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.
KiwiBuild, housing
Bernard Hickey (Newsroom): Young renters just got double toasted
Bryce Edwards (RNZ): Government should be held to their 100,000 KiwiBuild promise
No Right Turn: Not impressed
Audrey Young (Herald): KiwiBuild reset – Megan Woods gives masterclass in surrendering to failure (paywalled)
Henry Cooke (Stuff): KiwiBuild emerges from nine months in the shop a shadow of its former self
Claire Trevett (Herald): The lesson of KiwiBuild, the Little Engine that couldn’t (paywalled)
Tim Watkin (Pundit): You Can’t Live In A Reset
1News: Housing Minister challenged by John Campbell about how KiwiBuild reset will make home buying easier
Ashley Church (Herald): 5% deposits for first home buyers will remedy housing travesty
Gareth Kiernan (Stuff): KiwiBuild reset proves Government still doesn’t get it
Charlie Dreaver (RNZ): KiwiBuild 2.0 light on detail for rent-to-own scheme – industry insiders
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): KiwiBuild reset shows how badly policy was bungled
Richard Harman (Politik): How Twyford failed with Kiwibuild and how he will now help resuscitate it
Katarina Williams (Stuff): Dropping Govt-backed mortgage deposits to 5pc will only have ‘limited’ impact
Katarina Williams (Stuff): KiwiBuild reset should have pumped more money into public housing, agency says
RNZ: Checkpoint: KiwiBuild reset: ‘We didn’t make all the right decisions’ – Housing Minister
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest):Housing Minister Megan Woods on ditching KiwiBuild targets, lumping developers with more risk and involving community organisations in progressive home ownership schemes
Guardian: New Zealand scraps ‘overly ambitious’ plan to tackle housing crisis
Zane Small (Newshub): ‘I’ve just been proven right’: National’s Judith Collins laughs off KiwiBuild reset
Anna Whyte 1News): KiwiBuild reset ‘a damp squib’, says Judith Collins
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): ‘This is their last chance’: First home buyer’s message over KiwiBuild reset
Melissa Chan-Green (Newshub): Rent-to-own scheme a game-changer – Habitat for Humanity homeowner
Dominion Post Editorial: After the fantasy, Woods restores some sense in KiwiBuild
Zane Small (Newshub): Labour’s flagship policy: Where did KiwiBuild go wrong?
Ben Uffindell (The Civilian): Government says it will now build just one really nice home
Henry Cooke (Stuff): KiwiBuild reset: 100,000 home target scrapped, $400m progressive ownership introduced
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Government halves deposit requirement for loans and deposits as part of KiwiBuild reset
Jason Walls (Herald): The Housing Minister admits that putting specific targets around KiwiBuild was a mistake
Jason Walls (Herald): KiwiBuild reset: Government axes its 100,000 homes over 10 years target
Anna Whyte 1News): KiwiBuild reset sees 100,000 house target scrapped, 5% deposits for first home buyers introduced
Yvette McCullough (RNZ): KiwiBuild reset: government drops 100,000-home target, adds $400m fund
Zane Small (Newshub): KiwiBuild reset: ‘Overly ambitious’ 100,000 houses in 10 years promise dropped, shared ownership schemes in
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): KiwiBuild stays but all targets go
Marc Daalder (Newsroom):Government introduces major KiwiBuild overhaul
Brent Edwards (NBR): Fewer incentives for developers under KiwiBuild changes (paywalled)
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): Cheat sheet: Megan Woods hits reset on the beleaguered KiwiBuild programme
Mark Price (ODT): Homes to go on open market
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Dileepa Fonseka (Dominion Post): Wellington is a ‘pocket-sized utopia’ but not for renters
Cate Broughton (Stuff): Paint job ordered to fix mould in freezing council social housing unit
Local government
University of Auckland: Q+A: Why do so few people vote in local elections?
Skara Bohny (Stuff): More representation, education keys to boosting young voter turnout
Denise Piper (Stuff): Local body elections: Women still face stereotype they don’t have ‘backbone’ for leadership
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Dominic Harris (Press): Christchurch mayoralty race led by three very different candidates
Tina Law (Press): Christchurch mayoral contenders go head to head on rates, asset sales and stadium issues
1News: Al Noor Mosque leader runs for community board, inspired by support after Christchurch terrorist attacks
Kaitlin Ruddock (1News): Council quick to hush alarm over potential multi-million dollar liability to Tasman ratepayers
Matthew Theunissen (RNZ): NZ’s right-wing turn up in force for controversial free speech case
Karl du Fresne (Stuff): It now falls to private citizens to defend freedom of expression
Sophie Bateman (Newshub): John Tamihere vows to bring back inorganic collections
Stephen Forbes (Interest0: NZ Super Fund points out that Auckland Mayoral candidate John Tamihere’s proposal to sell 49% of Watercare would require Government approval
Georgia-May Gilbertson (Stuff): Peace offer extended over Napier’s million dollar pool complex
Luke Appleby (1News): Former North Shore mayor criticised after post about homeless ‘big oaf’ with ‘no pride’
Zizi Sparks (Rotorua Daily Post): Rotorua council candidate takes different marketing approach (paywalled)
Catherine Hutton (RNZ): Kāpiti councillors protest sex offender David Scott’s re-election bid
Environment
Jo Moir (RNZ): Wetlands and freshwater proposals set to cause stir
Farah Hancock (Newsroom): NZ streams teeming with pesticides
Jono Edwards (ODT): MP fears new water regulations threaten farmers
Guy Trafford (Interest): Water is our competitive advantage for the future
Jono Galuszka (Manawatū Standard): Manawatū councils asked to act together against climate change
Dita De Boni (NBR): NZ winemakers side with sceptical anti-GM public (paywalled)
Measles
Newshub: Immunisation experts descend on Auckland to combat measles outbreak
Gordon Campbell: On the necessary government actions to combat the measles outbreaks
Karen Brown (RNZ): Auckland measles outbreak: Doctors call for national vaccine programme
Meghan Lawrence (Herald): Measles outbreak could turn deadly: Now 991 confirmed cases across New Zealand
The Science Media Centre: Auckland’s ongoing measles outbreak – Expert Q&A
Nita Blake-Persen (RNZ): Measles: Auckland medical clinics rushed, short of vaccines
Denise Piper (Stuff): Getting 95% herd immunity against measles: How one Northland school did it
RNZ: Confirmed measles cases in Auckland increase
Lucy Warhurst (Newshub): ‘Community effort’ needed to beat measles outbreak – Starship Hospital doctor
1News: Auckland health officials calling on some students to quarantine themselves as measles outbreak grows
Child welfare, corrections
Katie Doyle (RNZ): Holding young people in police cells sometimes only practical option – minister
John Weeks (Stuff): Prisoners share experiences with Royal Commission abuse in care inquiry
National Party
Matt Nippert (Herald): Revealed: Chinese racing mogul Lang Lin’s extensive links to former National ministers (paywalled)
Michael Reddell: The Bridges kowtow
Government
Liam Dann (Herald): Economy Hub: Grant Robertson holds nerve on spending as growth slows (paywalled
Jason Walls (Herald): A short lunch: Labour MP Rino Tirikatene is itching to crack the big league (paywalled)
Steven Cowan: The Green Party clamps down on free speech
Parliament
Katie Kenny and Tommy Livingston (Stuff): Can Kiwis tell fact from fake news in the leadup to the 2020 elections?
ODT Editorial: MPs and leapfrogging salaries
Duncan Garner (Newshub): Our MMP system should be the envy of Australia and the UK
Foreign affairs
Audrey Young (Herald): Meet some of New Zealand’s trade ‘All Blacks’ (paywalled)
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Preparing for a world without protection
Selwyn Manning (Evening Report): New Zealand Government Should Advocate A Pathway For Peace For West Papua
Marie Leadbeater (Spinoff): NZ must learn the lessons of East Timor, and break our silence on West Papua
Irena Obadovic (The Conversation): Agriculture a likely stumbling block in free trade negotiations between NZ and EU
Education
Josephine Franks (Stuff): Scrapping school donations closer as Government clarifies rules
Miriam Harris and Dan Satherley (Newshub): Early childhood package ‘not enough’ to attract much-needed staff – Early Childhood Council
Sophie Bateman (Newshub): Free school lunches should be vegan – animal rights organisation SAFE
1News: Auckland’s Drury to get new primary school as population forecast to increase by thousands
Energy
Pattrick Smellie (Herald): A hydrogen plan so cunning (paywalled)
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Should NZ be a front-runner or fast-follower on green hydrogen?
Laura Mills (Greymouth Star): Call for talks on Waitaha
Peter Ellis has died
Newshub: Peter Ellis’ lawyer Nigel Hampton says Ellis lived ‘an extraordinarily sad life’
1News: Peter Ellis, offender at centre of one of NZ’s most controversial cases, has died
Martin van Beynen (Stuff): Christchurch Civic Creche accused Peter Ellis dies while appealing conviction
David Loughrey (ODT): Peter Ellis dies, court case future uncertain
Herald: Peter Ellis, man at centre of Christchurch creche case, dies
Mel Logan and Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Convicted child sex offender Peter Ellis dies before making last bid to clear name
Newstalk ZB: Convicted sex offender Peter Ellis passes away
Newstalk ZB: Peter Ellis supporter says he had an admirable character
Transport
Dileepa Fonseka (Dominion Post: Why isn’t Wellington Moving (again)? Basins and Bustrastrophe
Damian Geroge (Dominion Post): Transport benefits ‘secondary’ for Wellington’s proposed $2.2 billion mass transit system
Georgina Campbell (Herlad): Pleas to Government over Wellington’s bus driver shortage
Tom Hunt (Dominion Post): Wellington bus drivers found 8305km away after Kiwis snub the profession
Ben Strang (RNZ): $850m Transmission Gully completion delays likely
James Fyfe (Newshub): Faulty airbags: 18,000 cars could be taken off the road
Provincial Growth Fund
Mike Watson (Stuff): Shane Jones makes swipe at the Transport Ministry during Taranaki funding announcement
Robin Martin (RNZ): Taranaki Crossing to boost region’s tourism earnings
Herald: $19m Mt Taranaki walking track project gets green light from Government
RNZ: Canterbury, West Coast initiatives to get Provincial Growth Fund boost
Migrant exploitation
Sara Vui-Talitu (RNZ) Voices: The fight to end exploitation
Sophie Bateman (Newshub): Bay of Plenty supermarket fined after migrant worker paid less than $3 an hour
Labour camp assault trial
Sam Hurley (Herald): Labour Party camp: Spat between lawyers about whether sexual offending occurred after plea deal
Sam Hurley (Herald): Labour Party camp scandal: Guilty plea deal reached midway through trial
Catrin Owen (Stuff): Labour youth camp trial: accused got caught up in political storm, lawyer says
Catrin Owen (Stuff): Labour youth camp trial: indecent assault charges withdrawn, accused pleads guilty to assault
Laura James (1News): Man accused of indecent assault at Young Labour summer camp pleads guilty to two amended charges
Katie Fitzgerald and Melissa Chan Green (Newshub): Man accused of assault at young Labour camp pleads guilty to amended charges
Cannabis
Katie Fitzgerald (Newshub): Keeping cannabis illegal a waste of police time – Helen Clark
1News: ‘It’s because of the unknown’ – Paula Bennett to vote ‘no’ to legalising cannabis
Russell Brown: Time for a New Deal: 25 years on
Primary industries
Gerard Hutching (Stuff): Poultry disease detected in Otago farm will impact lucrative exports
RNZ: Chicken and egg exports halted after virus discovery
Gerard Hutching (Stuff): Fonterra – should it be split in two to save it?
RNZ: Nearly 6000 Fonterra staff to miss out on bonuses and pay rises
Gerard Hutching (Stuff): Fonterra cancels bonuses and annual pay rises
Other
RNZ: Checkpoint: Christchurch couple misled by Southern Response speak out
1News: Exclusive: Major concerns as WINZ uses ‘one size fits all’ data for food grants
Taroi Black (Māori TV): Establishing a Māori health governance group to help save lives
Kerry McDonald (Stuff0: There’s a critical need to rebuild the capability of the public service
Susan Strongman (RNZ): Anti-abortion charity Pregnancy Counselling Services received $300k taxpayer money
Bryan Gould: Where money comes from
RNZ: Olympic pool worth of toxic foam concentrate to be destroyed
Tess Brunton (RNZ): Security screening at regional airports ‘inevitable’
Luke Kirkness (Herald): Government adds new measures to pending bill to protect borrowers against loan sharks
Eric Crampton: GDP isn’t just adding up all the nice things
Marc Hinton (Stuff): Tall Blacks coach Paul Henare hits back at Hayley Holt’s haka criticism
Herald: Hayley Holt wants haka halted, says it’s ‘overplayed’
