be resettled in Blenheim
Justice, corrections
Alice Webb-Liddall (Newshub): The AM Show speaks to former prisoner Arthur Taylor about life inside
Brenda Midson (Spinoff): How the wording of our sexual assault laws is making it harder to convict
Other
Richard Harman (Politik): Cross party consensus to rewrite the Resource Management Act
Eric Crampton (Newsroom): Skewing procurement
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Commentary Is Free – But Facts Are Sacred
Fred Albert and Marilyn Garson (Herald): Comment: We are anti-Zionist Jews, we are not anti-semitic
Rob Berg (Herald): It is anti-semitic to oppose Israel’s right to exist
Talisa Kupenga (Māori TV): Marae want louder voice in Civil Defence national plan
Ryan Bridge (Newshub): When racism isn’t actually racism
Herald: Mobil madness – Racist spat sparks fist fight as driver mows down man
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Auckland Peace Action denounces Jordan Peterson as threatening ‘everything of value’ ahead of tour
Aine Kelly-Costello (Newshub): Waitangi event access improved after ‘terrible’ experience last year
1News: State of emergency extended in Nelson-Tasman for another week, PM announces
Regan Paranihi (Māori TV): Online extra: Tame Iti interview
Kelvin McDonald (Māori TV): Dalai Lama celebrates Māori culture in India
No Right Turn: Open Government: Marginal
Astrid Austin (Hawkes Bay Today): Four teen murderers in a year: Hawke’s Bay’s soul-searching amid youth violence wave
Stuff: Retail outlook positive despite careful Christmas spend-up
Chris Keall (Herald): As Trump signs AI order, a warning about the rise of bots in NZ
Marta Steeman (Stuff): Construction work is picking up after a flat patch in 2018, new report says
Point of Order: MBIE’s job numbers raise questions about political neutrality and professional scepticism
Anusha Bradley (RNZ): Facebook apologises for removing drag king’s content
Juha Saarinen (Herald): The heat is on for cheaper solar power
Jess Berentson-Shaw (Newsroom): Economics for the many not the few
