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.
Abortion
Tim Watkin (Pundit): Abortion Debate Shows Best Of Politics, Which Is Why Peters’ Games Are So Jarring
Peter Dunne: Sabre-rattling or a sign Peters cannot stay the distance?
1News: Winston Peters taking steps not to be seen as ‘Labour’s poodle’ before the election, commentator says
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): The issue Parliament avoids like the plague
Bryce Edwards (Herald): Political Roundup: The complications and politicking of abortion law reform (paywalled)
Hayley Jacobsen (Newshub): Public ‘more competent than MPs’ to vote on abortion – Winston Peters
Zane Small (Newshub): New Zealand First MP Tracey Martin denies she works in a ‘dictatorship’
Herald: Andrew Little gets apology over abortion referendum blindside
Jane Patterson (RNZ): Abortion legislation: ‘It wasn’t part of our coalition agreement so why is it there’ – Winston Peters
Henry Cooke (stuff): Winston Peters suggests Labour acted in bad faith over abortion law
Derek Cheng (Herald): Winston Peters takes aim at Labour over abortion law reform
Derek Cheng (Herald): Jacinda Ardern plays down Winston Peters’ criticism on abortion law reform
1New: NZ First ‘shafting’ Labour ‘yet again’ by not being upfront over Abortion Reform Bill – Paula Bennett
No Right Turn: “Blindsided”
Zane Small (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern believes ‘large number of people’ will support abortion law reform
Oliver Lewis (Stuff): Christchurch woman Diane Shannon has been waiting 50 years for abortion law reform
Karl du Fresne: An abortion provider has her feet held to the fire on Morning Report (yeah, right)
Sophie Bateman (Newshub): Opinion: Men shouldn’t vote in an abortion referendum
Family First: As a NZ health professional who has participated in late term abortions I urge you to vote NO
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Jason Walls (Herald): How Members of Parliament voted in the first reading of the Abortion Legislation Bill
Jason Walls (Herald): All nine NZ First MPs to vote in favour of abortion bill in first and second reading
Derek Cheng and Jason Walls (Herald): MPs open up, fight back tears during Abortion Legislation Bill in Parliament
1News: Through tears, MPs give passionate speeches in debate over decriminalising abortion
Boris Jancic (Herald): Abortion reform passes first vote after emotional debate
Zane Small (Newshub): ‘Pro-life’ National MP Simeon Brown holds back tears in opposition to proposed abortion law reforms
Spinoff: Abortion law reform just leapt its first hurdle. Here’s what the MPs said
Thomas Coughlan and Henry Cooke (Stuff): Abortion law passes first hurdle 94 votes to 23
Anna Whyte (1News): Abortion law reform passes first reading in Parliament
RNZ: Abortion Legislation Bill passes first reading in Parliament
Sarah Robson (RNZ): Abortion law reform: What you need to know
Lana Andelane (Neshub): The abortion reform law passed its first reading – but how did New Zealand get to this point?
Wellington transport secrecy
Matthew Hooton (Herald): Julie Anne Genter’s antics over the line (paywalled)
Collette Devlin and Tom Hunt (Stuff): He said, she said: Disagreement over Genter-Lester LGWM spat
Environment, climate change
Jamie Morton (Herald): What the UN’s latest big climate report means for NZ
Stuff: Eat plants to help the climate, IPCC report suggests
AP: Change land use to avoid a hungry future, UN Climate change report warns
BBC: Plant-based diet can fight climate change – UN
Richard Harman (Politik): Eating our way to global warming
Eloise Gibson (Newsroom): Farmers among biggest victims of climate change
Eloise Gibson (Newsroom): 7000 buildings at risk for every 10cm sea level rise
Stuff: Stuff to publish New Zealand’s daily carbon count in print and online
Brent Edwards (NBR): Hints at government funding for schools to drop coal-fired power (paywalled)
RNZ: Pacific Climate Change Centre to open in September
Bryan Gould: What’s the point of a climate change emergency declaration
Gerald Piddock (Stuff): Hamilton City Council votes for climate urgency rather than emergency
Maxine Jacobs (Waikato Times: Big turnout, turned down as Hamilton councillors reject climate emergency
1News: Pushing pause on procreation: The young people doing their bit to save the planet
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RNZ: Whangārei District Council needs to ‘get real’ after native forest cut down
Jono Edwards (ODT): Recovery ‘too late’ for hoiho
Amber-Leigh Woolf (Stuff): Hutt River’s water wasted as bottled water, but council says its hands are tied
Emma Hatton (RNZ): Wellington regional councillors explore water-bottling options
Martin van Beynen (Stuff): Cloud Ocean delivers bad news to workers by email
Paul Gorman (Stuff): Onus on Government to remove toxic coal mine waste at Hector – conservationists
Anna Whyte (1News): Kiwis overwhelmingly want a ban on single use plastics, according to 1 NEWS Colmar Brunton Poll
Primary industries
RNZ: Freshwater ecologist Dr Mike Joy warns Hawke’s Bay could become new Canterbury
Gerard Hutching (Stuff): Doctors refute Fonterra’s claim that cow’s milk more environment friendly
Rachael Kelly (Southland Times): Winter grazing taskforce ‘more money down the drain’ – Walker
Government
Brent Edwards (NBR): Weary PM must return to her natural game (paywalled)
Bay of Plenty Times: Winston Peters touches down in Tauranga, speech covers Ihumātao, Oranga Tamariki child uplifts
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Winston Peters calls for Māoridom to change to end Oranga Tamariki uplifts
Brent Edwards (NBR): Jackson defends Coalition’s employment record (paywalled)
Labour Party
Anna Bracewell-Worrall (Newshub): New details revealed about restrictions placed on alleged victims of Labour Party staffer
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): Paula Bennett claims staffer approached her over harassment
Derek Cheng (Herald): ‘Fearful, intimidated, crying,’ Labour complainant tells Paula Bennett
Zane Small (Newshub): Paula Bennett claims Beehive staffer has ‘no faith’ over complaints
Parliament
Laura Walters (Newsroom): Foreign interference inquiry ‘becoming a farce’
Peter Dunne (Newsroom): Rewrite this Putin-esque referenda bill
1News: Inside Parliament: Proposed volunteer police, abortion law reform and what’s happening inside the Green Party? (video)
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Simon Bridges admits he likes ‘cheeky old rogue’ Winston Peters
Victoria University of Wellington Trust survey
Simon Chapple (The Conversation): New survey reveals which religions New Zealanders trust most – and least – after Christchurch shootings
Simon Chapple and Kate Prickett (Newsroom): Christchurch terrorist failed to sow distrust
James Fyfe (Newshub): No drop in New Zealanders’ trust after Christchurch shootings, study shows
1News: Survey suggests Kiwis haven’t lost trust in each other since March 15 terrorist attack
Herald: Buddhism most trusted religion in New Zealand, survey says
Local government
Jean Drage (Stuff): What are the issues for you in this year’s local elections?
Bernard Orsman (Herald): Auckland Council defies Ombudsman by refusing to remove mayoral staffer from review group
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland Council rejects Ombudsman proposal
RNZ: Auckland Council rebuffs Ombudsman’s OIA suggestion
Chloe Ranford (Stuff): Marlborough looking at ‘auto-elected’ candidates if more people don’t stand
Tom Rowland (Hamilton News Live): Democracy ‘under threat’: Fears over Hamilton election turnout
Anusha Bradley (RNZ): Candidate aims to make it easier to post votes in Hawke’s Bay
Mattt Shand (Stuff): Meng Foon labels councillor’s comments about Māori “disparaging”
Laurilee McMichael (Rotorua Daily Post): Rankin running for Taupō mayor
Dileepa Fonseka (Stuff): ‘Moderate right’ Jenny Condie becomes first woman to enter Wellington city council mayoral race
Mark Quinlivan and Emily O’Connell (Newshub): Christchurch explosion: Homeowners affected by last month’s massive blast get discounted rates
RNZ: Residents affected by Chch explosion to get rates relief
Economy, monetary policy
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): A New Revolution?
Brian Fallow (Herald): Reserve Bank’s big OCR cut misses the mark (paywalled)
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Reserve Bank Chief Economist Yuong Ha says there’s no evidence to suggest monetary policy is less effective the lower interest rates go
David Chaston (Interest): Savers beware
Herald: Reserve Bank Governor’s blunt message to savers
Michael Reddell: Mixed feelings, but the MPC really needs to improve its communications
Michael Reddell: Reserve Bank MPS – part 2
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): OCR cut to 1%: Is recession around the corner?
1News: Interest rates could drop further come November, ASB’s top economist signals
Maria Slade (Spinoff): Go out and spend: the message behind the OCR cut (and why we shouldn’t panic)
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Cash rate chop shows this Government has strangled the life out of a ‘rock star’ economy
Budget breach
Michael Daly (Stuff): Former Treasury boss Gabriel Makhlouf admits Budget ‘leak’ handling could have been better
RNZ: Gabriel Makhlouf admits he could have handled Budget leak better
Cancer care
Sophie Bateman (Newshub): Crowdfunding for cancer: The Kiwi patients relying on Givealittle
Jane Matthews (Suff): Drugs, time running out for Taranaki father with terminal cancer
RNZ: Pharmac cancer model must be reworked, specialists warn
Zane Small (Newshub): New Zealand’s ‘most prolific’ cancer survivor Phil Kerslake’s message to Jacinda Ardern: ‘We’re falling behind’
1News: Husband of breast cancer sufferer ‘ecstatic’ that Pharmac will fund Kadcyla, but says long wait was ‘criminal’
Denise Piper (Stuff): Whangārei cancer patient ‘cautiously hopeful’ of new radiation therapy treatment
Health
1News: GP organisation continues to push for ban of prescription medicine advertising, labelling it ‘spin doctoring’
RNZ: Ads for prescription medicines should be banned – health experts
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Women denied treatment for gynaecological problems deemed ‘non-urgent’
Rodney Hide (NBR): Health system failing like the USSR (paywalled)
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): ACC questioned over billion-dollar fossil fuel investments
Emma Russell (Herald): Kids health: Diseases on the rise as immunisations rates drop (paywalled)
Hannah Martin (Stuff): Starship children’s hospital facing critical care capacity issues, cancelling operations
Mike Houlahan (ODT): SDHB accepts criticism over Lumsden
Mike Houlahan (ODT): MPs castigate SDHB over maternity services
Rachael Kelly (Southland Times): SDHB slammed over hub setup, but Lumsden Maternity Centre will not reopen
Herald Editorial: Putting mental health front and centre
Mike Lane (Herald): Suicide in the spotlight: It’s time for blokes and all of us to talk
Justice
Gordon Campbell: On the Supreme Court review of the Peter Ellis case
Katarina Williams (Stuff): Trio convicted of misleading investors during GFC receive $2.62m in legal aid in just two years
Jono Galuszka (Stuff): Jailhouse snitches: The Crown’s high dependency on low credibility witnesses
Jono Galuszka (Stuff): Jailhouse snitch gives untrue evidence under oath, breaches protection deal
1News: Even the worst sex offenders can be helped, clinical psychologist says
Banking sector
Sam Stubbs (Stuff): Big banks’ rural lending threats are just bluff and diversion
Jason Walls (Herald): RBNZ Governor Adrian Orr accuses banks of ‘scaring the public’ with aggressive lobbying
Rob Stock (Stuff): Kiwi bankers really are better than Australian bankers
Rob Stock (Stuff): Debt collector called in to pursue dead man for credit card debt
Ihumātao
Harrison Christian (Stuff): Ihumātao: These are the possible solutions for bringing the stand-off to an end
MIchael Neilson (Herald): These are the possible solutions at Ihumātao as protest enters third week
Evelyn Marsters and Thomas Nash (Stuff): Honesty the starting point for discussion on our role in colonialism
Vanita Prasad (Newsroom): SOUL searching fireside after gaslighting at Ihumātao
Ryan Anderson and Laine Moger (Stuff): Ihumātao protest: Police presence to be reduced, says Deputy Police Commissioner Wally Haumaha
RNZ: Police will reduce presence at Ihumātao protest – Wally Haumaha
Mark Quinlivan and Ella Prendergast (Newshub): Ihumātao protests: Police presence at site expected to be reduced
RNZ: Auckland Council rezones land bordering Ihumātao
Te Wharepora Hou: Mauna Kea representative arrives to Ihumātao as Māori rights delegation arrives at Mauna Kea
James Robb: The profound political implications of Ihumātao
Skara Bohny (Nelson Mail): Ihumātao solidarity event organised for Nelson
Education
John Gerritsen (RNZ):Early childhood education standards too low – researcher
1News: Primary teachers to wear green today in ‘national day of support’ for principals’ pay fight
Simon Collins (Herald): Intruders attack Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate students, one taken to hospital
Katie Fitzgerald (Newshub): ‘Intruders’ cause havoc at Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate school, Otara
Laura Walters (Newsroom): How prepared are Kiwi schools for lockdowns?
Jason Walls (Herald): Government puts up $2000 to encourage top vocational student at every high school
Zane Small (Newshub): ‘Top vocational students’ now eligible for $2k Government prize in push for trades
Foreign affairs
Lincoln Tan (Herald): Chinese Consulate warning against turning Hong Kong into ‘pawn to curb China’
Audrey Young (Herald): British Labour MP Emily Thornberry on Brexit, Boris, Trump and Ardern (paywalled)
Transport, road safety
Simon Wilson (Herald): The reason Auckland buses and trains cost so much (paywalled)
Brad Flahive (Stuff): Auckland Transport: Albany to get $34 million new link road by 2021
Deena Coster (Taranaki Daily News): Taranaki crash victims’ families speak at Parliament in support of drug driver testing
Simar Gill (ODT): Hills, older cars contribute to high warrant failure rate
Housing
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Megan Wood’s KiwiBuild silence is deafening
Cate Broughton (Stuff): Offers to insulate freezing social housing units in Christchurch
Luke Kirkness and Ben Leahy (Herald): Home buyer joy: Cheaper to buy than rent in nearly 200 NZ suburbs
First Māori King’s flag returned to the Kīngitanga
Laine Moger (Stuff): First Māori King’s 160-year-old flag handed back to ‘rightful owners’ in Auckland ceremony
Kawe Roes (Māori TV): First Māori king’s flag returned to the Kīngitanga
Other
Tina Law (Press): Council decides to ‘move on’, approves post-quake deal with Crown
David Fisher (Herald): Details emerge from declassified documents detailing NZSAS missions in Afghanistan, including thwarting 15 ‘spectacular’ terrorist attacks in Kabul (paywalled)
RNZ: Crackdown on Vietnamese student applications after 47 fraud cases uncovered
Richard Harman (Politik): Getting the shovels out
David Fisher (Herald): Archives NZ needs focus and support to preserve our history and protect out future (paywalled)
Brian Easton (Pundit): Scoring The Accountants
Tom Dillane (Herald): ‘This needs to be exposed’ – Napier woman fights insurer for pay-out of father’s ‘accidental’ death claim (paywalled)
Press Editorial: Fishing for truth in a time of Facebook
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Chief Censor backs ISP action on 8chan
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): Spark to block ‘egregious’ 8chan in wake of El Paso white supremacist attack
Phillipa Tolley (RNZ): Is Islamophobia still thriving in NZ?
Fiona Hutton (Spinoff): Why I can’t join the choir of delight on this drug reform
No Right Turn: Time to repeal the Anadarko Amendment
Brent Edwards (NBR): Don’t forget ‘third leg on transport stool’: coastal shipping (paywalled)
David Williams (Newsroom): Overseas firm forced to sell historic hotel
Wayne Chapman (Stuff): Gun owners have rights too: Stop treating us like we are the criminals
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Trades Hall bombing: Police investigation inches forward as unionists recall 35-year-old crime
Mark Jennings (Newsroom): Are we forgetting the Holocaust?
Melissa Derby (Spinoff): New Zealanders’ ignorance on the Holocaust should spur us to action
James Nokise (RNZ): Eating Fried Chicken in the Shower: Wallace Chapman: ‘I was on a walking stick for 10 years’
RNZ: Queenstown airport expansion plans on hold after public ‘vitriol’
