Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – March 26 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.
Royal Commission, role of spy agencies
Richard Harman (Politik): An inquiry into an invisible man
Laura Dooney (RNZ): Auckland Muslim man furious about SIS surveillance: ‘They’ve dropped the ball’
Jamie Ensor and Jared McCulloch (Newshub): Christchurch terror attack: Royal Commission Inquiry into intelligence services will be ‘brutal’ – terrorism expert
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): PM cool on chance of cyber-snooping project stopping mosque terrorism
Zane Small (Newshub): ‘Humiliation’: New Zealand Muslims’ rights breached by authorities, Human Rights Foundation reveals
1News: Royal commission of inquiry into Christchurch terror attacks to be held, Prime Minister says
Sophie Bateman (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern announces Royal Commission into security agencies after Christchurch attack
RNZ: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces details of inquiry into security services
Lucy Bennett (Herald): Royal Commission of Inquiry to look into Christchurch mosque shootings
Lucy Bennett (Herald): Jacinda Ardern announces Royal Commission of Inquiry into mosque shootings, China visit next week
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Royal Commission of Inquiry announced following the Christchurch terror attacks
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): PM confirms Royal Commission for Chch attack
Charles Anderson (Guardian): New Zealand shooting: Jacinda Ardern announces royal commission into attack
Leigh-Marama McLachlan (RNZ): Māori Council backs Royal Commission of Inquiry into terror attacks
Jason Walls (Herald): National Leader Simon Bridges says the threat of white supremacy wasn’t a focus for NZ’s spy agencies
RNZ: GCSB and SIS’s ‘hands tied behind their backs’ – Simon Bridges
Stuff: Emergency response to Wellington spy HQ after letter sent containing ‘unknown white powder’
Gun reform, firearms
Jared Savage (Herald): Analysis: Why tracking guns is the common thread between Aramoana, the Napier siege and the Christchurch terror attack
1News: Jacinda Ardern supports gun registry idea as Government works towards new firearms laws
1News: Gun register favoured by Police Minister in second phase of post-Christchurch terror attack changes
Bryce Edwards (Herald): Political Roundup: Government’s first round of gun law reform a success
Maria Slade (Spinoff): The cop who shot David Gray calls for end to NZ’s ‘uncontrolled’ gun culture
John Gibb (ODT): Initiatives ‘will make NZ safer
John Moore: The politics of gun reform in New Zealand
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): KiwiSaver providers answer questions on gun investments
Manifesto deemed objectionable by Chief Censor
Graeme Edgeler: Why the censor’s total ban on possession of “the Manifesto” is wrong
Dan Satherley (Newshub): ‘There should be limits’ to free speech – Council for Civil Liberties
RNZ: Chief censor defends classifying manifesto objectionable
No Right Turn: Objectionable
MIchael Reddell: Reading our censorship act
Hate speech laws
Sam Hurley (Herald): Christchurch mosque shootings: Does New Zealand need hate speech laws after terror attacks?
1News: Police Minister open to strengthening laws around hate speech
Newstalk ZB: Govt urged to introduce separate hate speech law
Daphna Whitmore: Counter hate speech with free speech
Social media, internet
Paul Brislen (RNZ): How to regulate social media
Lucy Bennett (Herald): Action on social media a question for Government following Christchurch mosque shootings
Duncan Greive (Spinoff): Facebook Live is unpopular, unsafe – and untouchable
Katie Fitzgerald and Miriam Harris (Newshub): Facebook ‘silent’ on Christchurch terror attack – NZ commercial communications council
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): A surprising ally on greater tech regulation
Ben Strang (RNZ): No Facebook accountability or contrition over terror attack – Privacy Commissioner
Anuja Nadkarni (Stuff): ‘Your silence is an insult to our grief’: Privacy Commissioner tells Facebook
Chris Keall (Herald): ‘Your silence is an insult to our grief,’ Privacy Commissioner tells Facebook
Newshub: How can AI control the spread of fake news? (video)
Newshub: How artificial intelligence monitors online content (video)
Duncan Garner (Newshub): Why we should all walk away from social media
Reuters: Muslim group in France suing Facebook, YouTube over livestream video
Ardern’s leadership
Stuff: Jacinda Arden opens up about Christchurch shootings on The Project Australia
Aya Batrawy (AP): How Ardern addressed a ‘double standard’ over terrorism
Katie Fitzgerald (Newshub): Nobel Peace Prize talk ‘doesn’t sit comfortably with me’ – PM
Alice Webb-Lidall (Newshub): Why Jacinda Ardern might have to wait to win Nobel Peace Prize
Duncan Garner (Newshub): Could Jacinda Ardern actually win the Nobel Peace prize?
Ahamad Fuwad (DNA India): How to deal with tragedy: New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern sets an example for world leaders, emerges as liberal mascot
Peters abroad, Turkey, Australia
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Turkey trip a success despite stumbles
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Surely there were better places for Winston Peters to have a bit of Turkish shut-eye
Dominion Post Editorial: Winston Peters asleep at the wheel of foreign affairs
Newstalk ZB: Was Winston Peters ‘deceived’ by the President of Turkey?
Zane Small and Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Why Winston Peters didn’t confront Turkish President Erdoğan over Christchurch video
1News: Winston Peters says Turkish president’s Christchurch terror attack narrative has ‘utterly changed’
Jason Walls (Herald): Winston Peters in a state of ‘deep contemplation’ during a meeting with top Islamic officials
AAP: Australian politician calls for nation’s own inquiry into Christchurch terror attacks
Christchurch mosque shootings
Jane Clifton (Listener): After Christchurch, politicians need to hand in their dog whistles
Chris Trotter (Interest): Political and racial aftershocks are starting to emerge following the Christchurch terrorist attacks
Thomas Manch (Stuff): The ‘growing’ white nationalist group with a ‘harmful and violent’ ideology
Donna Miles-Mojab (Stuff): Christchurch shooting: Why are we not using the word Islamophobia?
Jehan Casinader (1News): The truth about Islamophobia: Why have the voices of Kiwi Muslims not been heard until now? (video)
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern ‘devastated’ as anti-Muslim attacks continue after Christchurch shooting
David Cormack (Herald): Giving thanks
Trevor Richards (Herald): NZ in denial about its anti-Muslim racism
Martyn Bradbury: The Jordan Peterson backlash, White Supremacy Intelligence failures, Healing and confronting Islamaphobia, the importance of a fair trial, the limitations of Identity Politics & the safety of the Prime Minister: What Happens Next?
Sean Plunket (Magic Talk): How New Zealand won its’ war on terror in seven days flat
Liz Gordon (Daily Blog): He-who-must-not-be-named
Jess Berentson-Shaw (RNZ): Compassionate PM restoring old-time notion of public service
Rod Emmerson (Herald): The heartache, turmoil and absolute dread of Port Arthur
David Williams and Laura Walters (Newsroom): Muslim group: return $2m from China
MIchael Neilson (Herald): Debate intensifies over timing of ‘political’ vigil/rally at Auckland Domain
Martyn Bradbury: Could the woke do to Christchurch solidarity what they did to the Pride Parade?
Joel MacManus (Stuff): Police officers in every part of New Zealand will continue to carry guns
Anusha Bradley (RNZ): Some widows needing extra support after mosque attack
Albert Redmore (Newshub): Christchurch terror attack widows at a loss after death of so many men
Albert Redmore (Newshub): ‘The test is yet to come’ for how Kiwis treat Muslims – expert
Herald: Licensing Trust member Paul Davie bullish over social media posts critical of Muslims
Elle Hunt (Spinoff): What does Islamophobia look like? Allow UK and Australian media to demonstrate
Mike Yardley (Press): Despite their sorrow over the terror attacks, NZ gangs have not changed
Foreign Affairs
Jamie Ensor and Jared McCulloch (Newshub): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s upcoming trip to China welcomed by NZ-China Council
Jason Walls (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will on Sunday head to China for just one day of meetings
Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to travel to China, meet President Xi Jinping
1News:Jacinda Ardern announces long-awaited meeting with Chinese president, now set for next week
Zane Small (Newshub): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirms China trip amid speculation of soured relations
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Submissions reopen for inquiry on foreign interference in New Zealand elections
Tax
Herald Editorial: CGT should not be levied on all business investment
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Parliamentary library reveals Tax Working Group chairman’s former dismissive stance on CGT
Simon Louisson (The Standrad): We need more than capital gains tax to address inequality
Andrea Fox (Herald): Capital Gains Tax: What it means for farmers
Gerard Hutching (Stuff): Beneficiary ‘hatred’: Federated Farmers regional president slated for tax moan
Jennifer Eder (Stuff): Farmers share tax reform fears but don’t back beneficiary bashing
Health, fundraising for health care
Emma Russell (Herald): Cancer patients wait up to 12 weeks for urgent treatment
Kelly Makiha (Rotorua Daily Post): Rotorua teacher needs $100k for cancer drug to live longer for his young sons
Melanie Earley (Stuff): Doctors urge parents to vaccinate children after baby diagnosed with meningococcal W
RNZ: Northland baby diagnosed with meningococcal W
Jessica Tyson (Māori TV): Parents warned after baby diagnosed with meningococcal
Northern Advocate: Another Northland meningococcal case sparks vaccination warning
Rob Stock (Stuff): Paramedics force St John to pull donation advert that ‘lacked respect’ for Christchurch dead
Farah Hancock (Stuff): Why we need a rheumatic fever register
Local government
Rachael Kelly (Southland Times): Gore District Council’s insurance company hires lawyer after child dies in oxidation ponds
Bernard Orsman (Herald): Auckland’s $6 billion light rail project making slow progress
Jamie Gray (Herald): Proposed Napier Port float a step closer with HBRC vote
Point of Order: Anyone else want to weaken local government democracy? Oh, yes – the Hastings District Council
Janine Rankin (Stuff): Council petitioned to do more to reduce emissions
Nicholas Boyack (Dominion Post): Lower Hutt mayor wants more sportsvilles despite resistance from clubs
Parliament
Herald: A restructuring of Parliamentary Service has led to almost 30 resignations since Christmas
David Farrar: Two fewer Ministers, same no of staff
Benn Bathgate (Stuff): Charge laid over ‘shoot everyone’ MP office threat
Education
Emma Hatton (RNZ): Victoria University of Wellington not ruling out judicial review of name-change veto
Damian George (Stuff): Wellington’s Victoria University defers name change decision
Elena McPhee (ODT): Council to discuss Otago bid
Hawkes Bay Today: Hawke’s Bay leaders come together to try to keep EIT in the region’s control
Newshub: What you need to know about the school ‘hub’ proposal (video)
George Heagney (Stuff): Workload too much for Manawatū principal
Primary industries
RNZ: Ministry for Primary Industries investigates ’emaciated’ cattle on ferry
Esther Taunton (Stuff): Nait a difficult beast but NZ ‘had no chance’ against M. bovis without it
Andrea Fox (Herald): Death throes of a dairy co-operative: Westland Milk a loss of more than just money
Environment
Brad Flahive (Stuff): 1 in 4 Wairau Valley industrial businesses polluting Auckland’s North Shore waterways
Cherie Sivignon (Stuff): Call for closure of Golden Bay freedom camping area near bird roosting site
Melanie Earley (Stuff): Avocado-wrecking beetle discovered in New Zealand
Angie Skerrett (Newshub): Destructive beetle discovered in New Zealand for first time
RNZ: ‘Serious pest’ affecting avocado trees discovered in Auckland
Transport
Dave Armstrong (Dominion Post): Wellington clearly can’t solve its bus disaster. So Government must step in
Tim Miller (ODT): DCC to vote on scooter bylaw
Immigration
RNZ: Immigration NZ calls for Pacific citizens to register for ballot
Newshub: List of New Zealand’s visa waiver countries
Samesh Mohaniall (Timaru Herald): Chamber of Commerce makes submission over migrant visa concerns
Housing
Tema Hemi (Māori TV): Te Āti Awa to provide homes for future generations
Ben Leahy (Herald): The number of Auckland suburbs with million dollar price tags has tripled in five years
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Asking prices leap for Wellington houses
Other
Nikki Macdonald (Stuff): Te Papa seeking mollusc specialist after axing world-leading expert
Anne Gibson (Herald): South Waikato iwi advances treaty claim on sites of Mercury dam, power stations
RNZ: 9000 Corrections staff to get holiday pay arrears this year
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Fashion designer Adrienne Winklemann investigated over ‘made-in-NZ’ claim
Kelley Tantau (Stuff): Provincial Growth Fund unleashes ‘energy’ and ‘potential’ in Te Aroha
Imogen Neale (Stuff): New smaller police cars to be replaced due to safety fears over back seat headroom
