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.
Government
John Armstrong (1News): Winston Peters has breached trust in threatening ‘to chuck a spanner’ into abortion reform
Audrey Young (Herald): How Winston Peters failed his coalition partner (paywalled)
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Winston Peters doesn’t care about the average voter. Neither should the Greens
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern and Winston Peters have ‘excellent chemistry’ – Andrew Little
RNZ: The Detail: Shoots of discontent in the Green Party
Newshub: Simon Shepherd interviews Police Minister Stuart Nash (transcript)
Newshub: Simon Shepherd interviews Andrew Little (transcript)
Claire Trevett (Herald): Kris Faafoi gets serious about politics, housing and helping the little people (paywalled)
RNZ/Newsroom: Kris Fa’afoi: Two Cents’ Worth: The Minister of many things
Hamish Cardwell (RNZ): Govt takes notes from startup sector to tackle country’s big problems
Herald: Snapped: Jacinda Ardern’s group photo fail at Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame Awards
Prisoner voting ban
Andrew Geddis (Spinoff): The Waitangi Tribunal just ripped to shreds a populist, pointless, pernicious law
Laura Walters (Newsroom): Pressure mounts to overturn prisoner voting ban
Ruby Macandrew (Stuff): Waitangi Tribunal calls for urgent law change to allow prisoners to vote in 2020 election
Derek Cheng (Herald): Banning prisoners from voting hits Māori harder: Waitangi Tribunal
Māni Dunlop (RNZ): Call for repeal to law banning prisoners from voting
Official Information Act
Nikki Macdonald (Stuff): Official information denied as government agencies illegally refuse OIA request transfers, document shows
Nikki Macdonald (Stuff): Ministry to analyse public OIA submissions and report back to Justice Minister Andrew Little
Genter letter, Let’s Get Wellington Moving, transport
Bryce Edwards (Herald): Political Roundup: Julie Anne Genter and the case of the secret letter (paywalled)
Damian George (Stuff): Why Julie Anne Genter’s signature on letter to Transport Minister Phil Twyford matters
Phil Smith (RNZ): The battle of two Julie Annes: MPs roles and the public interest
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Herald): Julie Anne Genter’s secret letter has become a big deal (paywalled)
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Let’s Get Wellington Moving: The $6.4b baby dumped at local govt’s door
Tom Hunt (Stuff): Let’s Get Wellington Moving: What people wanted versus what they got
Zane Small (Newshub): Julie Anne Genter denies claim Greens used leverage over Let’s Get Wellington Moving
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Government ‘steamrolling’ Wellington transport solutions for political reasons: WCC councillor
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Julie Anne-Genter’s ‘secret letter’ controversy is a Hooton/Bishop con job
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Phil Pennington (RNZ): Auckland Transport plan could mean 8000 cameras watching the city
Todd Niall (Stuff): John Tamihere’s pledge to sack Auckland Transport’s board should be taken seriously
Brent Edwards (NBR): Twyford says government is not anti-cars (paywalled)
Luisa Girao (ODT): Proposal for lower speed limits
Grant Bradley (Herald): Civil Aviation Authority probe not sufficiently independent says industry group
Economy, monetary policy
Tim Watkin (Pundit): Labour’s obsession with avoiding one trap is leading it fair square into another
Grant Robertson (Stuff): The Government is doing the heavy lifting still on the economy
Liam Dann (Herald): Fair fiscal winds blowing Labour’s way (paywalled)
Bernard Hickey (Newsroom): Why Orr prefers negative interest rates to QE
Michael Reddell: Fiscal policy
Tracy Watkins and Emma Dangerfield (Stuff): Welcome to the new normal: low to no interest rates
Martin van Beynen (Stuff): Message behind Reserve Bank’s latest interest rate drop confusing
Liam Dann (Herald): Economy Hub: Free falling – will rates go negative? What next for monetary policy? (paywalled)
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Do you want the good news or the bad news on low interest rates?
John Roughan (Herald): Was the rate cut a colossal mistake? (paywalled)
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Reserve Bank selling a pup – do you really feel like going on a shopping spree?
Duncan Garner (Stuff): Chin up, businesses, it’s time to accentuate the positive
Parliament
Ellen O’Dwyer (Stuff): Call to lower voting age in New Zealand to 16
Peter Wilson (RNZ): Week in Politics: Parliament gives abortion law reform a big tick
Claire Trevett (Herald): Beehive Diaries: Simon Bridges’ unexpected pledge, abortion reforms and three missing votes (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): The week in politics: Electioneering heating up – what deals lie ahead? (paywalled)
David Seymour (Newsroom): That economics book in a brown paper bag
Deborah Russell (Newsroom): When an MP received a book in a brown paper bag
Foreign affairs, trade
Anne-Marie Brady (Noted): Facing up to China’s undiplomatic diplomacy
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): China hits back over NZ interference concerns
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Chinese Government says Kiwi Hong Kong protests shouldn’t be accepted as ‘freedom of speech’
Mike Wesley-Smith (Newshub): Chinese embassy rejects claims it threatened Ugyhur Kiwis
RNZ: China calls US Pacific comments ‘irresponsible’
Tom Peters (World Socialists): US defence secretary, NATO chief visit New Zealand to strengthen military ties
1News: Family of mentally ill NZ man who lost his medication and died in Samoan prison pushing for change
Brent Edwards (NBR): Trade war keeps looming over New Zealand economy (paywalled)
Rod Oram (Newsroom): A darkening outlook for global trade
Maja Burry (RNZ): US/China trade war puts the fear in Kiwi farmers
Brent Melville (ODT): No-deal Brexit bad for NZ: meat rep
Leo Horgan (Māori TV): Māori interests ‘not entirely straightforward’ in NZ-EU free trade negotiations
Abortion
Dan Satherley (Newshub): ‘Full-term’ abortion claims are ‘fictional’ – Andrew Little
Katie Fitzgerald (Newshub): Full-term abortion ‘murder’ – Christine Rankin
Damien Grant (Stuff): Even though abortion may be immoral, it should never be illegal
Dan Satherley (Newshub): ‘Complete rubbish’ to have referendum on abortion – Collins
Steve Braunias (Herald): The secret diary of Winston Peters and abortion law reform (paywalled)
Boris Jancic (Herald): Abortion bill first vote: by the numbers
David Farrar: Ethnicity breakdown of abortion vote
David Farrar: Abortion law 1st reading passed 94 to 23
Lizzie Marvelly (Herald): We don’t need a public vote on abortion
Boris Jancic (Herald): NZ First MP Tracey Martin tells of backstreet abortion that killed her grandmother
Anna Bracewell-Worrall (Newshub): NZ First MP Tracey Martin shares tragic personal connection to backstreet abortion
Ihumātao
Claire Charters (Newsroom): Ihumātao: NZ breaching human rights obligations
Dale Husband (E-Tangata): Dave Veart: Unearthing Ihumātao’s past
Bevan Rapson (North & South): The power of peaceful protests like Ihumātao
Bill Ralston (Listener): To deal with Ihumātao, Jacinda Ardern must heed lessons from history
John Weekes (Stuff): Ihumātao: Why Ardern and the Government couldn’t order police out
1News: Police approaching Ihumātao and Bastion Point very differently
1News: Bridges criticises Jacinda Ardern for handling of Ihumātao land dispute, says she should tell protestors to ‘go home’
RNZ: Prime Minister should tell Ihumātao protesters to go home – Simon Bridges
Newshub: ‘Go home’: Simon Bridges’ message to Ihumātao protesters
1News: Māori activist Tame Iti praises ‘younger generation’ occupying ‘stolen property’ at Ihumātao
Asia Pacific Report: The call of Ihumātao: Migrant communities alongside Māori
Tom Peters: Maori nationalist parties exploit Ihumātao protest
Christine Rose (Daily Blog): Ihumātao a reminder in making sovereignty our own
Siena Yates (Herald): How Kiwi stars finally got me to go to Ihumātao (paywalled)
Stuff: Ihumātao’s 8-year-old Māori warden
Skara Bohny (Stuff): Nelson Ihumātao supporters on their own ‘front line’ at solidarity event
Mare Haimona-Riki (Māori TV): Māori visit Mauna Kea as Hawaiians visit Ihumātao
Racial abuse
Finn Hogan (Newshub): Ihumātao: Stuart Nash slams ‘totally unacceptable’ racial abuse of officer
Katie Fitgerald (Newshub): Ihumātao protest: Judith Collins labels cop abuser a ‘nasty woman’
Ripu Bhatia (Stuff): Ihumātao: Woman who abused cop issues apology, but denies comments were racist
Katie Ftizgerald (Newshub): Ihumātao protest: Woman who racially abused cop ‘probably would apologise’
Dan Lake (Newshub): ‘We shouldn’t put up with this’: Train manager who kicked passenger off train urges Kiwis to stand up to racism
Katie Ftizgerald (Newshub): Wellington train conductor boots off passenger for racial abuse
1News: Passengers erupt in applause as Wellington train manager ejects woman for racist bullying
Katarina Williams (Stuff): Conductor boots racially abusive teenage girl off Wellington train
Herald: Racism on a train: Wellington Mayor Justin Lester proud of public reaction
Justice, corrections
Bess Manson (Stuff): Life behind bars: ‘We get treated like dogs and come out like mongrels’
Michael Neilson (Herald): Poverty major driver as hundreds of Kiwi children arrested each year (paywalled)
Derek Cheng (Herald): National MP’s conviction takes centre stage in contempt of court debate (paywalled)
Carmen Parahi (Stuff): More re-offending but less harm from marae-based justice scheme
Laura Dooney (RNZ): Police criticised for holding competition for cell block wall art
Child welfare
Jehan Casinader (Stuff): Let’s direct our anger to the real cause of child abuse, not the social workers
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): ‘No second chance’ to fix child welfare system
Hannah Martin (Stuff): Māori health advocate calls for changes to ‘appalling’ Māori child welfare, uplift protocol
SFO investigation into spy firm Thompson & Clark
Hayley Jacobsen and Dan Satherley (Newshub): No charges for Thompson & Clark after SFO declines to prosecute
Anuja Nadkarni (Stuff): SFO closes investigation into spy firm Thompson & Clark
RNZ: SFO closes probe into Thompson & Clark’s use of official information
Labour Party
Newshub: Bennett ‘politicising’ staffer’s harassment claims – Jackson
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): To Kill A Fantail – What the latest Labour Party sexual assault scandal says about Jacinda’s office
National Party
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): National Portrait – Paul Goldsmith: a career of trade-offs
David Slack (Stuff): Simon Bridges’ favourite thing: his toast rack
Health
Herald: New Zealand’s alcohol toll: 8000 premature deaths, $70 billion social cost
Felix Desmarais (Stuff): Well-being must include alcohol reform – advocacy group
Elspeth McLean (ODT): Letter spells out crisis
RNZ: Army of Māori nurses needed to fight disparities in the health system
D’Angelo Martin (Māori TV): “Army of Māori nurses” needed to fix inequalities in health system
Danielle Clent (Stuff): Lack of nurses at Auckland City Hospital leads to man wetting himself twice
Oliver Lewis (Stuff): Three towers or four: senior clinicians express ‘no confidence’ in hospital planning
Robin Martin (RNZ): People power: ‘Reprieve’ over access to treatment at Hāwera Hospital
Samantha Gee (Stuff): Sarah Preece on her battle for justice: ‘I won’t be bitter’
Water quality
Scott Palmer and Emma Cropper (Newshub): Government invests $12m to clean up waterways
1News: Government commits to partnering with community clean up Kaipara estuary
Derek Cheng (Herald): Govt announces millions of dollars to clean up Kaipara Estuary
Janine Rankin (Stuff): Kaipara Harbour first to receive Budget waterways money
RNZ: Govt backs community-led waterways cleanup with $12m boost
Māori TV: Kaipara set to receive provisions from $12m waterway clean-up
Climate Change
Listener Editorial: NZ is facing a climate crisis – so why are our politicians posturing?
1News: Nationwide hearings for Zero Carbon Bill set to begin next week
1News: NZ’s choices can influence other countries, scientist says, as UN report warns of climate change impact
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Government withdraws majority of financial support for the oil industry
Stuff: ACC questions ignore reality of tricky energy transition
Brent Edwards (NBR): National adamant that wind and solar power need gas backup (paywalled)
Samesh Mohanlall (Timaru Herald): South Canterbury companies face alternative fuel challenge
Mark Quinlivan and Emily O’Connell (Newshub): Christchurch climate change protesters stop coal train, 19 taken into custody
Lee Kenny (Stuff): 19 people arrested as anti-coal protesters stop coal train in Christchurch
Tracy Neal (RNZ): Taking individual action to make a difference on climate change
Michelle Dickinson (Herald): Concrete solutions to cut carbon dioxide emissions
No Right Turn: Climate Change: Chickening out on a fossil-fuel vehicle cutoff
Michelle Dickinson (Herald): Concrete solutions to cut carbon dioxide emissions
Jane Phare (Herald): Air Force big on sustainability, commercial airlines follow (paywalled)
Primary industries, environment
Tom O’Connor (Stuff): Farmers can’t cry unfair if they’re still not meeting the rules
Stuff: Meat eaters, vegetarians, vegans: How much does diet impact the environment?
RNZ: New Zealand meat production systems ‘part of the solution’ for climate change – NZ Beef + Lamb
Esther Taunton (Stuff): Fact check: Are our farm systems any better for the climate?
Melanie Vautier (Spinoff): Why are we fighting so hard to save milk?
Anna Krzywoszynska (Noted): Climate change land report shows problem with farming based around oil, not soil
No Right Turn: Climate Change: Don’t starve
Rachael Kelly (Southland Times): Allegations of trespassing and intimidation as Southland winter grazing protest escalates
Dave Kennedy: The muddied waters of the winter grazing debate
RNZ: Hawke’s Bay apple industry invests in accommodation for seasonal workers
Environment and conservation
Zane Small (Newshub): Firms might be held responsible for where their products end up
Amber-Leigh Woolf (Stuff): Government schemes could make manufacturers responsible for their own rubbish
Derek Cheng (Herald): New rules coming to reduce waste on tyres, electronics and packaging
Anna Whyte (1News): Single use plastic bans ‘hugely time consuming, not efficient’
RNZ: Court to hear challenge to water bottling consent in Christchurch
Jamie Morton (Herald): Facing the plague: Inside NZ’s biggest-ever pest control operation (paywalled)
Annabeth Cohen (Herald): Whitebait are as endangered as the brown kiwi (paywalled)
Farah Hancock (Newsroom): Advocates for rare bird take dam fight to court
Katie Todd (RNZ): Protecting Fox River from future rubbish spills could cost $2.8 million
Oliver Lewis (Stuff): Mission to clean up spilled West Coast dump rubbish accomplished
Sam Farrell (Newshub): Finish line in sight for massive effort to remove 135,000kg of rubbish from West Coast’s Fox River
1News: Last weekend of Fox River clean up brings out 200 volunteers
1News: Tauranga residents demand cleaner air as asphalt company affects businesses and schools
Tim O’Connell (Nelson Mail): Ground-breaking milestone for Waimea Community Dam project
Health
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Minister assailed by hospital passes
1News: Calls for Southern District Health Board to act immediately after it denies bowel cancer tests to patients
Elspeth McLean (ODT): Report author seeks inquiry as funding to do job absent
1News: Pharmac decision to fund more cancer drugs ‘massive’ relief to Kiwi mum paying $6500 per month to survive
Sophie Trigger (Marlborough Express): Family’s ‘mixed feelings’ on Kadcyla funding three months after mum’s death
Helen Harvey (Stuff): Calls for Government to follow Australian model in tackling melanoma
Abbey Palmer (ODT): Cervical screening warning
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Measles cases confirmed at the University of Auckland
Education
Harrison Christian (Stuff): Tracey Martin to investigate Education Ministry’s failure to alert schools to special needs support
Greer Berry (Stuff): Group for male early childhood teachers supports Peter Ellis appeal
Lauren Paddy and Dan Satherley (Newshub): Principals mull latest pay offer
Jessica Long (Stuff): Government stumps up with new offer to principals ahead of next week’s scheduled strike vote
Herald: New offer for primary and intermediate school principals promises pay parity
Cira Olivier (Rotorua Daily Post): Future of education at stake: Rotorua principals voice their concerns (paywalled)
Greer Berry (Stuff): More males needed as early childhood teachers to reflect true diversity, advocates say
Lee Kenny (Stuff): Gender neutral uniforms and toilets, care around pronouns; how schools are embracing gender diversity
Josephine Franks (Stuff): Auckland Grammar’s hair rule harmful for gender-diverse students, advocates say
Emily Writes (Spinoff): Interviewing the headmaster who won’t let the longhaired boy go to school
David Farrar: The damning Government assessment of Hipkin’s reforms
Carla Forbes (Southland Times): Stand up for SIT: why we’re fighting
Evan Harding (Stuff): Sarah Dowie criticises ‘closed meeting’ on SIT merger
ODT Editorial: Telford’s brighter future
Matthew Rosenberg (Stuff): Auckland University’s new vice-chancellor dropped out of school at 15
Canterbury quakes
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Nearly a decade on, is Canterbury ready to move on from the earthquakes?
Dominic Harris (Stuff): Southern Response to close after seven years of bailouts, protests, legal action and spying
Local government
Janine Rankin (Manawatū Standard): Labour objects to part of its name being adopted
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland mayoral billboard war begins
Simon Wilson (Herald): If they barge the cars will the dolphins be dead in the water? (paywalled)
Tom Dillane (Herald): Proposal to rid Ports of Auckland of cars to create public waterfront space
Katie Fitzgerald (Newshub): Phil Goff asks port to get cars off Auckland waterfront sooner
Catrin Owen (Stuff): Auckland mayoral candidate John Tamihere plans hotline to report beggars
Herald: John Tamihere will create ‘0800 JACINDA’ hotline for rough sleepers
RNZ: Tamihere wants hotline to report homeless if elected mayor
Ripu Bhatia (Stuff): Auckland political candidates park over footpath, forcing kids into mud
Nicholas Boyack (Stuff): Mayor issues himself a ticket after blocking footpath with marked car
Stuff: Apology after ‘inappropriate’ comments urging new citizens to vote for Lower Hutt mayor
Nicholas Boyack (Stuff): Confusion as Lower Hutt voters now get to choose seven councillors, instead of two
Dileepa Fonseka (Dominion Post): Jill Day will be Deputy Mayor if Justin Lester re-elected but Iona Pannett won’t be City Strategy Committee chairperson
Evan Harding and Amber-Leigh Woolf (Stuff): Revealed: Why Shadbolt wanted Ludlow out of deputy mayor’s job
Damian Rowe (Stuff): Young voters in the south show lack of interest in local government elections
Oscar Kightley (Stuff): Get your vote on: We really need to care about our local elections
Jane Matthews (Stuff): Lack of councillor nominations could see district council ‘automatically’ selected
Newshub: Chinese community against fireworks ban
Treaty settlement process, Kermadecs
Eric Frykberg (RNZ): Fish sanctuary prompts Finlayson attack over lack of Māori consultation
Audrey Young (Herald): Iwi consultation on Kermadecs ‘rushed and superficial’ – Chris Finlayson on previous National Govt
Finn Dillon (Newsroom): Answers to an escalating ocean crisis
Media
Colin Peacock (RNZ): Mediawatch: Media see red over Green ‘blackout’
Colin Peacock (RNZ): Mediawatch: Convergence: yesterday’s media buzzword is now the new normal
Colin Peacock (RNZ): Mediawatch: Distressing death dressed up as clickbait
Dan Satherley and Lauren Paddy (Newshub): US unlikely to honour NZ suppression orders – expert
Dan Satherley (Newshub): UK papers might soon have to obey NZ suppression orders
Herald: Andrew Little: ‘Positive conversations’ on enforcing court orders between countries
Sarah Putt (Herald): NZ media and telcos ponder future
Tim Murphy (Newsroom): Stuff floating on cloud Nine
Whale Oil
Danyl Mclauchlan (Newshub): Farewell to Whaleoil, hate machine of the blogosphere
David Fisher (Herald): Meet the new Whaleoil blogger – Matt Blomfield buys the website which defamed him (paywalled)
RNZ: Checkpoint: Businessman defamed by Cameron Slater buys Whale Oil website
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Man defamed by Cameron Slater takes over Whale Oil site
8chan ban
RNZ: It’s not Spark’s job to block websites like 8chan – commentator
Chris Keall (Herald): Spark, Vodafone and Vocus take different tacks on hate-site 8Chan
Eleanor Ainge Roy (Guardian): New Zealand telco bans 8chan as chief censor calls it racist killers’ ‘platform of choice’
RNZ: Spark to block controversial website 8chan
Housing
Florence Kerr and Tony Wall (Stuff): A couple pay $300 a week for a room with no lights at a decrepit backpackers
Cate Broughton (Stuff): Why are Christchurch’s most vulnerable tenants freezing in council homes?
Ben Leahy (Herald): Foreign buyers selling more homes than they are buying (paywalled)
Carmen Hall (Bay of Plenty Times): ‘Disheartening’: Tauranga family stuck in transitional housing (paywalled)
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Wellington property developer pledges millions to City Mission
Immigration, refugees
ODT Editorial: Damaging visa delays
Amanda Cropp (Stuff): Tighter border screening may turn away more than 2000 travellers a year
Hamish McNeilly (Stuff): A snapshot of where refugees settle in New Zealand
Tax
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Vacant land tax won’t be introduced anytime soon
Andrea Black: Tax and Small Business
Defence
Eleisha Foon (RNZ): Nuclear veterans’ descendants sought for study
Tema Hemi (Māori TV): Defence Minister opens new Limited Service Volunteer facility
RNZ: Forum for Pacific personnel in NZ navy
Sexuality, gender
Scott Bartlett (Herald): Business leader: Stigma and bigotry are hindering the LGBT community
Lincoln Tan (Herald): Air NZ flight attendant applicant believes she’s not hired because she’s transgender
Other
Bruce Munro (ODT): Heads up on intelligence
Belinda Feek (Herald):Union boss uncovers postal scam which has re-emerged two years on
Amy Williams (RNZ): In public or in private? Historians concerned institutions missing out on national treasures
Chris Morris ODT): Port Chalmers group working to save historic port building
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Bradbury vs NZ Police ‘secret trials’ case begins this week – open invitation to NZ Media
Benn Bathgate (Stuff): Two thirds of construction industry members worried about the effects of cannabis law reform
1News: NZ Law Society under fire for ‘sexist’ dress code recommendations
Brent Edwards (NBR): Coalition still mulling banking hubs for provinces (paywalled)
Rachel Buchanan (Spinoff): Who gets to speak for the people of Parihaka?
Alex Braae (Spinoff): TOP powers up on an oily rag after the post-Gareth civil war
1News: Overseas investors ordered to sell historic Waikato hotel after failing to follow through with redevelopment
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): White supremacists still active in NZ
Charlie Gates (Stuff): Film capturing justice campaigner Helen Kelly’s final year raises questions
Ripu Bhatia (Stuff): Mt Roskill’s controversial Christian cross back up for discussion
Jane Matthews (Taranaki Daily News): Hundreds of firearms and accessories handed back at South Taranaki event
Alice Webb-Liddall (Spinoff): The man hijacking the Cook commemorations to tell the story of Polynesian exploration
Virginia Fallon (Dominion Post): Here, From Kupe to Cook: new exhibition marks first explorers to New Zealand
Damian George (Stuff): Wellington Airport offers Miramar Golf Club $31 million to buy half its land for expansion
