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
Housing
Chris Trotter (Interest): Why the government’s housing policies aren’t about to take a sharp left turn
Shane Te Pou (Newsroom): How housing could go from clumsy to savvy
Southland Times Editorial: For tenants to stop shivering, some landlords need to start shuddering
Liam Hehir (Stuff): More houses not more rules will lift New Zealand’s housing stock
Duncan Garner (Newshub): Lack of compassion from a Government that promised to end homelessness
Ben Leahy (Herald): Kiwi rentals must meet new insulation standards today: Here’s what tenants need to know
Sophie Bateman (Newshub) Insulation: A tenant’s guide to new healthy homes standards
RNZ: Property insulation deadline: What you need to know
Kawe Roes (Māori TV): Māori renters’ future looking a bit brighter in Pōneke
Sam Grover (Spinoff): How I fought back against my property manager, and won
RNZ: Reserve Bank may ease lending restrictions if risks lessen
Banks
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Ardern’s subtle dig at ANZ and Key
Madison Reidy (RNZ): Public weighs in on RBNZ’s higher bank capital proposal
Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): ANZ warns Reserve Bank capital proposals will push banks towards housing
Liam Dann (Herald): ANZ threatens to ‘review and reconsider’ NZ operations if Reserve Bank pursues capital ratio changes (paywalled)
Thomas Coughlan (Newsroom): Key warns capital move would cut GDP by 20%
1News: Banks warn interest rates could rise by up to 1 per cent if Reserve Bank makes them hold more cash
Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Kiwibank warns investors may starve it of investment under Reserve Bank plans
Gareth Vaughan (Interest): Deposit protection seen as an ‘important issue’ for New Zealanders, but one with ‘material’ costs
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): ANZ manager: 85 staff out the door for ‘deleting emails’
Skara Bohny (Stuff): Petition against Kiwibank closure delivered to Parliament
Eleanor Bodger (Stuff): Think no one uses cheques these days? Not so fast…
Immigration, refugees
Henry Cooke (Stuff): PM: National campaign over UN pact irresponsible and built on misinformation
Derek Cheng (Herald): Jacinda Ardern slams National Party over UN Migration Compact
Zane Small (Newshub): UN Migration Compact: Jacinda Ardern accuses National of peddling ‘factually incorrect’ narrative
Gill Bonnett (RNZ): Number of fraudulent visa applications to New Zealand nearly doubles
Lincoln Tan (Herald): Groom, who was stranded in India after Immigration NZ error, thrilled to be reunited with wife in Auckland
Inequality
David Cormack (Herald): The most dangerous minority of all (paywalled)
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): How can we reimagine the economic status quo?
Māori health
Carmen Parahi (Stuff): Racist health system no cure for sick Māori
Gabrielle Baker (Spinoff): Landmark findings on Māori health lay a clear challenge to the Crown
Newshub: Crown failed to provide adequate healthcare to Māori – Waitangi Tribunal
James Perry (Māori TV): Waitangi Tribunal Māori health report – a chance for self-determination
David Farrar: Isn’t life expectancy a health outcome?
Call for national cancer agency
Katie Fitzgerald (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern admits cancer agency may not happen, but Government looking into changes
Alice Wilkins (Newshub): Cancer care petition handed over at ‘Blair’s Final Farewell’
Health
Elena McPhee (ODT): DHBs told to assess wait times
RNZ: Checkpoint: UK’s drug-buying agency CEO: Why we like to say ‘yes’ – Guyon Espiner interviews NICE boss Andrew Dillon
RNZ: DHBs worsening financial positions concern auditor-general
RNZ: Checkpoint: DHB breaking its own protocol for recording patient observations
Nikki Bezzant (Herald): The uncomfortable truth about alcohol (paywalled)
Logan Church (RNZ): Expectant mums scared to give birth in Southland
Ruby Macandrew (Stuff): What $50m buys you: Wellington’s philanthropist-funded children’s hospital out of the ground
Jamie Morton (Herald): Several NZ centres fail key drinking water standard
Andrew Chumko, Thomas Manch and Felix Desmarais (Stuff): Nurses face ‘endemic’ level of violence at work
RNZ: Paramedics and ambulance staff accept pay deal
Josie Adams (Spinoff): Flu season is worrying hospital staff and you should be worried, too
Jamie Ensor (Newshub):Flu season: Send sick people home, employers’ group manager says
1News: Mike King says he had a mental breakdown last month as New Zealander of the Year pressures mounted
Jessie Chiang (RNZ): Fixing cars for mental health: ‘That’s what got me through everyday life’
Hannah Martin (Stuff): Auckland measles outbreak: With 149 cases, what is being done to stop the disease spreading?
Food
Boyd Swinburn (Herald): Drastic change in our food systems needed (paywalled)
1News: MPI will meet with Hell Pizza over controversial vegetarian pizza advertised as ‘a medium rare burger patty’
Herald: Hell Pizza to get Food Act reminder after fake meat stunt
RNZ: Cookie Time ‘perfect breakfast’ advert breached standards – authority
Environment and conservation
Elisabeth Slooten and Steve Dawson (The Conversation): Dolphin researchers say NZ’s proposed protection plan is flawed and misleading
Farah Hancock (Newsroom): Ranger silenced after ’emotive’ Eyrewell beetle email
Jason Walls (Herald): Provincial Growth Fund will spend $40m on crowd-sourcing ideas to reduce plastic waste
Jo Moir (RNZ): Regional Fund’s $40m backing for plastic recycling initiatives
1News: Government announces $40 million funding boost for recycling schemes
Zane Small (Newshub): Projects that ‘convert waste’ can bid for $40m from Provincial Growth Fund
Matthew Tso (Stuff): Petition calls for Upper Hutt water take consent to be revoked
Guy Williams (ODT): Northlake developer discharged contaminants into Clutha
Liz McDonald (Stuff): Subdivision developers found guilty of polluting of Clutha River
RNZ: Forest & Bird plans legal action against Auckland Council over stormwater discharge
Cherie Sivignon (Nelson Mail): Work stops on site at Mapua after contractors find oily substance
Paul Gorman (Stuff): Local bird extinctions possible in mega mast ‘crisis’ unless more 1080 funding
1News: Amid ‘unprecedented’ rat plague, Forest and Bird calls for increased use of 1080
Elise Vollweiler (Stuff): Mega mast has group calling for help in its fight to keep rat, stoat numbers down
1News: Fox River clean-up receives another $300,000 funding from Government
Tracy Neal (RNZ): Full public access to newly gifted park might be a year away
Climate change
Richard Harman (Politik): A climate of insecurity
Simon Wilson (Herald): Costco vs the climate emergency: planning the future of Auckland (paywalled)
Bruce Munro (ODT): Blowing in the wind
Christina Persico (Tarankai Daily News): $3-4b Taranaki energy centre could be up and running in 2024
Josephine Franks (Stuff): School climate strike: Students call on adults to join third wave of action
Lynley Tulloch (Stuff): We need a radical shift in our education system to tackle climate change
Mia Sutherland (Stuff): We have to protest to get attention
Plastic
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): Heavy duty bags: Plastic ban may be too thinly enforced
RNZ: Single-use plastic bag ban only a start – Minister
Anna Whyte (1News): ‘NZ needs to turn around its rubbish record on waste’ as plastic bag ban kicks in – Eugenie Sage
Newshub:Auckland Mayor praises plastic bag ban, Greenpeace says there’s a long way to go
Luke Kirkness (Herald): Only one business reported to still be providing plastic bags following nationwide ban
1News: Why the plastic bag ban is problematic
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Banning single use plastic bags is a nonsense
Pallas Hupé Cotter (Spinoff): Plastic bags are just the start: The paralysing guilt of supermarket shopping
Forestry
Anne Salmond (Stuff): Listen to what the history of our trees is telling us
Sally Rae (ODT): BLNZ looking into impact of land conversion
Justice, corrections
Māni Dunlop (RNZ): Gap between Māori and non-Māori youth arrests continues to grow
Laura Walters (Newsroom): Family violence laws modernised
RNZ: First 17-year-old defendant appears before Youth Court
Tim Newman (Stuff): Law change sees 17-year-old in Youth Court in Nelson for first time
Mei Leng Wong (NZ Gardener): The gardens within our prisons
Ben Strang (RNZ): NZ mum escapes abusive Australian partner in rare case
Public Service
Bryce Edwards (Herald): Political Roundup: Lack of accountability over Treasury’s bogus hacking claim (paywalled)
Tony Burton (Spinoff): Crocodile in the river: How public servants avoid being eaten by the OIA
Eric Crampton: Burton on the OIA
Israel Folau, Maria Folau
Damien Grant (Stuff): The ritual sacrifice of Israel and Maria Folau on pyres built by the perpetually outraged is contemptible
1News: Folau ‘should have the freedom to express his religious beliefs’ – MP Alfred Ngaro
Oranga Tamariki
1News: ‘This is a constant balance’ – Minister of children discusses death of baby amid Oranga Tamariki uplift backlash
Newsroom: Ardern and Martin defend decision not to view uplift video
Katie Doyle (RNZ): Oranga Tamariki shake-up: ‘Nothing short of a revolution will do’
Māori TV: Oranga Tamariki: ground-breaking legislation comes into effect today
Education
Kate Nicol-Williams (1News): Principals expected to send letters to Ministry of Education calling for improved pay offer
Nita Blake-Persen (RNZ): Kids turning up to early childhood centres ‘daily without food’
Damian George (Stuff): Co-educational high school in Whitby, Porirua, to close at end of the year
Simon Collins (Herald): Rich-list couple unveil plans for radical ‘green’ school in Takapuna (paywalled)
Jessica Long (Stuff): Warning polytechnics merge and ITO changes will see fewer apprentices
Cecile Meier (Stuff): University of Canterbury teaching students a lesson about exam failure
Tom Hunt (Stuff): Legal quirk sees Petone house owned by WelTec sold at a $280,000 loss
Local government
Dave Armstrong (Stuff): Sad story of ‘creative collisions’ that turned into a train wreck
Dileepa Fonseka (Stuff): Four ways to make Wellington a happier city
Juliet Speedy (Newshub): Waimakariri Council allegedly did nothing about pack of violent dogs which mauled a woman in Canterbury
Laura Smith (ODT): Rejigged Venture Southland sallies forth as Great South
Evan Harding (Southland Times): Invercargill deputy mayor receiving ‘hate’
Gambling
Hannah Martin (Stuff): Pacific youth underage gambling with family and friends a ‘social’ activity – study
RNZ: Pacific youth in NZ worried about relatives’ gambling problems
Transport
ODT: AA backs big phone fine hike
Mandy Te (Stuff): WoF inspector suspended, about 520 Northland owners advised to get vehicles rechecked
1News: Government launches pilot programme to minimise number of motorcycle crashes
Gerald Piddock (Stuff): Transport Committee sends rural speed limit plan back to council for discussion
Shane Reti (Northern Advocate): Shift in Govt road funding priorities raises questions for Whangārei projects (paywalled)
Duncan Garner (Newshub): Congestion is getting worse as Aucklanders continue to pay more tax
RNZ: Truck driver training for single mother Benny Hone a dream come true
Mosque shootings, social media
Liz McDonald (Press): Victim Support rejects donation from far-right Austrian leader, given to him by alleged Christchurch gunman
RNZ: Austrian far-right leader disavows Christchurch shooting
Patrick Gower (Newshub): Opinion: Alleged Christchurch gunman’s far-right donation should go towards anti-racism
Patrick Gower (Newshub): Exclusive: Alleged Christchurch gunman’s donation to far-right European group offered to shooting victims
Mike Yardley (Press): Let’s be pragmatic and unifying in marking March 15
Nigel Gladstone (Stuff): After Christchurch attacks illegal content still floods social media
The Lord of the Rings series
Matthew Theunissen (RNZ): ‘Very high-level talks’ secure filming for Lord of the Rings TV series
Tom Dillane (Herald): Auckland secures ‘huge’ part of US Amazon Lord of the Rings production – most expensive TV show ever at $1.5 billion plus
Economy
Michael Reddell: 40 years on
Simon Hartley (ODT): Otago and Wellington going strong
Sport
1News: Allegations that Crusaders star Richie Mo’unga spat at woman during South Africa tour couldn’t be ‘substantiated’, NZR finds
Herald: Rugby: Crusaders stars Richie Mo’unga and George Bridge won’t face any action after alleged misconduct on tour
Stuff: Hayley Holt accused of discriminating against men’s sport in fiery exchange with Scotty Stevenson
Other
1News: CTU head shoots down NZ Super ‘disaster scenario’, former Retirement Commissioner warns of crisis
David Fisher (Herald): Like never before – NZSAS and its Afghanistan secrets published online as inquiry into civilian casualty claims digs deep
Boris Jancic (Herald): Jacinda Ardern at odds with Winston Peters on euthanasia bill
Ellen Sinclair (Spinoff): What’s up with the holiday pay windfall, and could you be in for a payout?
Farah Hancock (Newsroom): The Kiwi cows costing people their homes
Zane Small (Newshub): Simon Bridges open to New Zealand First alliance despite call to resign
ODT Editorial: Reincarnation must be sustainable
Herald: New Zealand’s massive day of change: What you need to know
Gerald Piddock (Stuff): Growth fund ruckus: Waikato ‘left with scraps’, says MP
Tess Brunton (RNZ): Most international visitors to New Zealand will have to pay levy from today
Kelly Enright (Newsroom): Could insurance companies lose the right to be unfair?
Rob Stock (Stuff): Retirement Village review calls for better disclosure of ‘extra’ charges for premium rest home rooms
Angie Skerrett (Herald): New training courses launched for shearing industry
Astrid Austin (Hawkes Bay Today): Woman refused entry into Havelock North bar because of moko asked to educate its staff
Stephanie Ockhuysen (Stuff): Nine new board members for Economic Development New Zealand
Helena Andrews-Dyer (Washington Post): Kate McKinnon impersonates presidential candidate Marianne Williamson, who said she’d tell Jacinda Ardern ‘Girlfriend, you are so on’
Yanshu Huang and Danny Osborne (Newsroom): Kiwis want abortion law changed
