Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.
Today’s content
Opinion polls
Derek Cheng (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern won’t reveal how she will vote in cannabis referendum
1News: New Zealanders against cannabis legalisation in latest 1 NEWS Colmar Brunton Poll
Zane Small and Anna Bracewell-Worrall (Newshub): Poll: Most New Zealanders don’t want recreational cannabis legalised
Derek Cheng (Herald): Majority don’t support cannabis legalisation – new poll
Katie Fitzgerald and Miriam Harris (Newshub): Cannabis referendum: More education needed after poll – Drug Foundation
Mike Hosking (Herald): Cannabis reform goes up in smoke
Family First: Polls Agree – Kiwis Say Nope To Dope
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1News: Poll: Third of New Zealanders would consider voting for a conservative or Christian party
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Joel MacManus (Stuff): Why two companies ended up with such wildly different political poll results
Bryce Edwards (Herald): Political Roundup: Epic opinion poll mystery (paywalled)
RNZ: Polls apart: Divisive political polls point to error – Farrar
Josie Adams (Spinoff): Two polls. Two wildly differing results. What happened?
Matthew Whitehead: Pollwatch: 9th June 2019
Damien Venuto (Herald): Why polls get it so wrong so often (paywalled)
Dave Armstrong (Dominion Post): This much is clear: 100% of pollsters have got no idea
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Herald): Both polls were wrong – the system is worthless
Aaron Leaman (Stuff): Measuring political mood still polls apart
Point of Order: Polls apart – but what are we to make of political surveys when the results are so divergent?
Simon Bridges’ leadership
Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Opinion: The rot has set in for Simon Bridges
1News: Despite Collins polling higher as preferred PM, Bridges is safe as National leader for now – Jessica Mutch McKay
Claire Trevett (Herald): One poll to bury Simon Bridges, another buys him more time (paywalled)
Claire Trevett (Herald): Do polls signal tick-tock for Simon Bridges? (paywalled)
Jason Walls (Herald): Political commentators say low personal polling will spell the end of Simon Bridges
Tova O’Brien (Newshub):Judith Collins tempering talk of National leadership coup
Budget leak
Richard Harman (Politik): Budget leak spotlight turns on the spies
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Jacinda Ardern will need her flak jacket over Budget debacle during question time
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Latest budget hack/leak revelations demand answers & the hypocrisy of both the NZ Left & NZ Right
1News:‘The advice we had’ – Grant Robertson defends his initial description of pre-Budget release as hacking
Derek Cheng (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern: Ministers didn’t know GCSB advice when they said Treasury was ‘hacked’
Zane Small (Newshub):Jacinda Ardern denies GCSB warned Beehive before Treasury ‘hack’ statement
Gordon Campbell: On how the Treasury debacle reflects New Zealand’s wider security problems
Madison Reidy (RNZ): No word on new Treasury boss raises concerns over its competence
Eric Crampton: Hide the Decline
Jo Moir (RNZ): Budget breach investigation: National asks ‘who knew what when’
David Cormack (Herald): Hacked off – plenty of losers, no real winners in Budget 2019 secrecy breach (paywalled)
Zane Small (Newshub): Simon Bridges reveals his line of attack against Jacinda Ardern
Budget
Amanda Reid and Ganesh Nana (Briefing Papers): Not the transformation we were promised
Cass R. Sunstein (Bloomberg): NZ’s Wellbeing Budget worth copying
Dominic O’Sullivan (The Conversation): Budget lessons in the politics of Indigenous self-determination
Bruce Cotterill (Stuff): Strong economies create wellbeing, not government
Justice
RNZ: Time for cross-party consensus to transform justice system – Borrows
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): New report shows victims, offenders and community services all unhappy with the justice system
1News: Justice system ‘getting it really wrong’ with its treatment of Māori, says expert
Liz Gordon (Daily Blog): The prisons paper
Benn Bathgate (Stuff): Booze okay for released child sex offender
Defence
Carmen Parahi (Stuff): Christine Kidwell’s two sons were gravely injured in separate training accidents
Henry Cooke (Stuff): NZ troops coming home from Iraq, staying in Afghanistan for at least another 18 months
Thomas Coughlan (Newsroom): NZ troops to return from Iraq, but Afghanistan stay extended
Jason Walls (Herald): ‘Time to go’: NZ to pull troops out of Iraq by June 2020, says Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
Anna Whyte (1News): ‘It’s time to go’ – NZ troops to be pulled from Iraq next year, says Prime Minister
RNZ: PM Jacinda Ardern announces Iraq troops withdrawal
Jo Moir (RNZ): National supports troop withdrawal – if partners do same
Point of Order: Defence allies are expected to welcome NZ’s $20bn Defence Capability Plan
Environment
Simon Hartley (ODT): Plaman seeks to be party to Environment Court appeals
Paul Gorman (Stuff): Tenure review receives $100 million funding, despite it being killed off
Rachael Kelly (Southland Times): Federated Farmers admits it’s time to start cleaning up Southland rivers
Taroi Black (Māori TV): Kaipara community say no to Auckland’s rubbish
RNZ: Golf resort vows to fix sewage problems ‘once and for all’
RNZ: 1080 blackmailer jailed for five years for threats including targeting DOC staff
Employment, industrial relations
Bryan Gould: The public sector pay puzzle
1News: Employers need to give the ageing workforce more of a chance, expert says
Stuff: Kmart workers to be paid living wage
Health
Sean Hogan (1News): Health experts hesitant about vaping promotion as Government encourages smoking alternative
RNZ: Vaping vital to lower smoking rates among Māori women – Salesa
Andrew Dickson (Stuff): ACC inequities are failing to provide the best start for every child
Ripu Bhatia (Stuff): Elder abuse epidemic in Auckland with over 600 annual cases
RNZ: Decision to not front Lumsden meeting ’embarrassing’, MP says
Mark Price (ODT): Concern over maternity services borne out
Jo McKenzie-McLean (Stuff): Wanaka mum gives birth on midwife’s office floor
Hannah Martin (Stuff): Auckland measles outbreak: 100 confirmed cases
RNZ: DHB asks unwell visitors to stay away from hospitals
Denis Piper (Stuff): Measles vaccination plan in Northland to improve low baby immunisation rates
1News: Almost $17,000 worth of crutches not returned to Christchurch Hospital
Tracey Roxburgh (Mountain Scene): Karma giver’s time to receive
Amy Wiggins (Herald): Why the Blood Service is desperate for middle-aged male donors (paywalled)
Dougal Sutherland (Stuff): Mosque attacks highlighted inequitable treatment of mental injury
Sophie Trigger (Stuff): Demand for mental health and family support in Marlborough continues to climb
Mark Longley (Newshub): Why I made a podcast about death
Health sector employment
Karen Brown (RNZ): Junior doctors strikes: District Health Boards pay more than $19m for cover
Thomas Manch and Felix Desmarais (Stuff): Bashed nurses fed up with inaction following Hutt Hospital assaults
Jessie Chiang (RNZ): Hospital security guard attacks: Union calls for in-house employment
State care of children
RNZ: Royal Commission denies retraumatising ‘mock’ hearings
Newsroom: NZ’s own ‘taken generation’
Newsroom: Oranga Tamariki ‘pleased to support mum’
David Stone (Newsroom): An injustice we can no longer tolerate
Mark Jennings (Newsroom): Baby uplift case breached legal processes
Education
1News: Education initiative that aims to tackle racism, help Māori learners gets $42 million Government cash injection
Zane Small (Newshub): Budget 2019: Government pumps millions into ridding schools of Māori racism, bias
Jessica Tyson (Māori TV): New $42mil programme to address racism across education system
Stuff: Government announces new initiative for Māori learners
Māori TV: Revolutionary augmented reality te reo Māori resource launched
Simon Collins (Herald): Modern learning: No more rows of desks in today’s schools (paywalled)
Elena McPhee (ODT): University criticises TVNZ rape reporting
John McKenzie (1News): Otago University denies lack of support for sexual assault complainants
1News: External group needed to combat sexual assault in New Zealand universities, researchers say
Aaron Leaman (Stuff): Waikato University to host Native American and Indigenous Studies conference
Kim Dotcom
David Fisher (Herald): Prove there is a copyright breach – lawyer in Megaupload case lays down challenge over FBI claim
Kate Newton (RNZ): Megaupload not intended for illegal use, Dotcom’s lawyers say
David Fisher (Herald): Kim Dotcom extradition: ‘Cut-and-paste’ judgment behind extradition finding for Megaupload accused, QC tells Supreme Court
Kate Newton (RNZ): Dotcom extradition finding ‘antithesis’ of justice, lawyer tells Supreme Court
1News: Kim Dotcom makes final appeal against extradition to US
Stuff: Week-long battle over Dotcom’s extradition comes to Supreme Court
Housing
Jane Patterson (RNZ): KiwiBuild pre-approved applicants list raises eligibility questions
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Guide to what landlords can ask is withdrawn by Privacy Commissioner
Jo McKenzie-McLean (Stuff): Controversial 900-lot development proposal battles opposition in Central Otago
Insurance
RNZ: Insurance taskforce to deal with skyrocketing premiums
Rob Stock (Stuff): Ignore risks, cross fingers and plead poverty: Kiwi attitude to insurance revealed
Rob Stock (Stuff): Could homeowners face ‘earthquake excesses’ on house insurance?
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): Wellington’s rising insurance costs hurting businesses – but insider insists city’s insurance market not broken
Sam Farrell (Newshub): Former head of Earthquake Commission says EQC caps should be increased to $400,000
Provincial Growth Fund
Andre Chumko (Stuff): Hawke’s Bay gets $68m Provincial Growth Fund injection
Anusha Bradley (RNZ): PGF spends $68m in Hawke’s Bay: Two dams among main projects
1News: Central Hawke’s Bay gets $40 million boost to roading, water storage infrastructure
Auckland
Stephen Town (Stuff): Aucklanders ‘unenthused’ by local body elections
Michael Neilson (Herald): Auckland Council could join global movement in declaring climate emergency today
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland Council mulls declaring climate change emergency
Stephen Forbes (Interest): Auckland Council to unveil draft framework for fighting climate change
Ripu Bhatia (Stuff): Pipeline upgrade to reduce Waitematā Harbour sewage spills by 70 per cent
Caroline Williams (Stuff): Auckland Council racks up $540,000 bill in failed bid to save historic church
Tagata Pasifika: Tackling violence and homelessness in the Auckland suburb of Māngere (video)
Marae: Ōtara – the Auckland suburb working hard to change its reputation
Local government
Rachael Kelly (Southland Times): WorkSafe issues Improvement Notices to Gore District Council after child drowns in pond
Tina Law (Stuff): Outgoing Christchurch City Council boss Karleen Edwards eyes new challenge
Georgie Ormond (Herald): Local Focus: NZ’s youngest councillor sees climate change as the challenge of the century
Postal voting
Tim Miller (ODT): Contingencies for local elections ballot mail clarified
David Farrar: Another postal voting failure
No Right Turn: Will NZ Post sabotage local body elections?
Transport
Thomas Coughlan (Newsroom): Importer alleges conflict of interest at NZTA
Liam Hehir (Stuff): Speed limits could bring Government to a halt
Paul Goldsmith (Herald): Road safety is more than reducing speed limits (paywalled)
Jessie Chiang (RNZ): Hundreds of Waiheke Islanders attend meeting to protest ferry service
Tracy Neal (RNZ): Knowledge gap may lead to shipping disaster in Tory Channel – harbourmaster
Refugees
1News: NZ First not holding up changes to Africa and Middle East refugee policy, says Immigration Minister
Louise Aubin (Herald): Refugee initiative asks ‘who can’t be a friend?’ (paywalled)
Danielle Clent (Stuff): Palestinian refugee gives his last dollars to homeless before leaving New Zealand
Primary industries
Keith Woodford (Interest): Carbon farming has hidden consequences
Stephanie Ockhuysen (Taranaki Daily News): Lack of interest in commercial fishing jobs threatens our fresh fish and chips
Tapu Te Ranga Marae fire
Tom Hunt (Stuff): Investigation into whether marae fire alarms were working
RNZ: Tapu te Ranga Marae passed recent fire inspection
Tema Hemi (Māori TV): Support pouring in for Tapu Te Ranga Marae
1News: New footage shows inferno engulf Wellington marae as blaze is confirmed as ‘not suspicious’
Jessica Tyson (Māori TV): Foul play ‘unlikely’ in marae fire – investigators
Destiny Church
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Christchurch terror attack: Destiny Church’s Brian Tamaki blames alleged shooter’s actions on ‘clash of cultures’
Haimona Gray (Metro): What’s the deal with Jevan Goulter, the new face of Destiny Church?
Air NZ tattoo backdown
Grant Bradley (Herald): What Air New Zealand will do when it’s a close call on whether a tattoo is acceptable (paywalled)
Grant Bradley (Herald): Air New Zealand confirms a backdown on visible tattoos
Māori TV: Air New Zealand to overturn hypocritical moko policy
Dan Lake and Alistair Lynn (Newshub): Air New Zealand reverses ban on staff having tattoos
1News: Air New Zealand gives green light for all staff to wear tā moko, other ‘non-offensive tattoos’ at work
Stuff: Air New Zealand to allow staff to show tattoos
RNZ: Air NZ changes rules to allow tattooed employees
1News: Rejected Air New Zealand job applicant happy airline changing tā moko policy, would consider applying again
Other
Ben Strang (RNZ): Firearms licence application granted in one day – OIA
RNZ: BNZ: Regional branches safe for three years but no guarantee for main centre
Katie Fitzgerald and Mel Logan (Newshub): Pike River has new seal, but no final plan on what to do next
Liz McDonald (Stuff): Man can sue Crown for being negligent neighbour as cliff rockfall continues
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Gareth Morgan slams ‘loser’ Opportunities Party, tells critic they’re ‘not fit to vote’
Logan Church (RNZ): Checkpoint: Mosque victims spend 19,500 hours in hospital, 3000 in ICU
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): IRD says it will take action to stop KiwiSaver over-taxing (paywalled)
Terry Baucher (Interest): Demographics will force tax changes
TVNZ: Retirement Commissioner says she would have been treated differently over workplace bullying allegations if she was a man
TVNZ: Raising age for NZ Super a ‘no-brainer’ – outgoing Retirement Commissioner
Sue Emeny (Herald): The issues affecting Tararua: Drugs, mental health, gangs and poor roading (paywalled)
Steven Cowan: Our political system is broken
