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 by Dr Bryce Edwards.
Polytechs and vocational training
Rob Mitchell (Stuff): Two out of three, and that’s bad, for Hipkins’ reform of tertiary sector
Laura Walters (Newsroom): Gentle approach smooths way for training overhaul
Kirk Hope (Stuff): Workplace training reform a big risk with a potentially a big reward
Simon Collins (Herald): Mega polytechnic and apprenticeship upheaval draws surprising welcome
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Government polytech overhaul: ‘In the end industry are the key’ – Training Federation
Katarina Williams (Stuff): Reforms of vocational education need to be carefully managed, say industry leaders
Elena McPhee, Luisa Girao and Richard Davison (ODT): Polytechs ready to impress
Logan Savory and Evan Harding (Southland Times): Invercargill leaders vow to fight against SIT being part of merger
Newshub: Tim Shadbolt vows to fight polytech mega-merger
Astrid Austin (Hawkes Bay Today): ‘Large scale change’ coming for EIT, after Govt announces mega polytechnic plan
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Collette Devlin (Stuff): 16 institutes of technology and polytechnics being replaced by one mega polytech
Simon Collins (Herald): Polytech shake-up cost may double to $400m
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Government confirms major overhaul of polytechnics, apprenticeships
Derek Cheng (Herald): Govt reveals shake up of vocational education sector
Zane Small (Newshub): Education Minister Chris Hipkins denies saying polytechnic shakeup could cause ‘significant’ job losses
Zane Small (Newshub): Government confirms polytechnics will merge as single entity in 2020
1News: Government reveals final plan for dramatic revamp of vocational training sector
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Govt going ahead with polytech merger plan
Ihumātao, Māori land disputes
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): Kelvin Davis rejects calls for PM to visit Ihumātao ater return
Leigh-Marama McLachlan (RNZ): Ihumātao: Māori health experts urge Ardern to withdraw police
Tina Ngata (Overland): Taking a stand on stolen land: the past and future of the Ihumātao occupation
John R Street (Herald): Ihumātao is an ideal buffer for historic reserve
RNZ: Loading Docs: Mana Wahine – Behind the scenes at Ihumātao with Pania Newton
Steven Cowan: Ihumātao: Exposing Jacinda Ardern’s faux progressivism
Charlotte Graham McLay (New York Times): Jacinda Ardern Is Tested by Construction on Land Held Sacred by Maori
Joanna MacKenzie (RNZ): Ngāti Rongo look to have Tuhirangi Auckland Shooting Club site recognised as culturally significant
Foreign affairs
Bruce Munro (ODT): Global Insight: China’s presence in Pacific growing
RNZ: Ardern favours airstrip in Tokelau
Peter Dunne (Interest): Australia has now roughly and cleverly boxed the Prime Minister into a corner on the deportation issue
1News: PM’s upset over Australia’s deportation of Kiwis is ‘hypocrisy’, ex-immigration minister says
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Talk of fast Aussie Brexit trade deal makes headlines in Britain but NZ update fails to excite
Peter Dunne (Newsroom): Boris likes Kiwis, but we should make him wait
Mackenzie Smith (RNZ): Report finds ‘shocking’ levels of child violence in Pacific
Water
Press Editorial: A potential ‘tsunami’ of water costs as economic cycle loses momentum
ODT Editorial: The water we drink
RNZ: Nitrates in water concern as new regulator promises change
Boris Jancic (Herald): Councils brace for costs of $5 billion water clean-up plan
1News: Towns with chlorine-free water want exemptions from new drinking water standards
Banks
Rob Stock and Adele Ferguson (Stuff): BNZ struggled to abide by anti-money laundering laws
Adele Ferguson (Stuff): BNZ’s parent bank had toxic banking culture but hid it from regulator with EY’s help
Jason Walls (Herald): Shane Jones will meet with ANZ’s chief executive Shayne Elliott in Melbourne tomorrow (paywalled)
Environment and conservation
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Science and economics in tension as Zero Carbon Bill continues its way through select committee
Richard Harman (Politik): The Zero Carbon Bill: the fine print
No Right Turn: Climate Change: NZ’s subsidised polluters
RNZ: Zero Carbon Bill: Select Committee submitters call for more action
Audrey Young (Herald): Green MP Chloe Swarbrick thanks Fonterra for leadership on issue of climate change
Gerard Hutching (Stuff): Plant milks worse for environment than cow milk: Fonterra
Jamie Mackay (Herald): Dr Jacqueline Rowarth says being vegan won’t save the planet (paywalled)
RNZ: Hauraki council rules out climate emergency edict – for now
Tom Hunt (Stuff): Higher sea-level calculations push more of Wellington under water
Alice Angeloni (Stuff): Marlborough District Council move to buy cheaper carbon credits nets $100k saving
Steve Cross (Stuff): Finding climate action sweet spots
George Block (ODT): Company disappointed over discovery of 1080
Point of Order: The Green Gospel on GM is under challenge – from Shane Jones as well as Sir Peter Gluckman
Laura James (1News): Auckland Council looks at options for disposing of paper as nation ‘drowning in’ the waste
Jessica Tyson (Māori TV): Call to allow BYO containers at all NZ food stores
Mitch McCann (Newshub): Conservationists want the sale of moa bones banned
Primary industries
David Williams (Newsroom): Inside the chaos before the M. bovis ‘surge’
Allan Barber (Interest): Forestry not all Shane Jones has cracked it up to be
1News: Milk, burger, patty – Federated Farmers accuse vegans of stealing product descriptions
Gerald Piddock (Stuff): Vegetarian wave could ‘change a chunk’ of Western diets
ODT: Yili takes ownership of Westland Milk
RNZ: Homogenised: Westland Dairy to join global network
Brendon McMahon (Greymouth Star): Sale opponent adopts different tactic
Keith Woodford (Herald): Dilemma for Fonterra (paywalled)
Peter Ellis appeal
Martin van Beynen (Stuff): Civic Creche: Sexual abuse or abuse of justice?
RNZ: The Detail: Peter Ellis and the Christchurch creche case
John Lewis (ODT): Otago ‘brains trust’ credited in Ellis fight
Transport
Derek Cheng (Herald): Speaker shoots down Phil Twyford’s reason for keeping information secret
Damian George (Stuff): Julie Anne Genter stands by decision not to release letter about Wellington transport proposals
Simon Wilson (Herald): Scooters, bikes and the future of footpaths (paywalled)
Te Kuru o te Marama Dewes (Māori TV): Joint venture paves road to East Coast employment
Government
Michael Reddell: Why does good government matter?
Brian Fallow (Herald): Wellbeing approach, meet prudence (paywalled)
Parliament
Yvette McCullough (RNZ): National says Cabinet setting referendum question ‘dangerous precedent’
1News: Inside Parliament: Polls, mud thrown over Jacinda Ardern’s Tokelau trip, and National’s conference (video)
Spinoff: Politics podcast: Simon Bridges, you, and the Ihumātao groundswell
Euthanasia
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Fight to the death on euthanasia – Act’s David Seymour deserves our admiration
David Farrar: A good debate
National Party
Bryce Edwards (Herald): Political Roundup: What are the chances of ‘Prime Minister Simon Bridges’ in 2020? (paywalled)
Matthew Hooton (Herald): National narrows the electoral odds (paywalled)
Collette Devlin (Stuff): National MP Maggie Barry did not force parliamentary staff to carry out party political work
Herald: Maggie Barry cleared of accusations she made support staff do National Party work
Zane Small (Newshub): Parliamentary Service releases findings of investigation into Maggie Barry
RNZ: Parliamentary Service probe finds no proof of abuse claims against Maggie Barry
No Right Turn: The law means nothing, as usual
National party leadership ad
1News: Electoral Commission confirms that Luxon National Party leadership ad broke the rules
Herald: Electoral Commission: Ad endorsing Air NZ CEO Christopher Luxon as National leader should have had party’s consent
Health
Boris Jancic (Herald): National Party accuses Minister of Health of holding back DHB debt figures
1News: Ministry of Health promotes plant-based diet in new sustainability report
Lois Williams (RNZ): Northland GP urges health board to eradicate institutional racism
Andrew Macfarlane (1News): Government moving to close legal loophole allowing sale of vaping products to under 18s
Jamie Morton (Herald): ‘Virtual supermarket’ shows junk food taxes spur healthier shopping
Laura Tupou (Newshub): Making junk food more expensive could improve the health of Kiwis – study
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Labour outgunned on cancer crisis (paywalled)
Astrid Austin (Hawkes Bay Today): Hawke’s Bay DHB member Jacoby Poulain resigns via text message
Robin Martin (RNZ): $7.5m ambulance stations boost St John’s reach in Taranaki
MIke Houlahan (ODT): January surgery programme on cards
Kim Baker Wilson (1News): Number of Auckland measles cases reaches new milestone
Herald: Measles outbreak: Auckland has 302 confirmed cases, with an average of eight a day
RNZ: Recommendation for Ashburton’s smokefree policy to include vaping
Education
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): China Consulate praises ‘patriotism’ of students in Auckland University scuffle
RNZ: Police probe incident during Hong Kong demonstration at Auckland Uni
Cushla Norman (1News): High hopes to get more Māori completing university, with the help of US programme
Amber-Leigh Woolf (Dominion Post): Wellington’s Victoria University confirms new names, logo
Georgina Cambell (Herald): Victoria University announces new names in brand refresh
Josephine Franks (Stuff): Almost 1800 teachers throughout NZ paid less than minimum wage
Rosemary McLeod (Dominion Post): Streets no place for children on their own
Meghan Lawrence (Herald): ‘A classic mistake’: Coroner’s findings on child’s death labelled as victim blaming
Emily Brooks (Stuff): Expert backs coroner’s call in Carla Neems case
Immigration and refugees
Robin Martin (RNZ): Focus on housing squeeze, not refugees – Whanganui mayor
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Whanganui iwi leader Ken Mair calls for Māori to have say in immigration policy decision-making
Richard Davison (ODT): Family waits as departure looms
Whaleoil
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): The Whaleoil blog is finally dead – reflecting on its impact over NZ politics
David Fisher (Herald): The end of the Whaleoil blog – from an outlet for depression to financial pressure and court battles
Alex Braae (Spinoff): RIP Whaleoil.net.nz (2005-2019): the blog that turned NZ politics feral
State care of children
Deena Coster (Stuff): Oranga Tamariki staff in Taranaki were threatened after baby uplift doco aired
Darroch Ball (Stuff): Stop blaming Oranga Tamariki for child uplifts
Katie Fitzgerald (Newshub): New Zealand First criticised over vote against Bill to give foster kids KiwiSaver accounts
Employment
Alan Kenyon (1News): Paula Bennett asks Kelvin Davis ‘how many neffs has he got off the couch?’ in unemployment debate
Stuff: The New Zealand welfare system reinforces a cycle of poverty
Peter Cullen (Stuff): Biometric data can be a useful tool for employers, but what about your privacy?
Kate Hawkesby (Newstalk ZB): Who’d be an employer, given how fussy staff are today
Christchurch mosque attacks
Paul Buchanan: A question of focus
Jody O’Callaghan (Stuff): Trial for mosque shootings clashes with Ramadan – a month for prayers and fasting
Thomas Mead (1News): Group of families affected by Christchurch terrorist attack begin pilgrimage to Mecca
AP: Christchurch terrorist attack inspired fatal California synagogue shooting days later, authorities allege
Housing
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): KiwiBuild reset: ‘Cruel’ not to help first-home buyers
Isaac Davison (Herald): Tenants take advantage of new insulation standards, filing 100 complaints against landlords in first month
Phil Pennington (RNZ): ‘Bureaucratic shambles’: Earth home advocates attack standards funding cut
Luisa Girao (ODT): Retiree one of hundreds living in inadequate houses
Police
John Anthony (Stuff): Police Association attacked over gun lobby ‘trolls’ accusations
Bridget Grace (Newshub): Police Association under fire over its latest magazine cover comparing gun lobby to trolls
Air NZ
Grant Bradley (Herald): Air New Zealand jobs go as Oliver Wyman consultants look to carve costs (paywalled)
Tracy Neal (RNZ): Air NZ boss flags ‘flying guilt’ as challenge to be more carbon neutral
Local government
Emma Dangerfield (Stuff): Concerns for council diversity after Hurunui votes against childcare allowance
Samantha Motion (Bay of Plenty Times): ‘Shameless’ – Councillor rebukes ratepayer over Christchurch comments in 11 Mission St debate (paywalled)
Other
Anna White (1News): Kiwis against raising NZ Superannuation age despite claims 65 is unsustainable – 1 NEWS poll
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Privacy concerns over Five Eyes plan to open up private messages
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Govt slammed over policy to exclude monetary policy researchers from Monetary Policy Committee
Rob Campbell (Newsroom): There is no more ‘business as usual’
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): New Zealand’s money: How do you compare?
Duncan Garner (Newstalk ZB): BP’s free fuel a ‘feel-good campaign’ likely trying to curry favour
1News: Uncertainty over big Govt projects impacting construction workforce – survey
Alan Jenkins (Stuff): The new gun laws might be an overreaction, but they’re better than no reaction at all
1News: Government waives fees to change registered sex on birth certificates
Logan Church (RNZ): Checkpoint: Family says EQC’s offer is not enough to fix their broken home
RNZ: Liquidated plumbing company owes IRD more than $1m
1News: Opotiki District could become Ōpōtiki District as consultation to add macrons opens
Max Towle (RNZ): Is NZ dragging the blockchain?
