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
Govt retains Hobbit law
Derek Cheng (Herald): Hobbit law stays: Minimum standards coming for film industry, but striking will be illegal
Dan Satherley and Ella Prendergast (Newshub): Union welcomes ‘Hobbit law’ changes
Henry Cooke (Stuff): No repeal of ‘Hobbit Law’, but collective bargaining for film workers to be restored
RNZ: Proposed changes go further than Hobbit law repeal, goverment says
1News: Collective bargaining rights restored for film industry workers, ‘Hobbit Law’ not being scrapped
Paul McBeth (BusinessDesk): Government to introduce new film worker law next year
Brent Edwards (NBR): Minister says movie industry will get certainty from new contractors’ law (paywalled)
Parties, parliament
Matthew Hooton (Herald): Meet the National Party leadership contenders (paywalled)
Derek Cheng (Herald): Act relaunches: New policies, new faces, new podcast, but no new name (paywalled)
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Can Phil Twyford survive the Cabinet reshuffle? (video)
Anna Whyte (1News): Meet NZ’s newest MPs – Paulo Garcia and Agnes Loheni
No Right Turn: Googling OIA requesters violates the Privacy Act
Defence
Gordon Campbell: On the war-fighting purposes of our massive spend-up on Defence
John Armstrong (1News): Just as Greens start to shed ‘loony left’ rep, Golriz Ghahraman sets them back
Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Entire air force fleet of C-130 Hercules grounded after break-down
Jane Patterson (RNZ): New Zealand Defence Force’s Hercules planes all grounded for maintenance, faults
Zane Small (Newshub): Entire fleet of New Zealand’s C-130 Defence Force Hercules aircraft grounded
Budget, Budget leak
Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Using ‘hacked’ to describe Budget release is a Five Eyes mistake
Brent Edwards (NBR): Green Party calls for bolder action in next year’s budget (paywalled)
Point of Order: Outside of Parliament, the cold water thrown over the Wellbeing Budget should dampen Robertson’s rapture
Ashley Frawley (Spiked): Economics should be about growth, not ‘wellbeing’
Treasury Secretary Gabriel Makhlouf farewelled
Audrey Young (Herald): Tributes flow at farewell to Treasury Secretary Gabriel Makhlouf (paywalled)
Richard Harman (Politik): Wellington farewells Makhlouf but the politicians stay away
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Beehive Banquet Hall’s cavernous atmosphere
The Standard: Farewell Mr Makhlouf
Michael Reddell: Makhlouf again
Eric Crampton: Due diligence and the Irish Central Bank
Nitrate links to cancer
Stuff: Canterbury health officer urges research after study finds link between nitrates and bowel cancer
RNZ: More wells with nitrate levels above safe standard – Forest and Bird
Lana Andelane (Newshub): Growing risk of nitrate contamination in private NZ water supplies
Dominic Harris (Stuff): Nitrate fears over cancer link dismissed by Government health bosses
No Right Turn: Farmers are still poisoning Canterbury
Teachers’ industrial dispute
Duncan Garner (Newshub): Winston Peters knows he’s untouchable
Newshub: Winston Peters claims dispute with teachers solved
Kate Nicol-Williams (1News): Teachers hopeful pay dispute will be settled today
RNZ: Teacher unions and government talks in ‘final stages’
Derek Cheng (Herald): Is the stand off between Government and teachers about to end?Teacher unions and government talks in ‘final stages’
Peter Williams (Newshub): Give the teachers more money, but they’ll still want more
Alan Kenyon (1News): Winston Peters kicked out of House during debate on teachers’ pay – ‘People need to hear it’
RNZ: Speaker boots Winston Peters from Parliament after pay parity speech
Jason Walls (Herald): Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters booted out of the House after clash with Speaker
Zane Small (Newshub): ‘He continued to argue’: Winston Peters kicked out of Parliament by Speaker
Stuff: Secondary teachers call off strikes after ‘productive’ talks
RNZ: Secondary teachers’ union cancels next week’s strikes
Education
Lee Kenny (Press): Christchurch school leaders quiz Education Minister Chris Hipkins during city visit
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Principals’ anxious wait for more details on new learning support coordinators
Aaron Leaman (Stuff): Teaching New Zealand history ‘common sense’: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
Jessica Long (Stuff): Decile 8-10 schools to wait for ‘another day’ for shift in Government’s $150 voluntary donations scheme
Victoria University of Wellington (Newsroom): Marking the Wellbeing Budget on education
Taroi Black (Māori TV): Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Otara deep in debt
Jessie Chiang (RNZ): Calls for more Islamic schools to cater for Muslim children’s needs
Claire Trevett (Herald) Labour’s ‘fees-free’ students policy – is it really worth it? (paywalled)
Besa Chembo (RNZ): Students seek safe drinking spaces in Wellington
VUW’s trust survey
Simon Chapple (Newsroom): The ‘left’ is least trusting of others
Bryce Edwards (Herald): Political Roundup: Who can we trust in 2019? (paywalled)
Migrant exploitation
RNZ: Auckland bottle shop fined over employment breaches
1News:Bottle shop business slammed with $200k judgement for failure to pay minimum wage
Debrin Foxcroft (Stuff): Bottle store employees not paid minimum wage, holiday pay
Herald: NZ liquor store operator whacked almost $200K for employment breaches
Madison Reidy (RNZ): Ex-employee of Chorus’ subcontractor felt ‘intimidating, coercive and inappropriate’ behaviour
Transport
Phil Twyford (Herald): Setting record straight on speed limit proposals (paywalled)
Stuff: Government not ruling out big jump in speed camera numbers
Alex Loo (Stuff): Horowhenua District Council votes for lower rural speed limits
RNZ: Speed limits drop: Horowhenua rural roads to 80km/h
1News: AA calls for change to ‘covert’ speed camera system, says fining people for going 105km/h on motorway senseless
Luke Kirkness (Herald): Nineteen children killed on New Zealand roads since the start of the year, more than all of 2018
Laura Walters (Newsroom): Cost-cutting measures cause unsafe buses
Damian George (Stuff): About half of Wellington bus trips are at least twice as slow as driving, figures show
Damian George (Stuff): Debate over extra Mt Victoria tunnel as regional and city councils say they never agreed to bus lanes
Katie Todd (RNZ): Checkpoint: Chch council considers new transport plans after public pressure
Denise Piper (Stuff): ‘Bitter disappointment’ as roads leading to Whangārei’s Hundertwasser cut from plan
Celia Wade-Brown (Spinoff): The invisible walking women
Newshub: Wellington finally gets e-scooters as Uber’s Jump launches in CBD
Housing
Brent Edwards (NBR): Judith Collins says KiwiBuild is a ‘goner’ (paywalled)
Nita Blake-Persen (RNZ): About half of rental properties likely to miss insulation deadline
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Lack of capital gains tax is a ‘tragedy for fairness’ and house prices will rise – economist
Emma Hatton (RNZ): Lower Hutt council announces fund for homeless, calls for govt support
David Hargreaves (Interest): Debt defying – we are now more easily carrying ever heavier mortgages
Shane Jones, Provincial Growth Fund
Jessica Mutch-McKay (1News): Shane Jones admits spending of $3b Provincial Growth Fund has been too slow
Jason Walls (Herald): Outspoken NZ First MP Shane Jones says from now on he will be on his best behaviour
Zane Small Newshub): Shane Jones dodges questions over jobs created under Provincial Growth Fund
Yvette McCullough (RNZ): National calls on the government to speed up Provincial Growth Fund spending
1News: Paula Bennett, John Campbell erupt in laughter as Shane Jones addresses promotion rumours
Stuff: Provincial Growth Fund puts up $2 million to fix Westport Airport seawall
Environment
John Gibb (ODT): Scientist: maar not only ‘outstanding’ site
Mare Haimona-Riki (Māori TV): Te Ao with Moana: “A 34,000 tonne embarrassment” – Giant foreign oil rig appears in NZ waters
Simon Hartley (ODT):Drilling rig appalls Greenpeace
David Williams (Newsroom): Access denied: Mackenzie farm bars expert
Amber-Leigh Woolf (Stuff): Council bans ‘compostable’ packaging from their collection – it will go to landfill
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Recycling breakthrough as Environment Ministry works on drink container refund scheme
1News: Great walks price hike for tourists is a success despite Milford Track being booked out in seconds, DOC says
Health
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Thousands of children have hospital dental treatment
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Maori hospital cases concern
1News: ‘Step it up’ and curb sale of sugary drinks, marketing expert urges Government
RNZ: Southern DHB ‘pushed’ into maternity hub announcement
1News: Plumbers’ union calls for mandatory testing scheme to fight NZ’s high rate of Legionnaires’ disease
RNZ: National Party seeks feedback on rural health policy proposals
Hannah Martin (Stuff): Auckland DHB urgent colonoscopy wait times increase after doctor’s ‘visa issue’
RNZ: As more elderly wander off, LandSAR suggests tracking devices
Kate Green (Stuff): Canterbury health board’s flu flyers timing snafu
Libby Wilson (Stuff): Outbreaks, death, vaccine shortages as flu season hits Waikato
Samesh Mohanlall and Kate Green (Stuff): 14,000 new flu vaccine doses available for high needs patients
RNZ: Measles-infected person ignored professional health warnings
RNZ: Passengers on Auckland-Christchurch flight at risk of measles
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Government channels almost $15m into scientific programmes, cancer research
Amber-Leigh Woolf (Stuff): Government to fund $4.9m over five years for cancer immunotherapy research
CPAG: Ministry of Health focus on food insecurity welcomed
Te Karere: Calls for more Māori, Pacific Islanders to donate blood
Peter Adam (Newsroom): How to make good on a mental health promise
Sophie Bateman (Newshub): Men’s Health Week: Encouraging men to ‘open up’ about depression isn’t good enough, says Site Safe CEO Brett Murray
State care of children
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Oranga Tamariki claims uplift video doesn’t show the whole story
Astrid Austin (Hawkes Bay Today): Hawke’s Bay QC Russell Fairbrother questions whether DHB staff acted wisely in baby uplift bid (paywalled)
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): Ryan Bridge and Petra Bagust’s fiery clash over Oranga Tamariki’s attempted uplift of Māori baby
Press Editorial: Babies are caught between the state and their families
Melanie Reid and Tim Murphy (Newsroom): Call to end ‘state trafficking’ of children
Farah Hancock and Vanita Prasad (Newsroom): Baby uplift: the tip of the iceberg
Newsroom: First the court action, next the PR blitz
Māni Dunlop (RNZ): Demands for Oranga Tamariki name change, end to ‘uplifting’
Sophie Bateman (Newshub): Dame Tariana Turia calls for Oranga Tamariki CEO Grainne Moss to resign
Khylee Quince (Newsroom): Stop trampling the mana of children
Primary industries
RNZ: Live cattle exports face government crackdown after Sri Lanka shipping deaths
Gerard Hutching (Stuff): National proposes a new ‘primary sector visa’ to solve labour issue
1News: National proposes new visa with farmers, growers ‘crying out for skilled labour’
David Hargreaves (Interest): National pushes for increased migrant labour in the primary sector
Melissa Chan-Green (Newshub): Cash boost to help dairy industry breed disease-resistant, climate-friendly cows
RNZ: $25m for improving performance and well-being of dairy cows
Angie Skerrett (Newshub): ‘It just changes the whole game’: Farmers react to ACC quad bike safety subsidies
Angie Skerrett (Newshub): ‘Experimenting with farmers’ lives’: Motor industry group slams Government agencies stand on quad bike safety
Eric Frykberg (RNZ): New Zealand primary sector boom: June forecast up by $100m
Tim O’Connell (Stuff): Huge effort helps recover 10,000 tonnes of timber from post-fire Pigeon Valley
Climate emergency declarations
1News: It’s time for NZ to declare a climate emergency, majority of Kiwis say in new poll
Greg Roughan (RNZ): Opinion: Does a council climate emergency mean anything? Sure
Katie Todd (RNZ): Climate emergency declarations: Councils warned to proceed with caution
Hawkes Bay Today: Hawke’s Bay set to declare a climate emergency
Nelson Mail Editorial: Council leading the charge on change
Jamie Morton (Herald): Climate warning: Cities’ emissions could double by 2050 without urgent action
Kim Dotcom
David Fisher (Herald): The tale of two Kims as the United States lays out the case against Dotcom (paywalled)
Kate Newton (RNZ): Dotcom’s Megaupload dodged take-down requests – Crown lawyers
Immigration
Gill Bonnett (RNZ): Delayed parent visa decision: ‘It’s not a stalemate’
Brittany Keogh (Stuff): Wife-beater saved from deportation for the sake of ‘family’s welfare’
Local government
Brent Barrett (Manawatū Standard): Proposal on Palmerston North venues policy is a first step towards community’s ethical standards
Mandy Te (Stuff): One year on from councillors’ controversial letter to Auckland mayor Phil Goff
Simon Wilson (Herald): How that council heritage building deal really went down (paywalled)
Point of Order: Porirua’s Mayor Tana should take a lesson from Sir Tim about the electoral importance of “heart”
Sophie Trigger (Stuff): Greens call for ban of glyphosate weedkiller in Marlborough parks
Robin Martin (RNZ): Outgoing New Plymouth councillor John McLeod calls for transparency
Rachael Kelly (Southland Times): Cats can stay under Southland Regional Pest Management Plan
Luisa Girao (Southland Times): Relief for cat owners after exclusion
Katie Fitzgerald and Ella Prendergast (Newshub): Southland town Omaui’s proposed cat ban cancelled
1News: Berlin Wall again causes divide – this time in Christchurch
WasteNet contract
Logan Savory (Stuff): Invercargill City Councillor questions mayors’ attendance at meeting
Logan Savory (Stuff): Time ticking on Southland disAbility Enterprises’ WasteNet recycling contract
Logan Savory (Stuff): Where to now for SDE and WasteNet in messy tender process?
Christchurch mosque shooting
Alexander Gillespie (Stuff): Establishing fitness to stand trial as the first step in Christchurch attack court process
Anneka Smith (RNZ): Christchurch mosque attacks: Accused gunman expected to enter pleas today
Sam Sherwood (Stuff): Christchurch mosque shooting accused to hear new charges in court
Conan Young (RNZ): Mosque victims want answers from Islamic groups over donated funds
Police
Naaman Zhou (Guardian): ‘We’ve also addressed puppies’: NZ police chided over social media posts
RNZ: Ashburton police officers cleared of planting evidence
Other
Audrey Young (Herald): The triumvirate at the top of the public service (paywalled)
ODT Editorial: Our fragile democracies
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Borrowers ‘better off’ if denied high-interest loans from loan sharks, research says
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Insurance problems could cost us billions. We need action, not gab-fests
Mackenzie Smith (RNZ): New Zealand investigates Samoan church with cryptocurrency links
Indira Stewart (RNZ): Oranga Tamariki rejects couple’s request to foster child for not being European
Laine Moger (Stuff): Author Alan Duff wouldn’t write Once Were Warriors again
Ross Meurant (Daily Blog): I cannot ignore that the Rt. Honourable Winston Raymond Peters Llb, has: “Dun good” for the North
Martin Johnston (Herald): The night Prime Minister Rob Muldoon gambled on a snap election – June 1984 remembered (paywalled)
Leah McFall (Newsroom): Marilyn Waring, the best Prime Minister we never had
Jono Galuszka and Alex Loo (Stuff): NZ Transport Agency and Inland Revenue evacuate quake-prone Palmerston North building
Newstalk ZB: Lobby group accuses Winston Peters of favouring Israel over Palestine
Talisa Kupenga (Māori TV): Who is in charge of Māori Crown relations? – Nick Smith
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Still more migrants arriving in the country than leaving – Statistics New Zealand
Helen Castles (1News): Pilots up in arms over drone business’ request to restrict large swath of Northland airspace
Leonie Hayden (Spinoff): The online exodus of women and minorities
Anna Connell (Newsroom): This is where we draw the line
James Perry (Māori TV): Tapu Te Ranga fundraiser attracts hundreds of Pulse fans in Wellington
Charlie Ives (Stuff): Tourism is getting its house in order – so don’t pull the plug now
Chris Fowlie (Daily Blog): Polls show how to win the cannabis referendum: social equity, social enterprise and social clubs
