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.
Foreign affairs and trade
Audrey Young (Herald): It’s a wrap for Jacinda Ardern and her old acquaintances in Bangkok but no RCEP deal
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Pan-Asian trade deal goes ahead, but with a chunk missing
Richard Harman (Politik): India says no but China says yes to free trade deals involving NZ
RNZ: NZ and 14 other Asia-Pacific countries agree terms for huge trade pact
Reuters: New Zealand, 14 Asian countries finish negotiating massive trade deal
Audrey Young (Herald): Ardern entitled to gloat after China trade upgrade sealed (paywalled)
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): China trade upgrade a win despite modest gains
Audrey Young (Herald): Jacinda Ardern announces upgrade on free trade agreement with China
1News: NZ’s free trade agreement with China upgraded after years of negotiations
Jane Patterson (RNZ): NZ strikes deal on China FTA upgrade after years of talks
Luke Malpass (Stuff): New Zealand announces upgrade to China trade deal
Newshub: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern signs upgrade to free trade deal with China
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Upgraded NZ-China FTA to be signed in early 2020; Includes no new sweeteners for dairy
Herald: PM Jacinda Ardern speaking in Bangkok about the upgrade with agriculture minister Damien O’Connor (video)
Dominion Post Editorial: Absence of Trump, Xi is opportunity for others to forge path in Asia-Pacific region
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Thai PM to New Zealand: Give us the sheep placenta cream
Jane Patterson (RNZ): East Asia Summit: Jacinda Ardern and Thai PM talk NZ leadership in agricultural sector
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern dumbfounded by Thai Prime Minister’s ‘sheep placenta cream’ compliment
1News: Jacinda Ardern taken aback by unusual agriculture request involving sheep placenta
RNZ: What is sheep placenta cream and why is the Thai PM commenting on it?
1News: Kiwi exporters nervous over possible quota changes in event of no-deal Brexit
Winston Peters’ privacy lawsuit
Kim Baker Wilson (1News): Winston Peters’ privacy breach ‘insidious’, court told
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): Winston Peters’ privacy lawsuit: NZ First leader claims damage to reputation
Isaac Davison (Herald): Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says he is not to blame for pension overpayments of $18,000
Newstalk ZB: Winston Peters takes stand in pension overpayments court case
Herald: Winston Peters takes to witness stand in court case, says he is not to blame for pension overpayments
Harrison Christian (Stuff): Winston Peters: Superannuation leak ‘malicious’, ‘a slur on my character’
Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Winston Peters takes the stand in High Court over pension overpayments
Tim Murphy (Newsroom): Multiple omissions in Peters’ super application
Christopher Luxon selected as National’s Botany candidate
George Block (Stuff): National chooses former Air NZ boss Christopher Luxon as Botany MP candidate
Herald: National selects Christopher Luxon as its new candidate for Botany
Anna Whyte (1News): Ex Air NZ CEO Christopher Luxon wins National’s Botany candidacy, set to battle Jami-Lee Ross in Election 2020
Jordan Bond (RNZ): Ex-Air New Zealand boss wins National’s Botany candidacy
Lana Andelane (Newshub): Christopher Luxon selected as National candidate for Botany
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Luxon a shoo-in for National in Botany (paywalled)
Abuse in state and church care inquiry
David Cohen (RNZ): Abuse in care inquiry: ‘Arduous process’ to reach ultimate context
RNZ: Abuse survivors not compensated enough, Commission hears
Andrew McRae (RNZ): Abuse in Care inquiry: Number of claimants increasing – law firm
Katie Scotcher (RNZ): Pacific voice: Gang member ‘lost ability to love’ after state abuse
Primary industries
Eric Frykberg (RNZ): Documents show Treasury endorsed the government’s water reforms
Geoff Simmons (Interest): How much truth is there in Dairy NZ’s claim that proposed fresh water reforms could cost $6 billion a year by 2050?
Alice Angeloni (Stuff): Salmon company and Government careful not to ‘collude’ during relocation proposals
Alice Angeloni (Stuff): NZKS can hit Govt’s $3b aquaculture goal on its own says boss
Stuff: ‘Highly careless’ Morrinsville farmer fined $63,000
Gerard Hutching (Stuff): Waimate farmer fears sheep and beef property might become forest
Andrew Bevin (NBR): Forest owners say pasture conversion exaggerated (paywalled)
Local government
Simon Wilson (Herald): Phil Goff’s new team to lead Auckland Council
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland Mayor Phil Goff’s appointment of committee heads a political loaves and fishes act
Stephen Forbes (Stuff): Phil Goff outlines new committee and posts to increase oversight of Auckland Council CCOs
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Auckland Council sets up new climate change committee
Chris Marshall (Waikato Times): Christine Rankin named as Taupō’s deputy mayor
Christina Persico (Taranaki Daily News): Non-elected member gets voting rights on New Plymouth District Council committee
Nicholas Boyack (Stuff): Hutt City could become more like Coronation St after radical plan change
Chloe Ranford (Stuff): Four of five iwi seats empty at Marlborough District Council
RNZ: Complaint laid against Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel over Deon Swiggs investigation
Anan Zaki (RNZ): Chch deputy mayor ‘seriously considered’ running for Parliament
Joanne Carroll (Stuff): Council may piggyback on Westland Milk’s new $26m pipeline out to sea
Guy Williams (ODT): Declining discharge unrealistic – Queenstown Lakes District Council
Local councils win the right to set fishing regulations
Michael Morrah (Newshub): ‘Precedent’ setting: Appeal Court rules regional councils can control fishing rules
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Motiti residents win ‘significant’ battle to protect the waters around their island
RNZ: Local control of fishing rules have been upheld by Court of Appeal in Mōtītī case
DCC looks to buy Foulden Maar
Chris Morris (ODT): DCC starts Foulden Maar process
Chris Morris (ODT): Dunedin council wants to buy Foulden Maar
Esther Taunton (Stuff): Dunedin council steps in to protect Foulden Maar
Farah Hancock (Newsroom): Foulden Maar for public good, not pig food
RNZ: Dunedin Council takes first step towards buying Foulden Maar
Environment
Charlie Mitchell (Stuff): The coal mine and the endangered mudfish
RNZ: They Will Inherit the Earth – What climate change will mean for NZ’s next generation
David Williams (Newsroom): Green light for Queenstown development
Laura Smith (ODT): Management key to whitebait’s future
Mia Sutherland (Stuff): New Zealand is not too small to tackle climate change
Sam Dean (Stuff): Climate Lessons: How global warming affects New Zealand’s wind and rain
Health
Emma Russell (Herald): Cancer disgrace: DHB, radiology service slammed after 67yo dies after near six-year delay
Anan Zaki (RNZ): Women who died from lung cancer failed by health professionals – report
Samesh Mohanlall (Timaru Herald): SCDHB and radiology service in breach of health code
Nikki Preston (Herald): Calls for new Rural Health Commissioner to address rural healthcare failings
Māni Dunlop (RNZ): Call for independent hauora authority to embed Māori-led solutions
Oliver Lewis (Stuff): Youths to be treated in ‘dark and oppressive’ hospital for three more years
Eloise Gibson (Newsroom): Why fully vaxed hospital workers are getting measles
RNZ: Measles epidemic: Samoa’s govt mobilises resources
Janine Rankin (Manawatū Standard): Bowel cancer screening rolls out in MidCentral
1News: New cancer drug to be funded by Pharmac
Newshub: 100,000 Kiwis with undiagnosed diabetes (video)
Snita Ahir-Knight (Newsroom): The moral pieces of the child obesity puzzle
Transport
Phil Pennington (RNZ): NZTA’s chair confident in the troubled agency’s direction
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Doubt bus driver rest breaks can be delivered on time
Derek Cheng (Herald): Two-year amnesty for 144,000 restricted and learner drivers
1News: Extension granted for 144k New Zealanders with soon-to-expire learners and restricted licences
RNZ: Govt extends five-year limit on learner and restricted licences
Lana Andelane (Newshub): Government gives expiring learner, restricted licences two-year extension
Belinda Feek (Herald): Spate of cycle, motorcycle deaths: Overhaul trucking industry, cycling group urges
Hamish Cardwell (RNZ): Drop in numbers of experienced flight instructors a ‘crisis
Immigration, refugees
1News: Shane Jones’ comments about NZ Indian community ‘not the position’ of Labour, Jacinda Ardern says
Charlotte Graham-McLay (Guardian): New Zealand accused of racism after visa rule throws arranged marriages into chaos
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): ‘Gutless’: Patrick Gower unleashes on Shane Jones following migrant comments
Gill Bonnett (RNZ): Voices: Teen forced to marry by parents
Education
John Gibb (ODT): Medical students abused placement process
RNZ: Otago Uni finds 15 med students abused overseas placements
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Bureaucracy concerns polytechs
David Farrar: What price free speech asks Massey academic
1News: Early childhood teachers launch week of action calling for better pay
Leah Tebbutt (Rotorua Daily Post): Why some Rotorua schools are opting out of school donation scheme (paywalled)
Leah Tebbutt (Rotorua Daily Post): Mixed feelings in Bay of Plenty about school donation scheme (paywalled)
Banking
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): Former ANZ boss David Hisco’s last pay revealed, forgoes millions of dollars
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Former ANZ CEO David Hisco’s final pay packet was missing millions
RNZ: Westpac posts $964m profit
1News: Westpac New Zealand earnings up three per cent to $1 billion
Welfare
Dave Armstrong (Dominion Post): The bludgeon and the bludgers: a play for tomorrow
Mike Yardley (Press): National takes aim at reinstating more robust sanctions regime
Fireworks, Guy Fawkes
Laura James (1News): As Guy Fawkes mayhem gets underway, push continues to have fireworks sales banned
Gavin Ogden (Herald): Local Focus: Should private fireworks be banned?
Esther Taunton (Stuff): Horse’s death drives mission to ban fireworks
Dan Satherley (Newshub): ‘Fun police should back off’: Simon Bridges backs Govt’s refusal to ban fireworks
Deena Coster (Taranaki Daily News): Interest in Guy Fawkes could fade as focus turns to commemorating NZ history
Kate Hawkesby (Newstalk ZB): Ban fireworks sales – it’s just a feral free-for-all
ODT Editorial: Fire in the sky
Herald Editorial: Is it time to snuff out backyard fireworks? (paywalled)
Consumer affairs
1News: Government aims to require businesses that go bust to honour up to 50 per cent of gift cards
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): New protection for voucher-holders when businesses go bust
Other
Laura Walters (Newsroom): Animal welfare minister never replaced
Herald: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s quick-fire achievement video goes global
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Ummmmm – about that list of achievements by Jacinda – cough
Tagata Pasifika: Community leaders fear new armed police patrols – ‘Brown males are going to suffer the most’
Chris Trotter (Interest): In theory the Internet should be producing the best-informed voters in history, in practice it appears to be producing the opposite
Steve Maharey (Pundit): Progressive Pragmatists – New Zealand Labour And The Third Way. Blog #6
Mark Broach, Eleanor Ainge Roy and Harriet Sherwood (Guardian): Thinking big: New Zealand’s growing pains as population nears 5 million
Eric Crampton: Data preservation?
Wyatt Creech (Pundit): The Three Year Term Is Too Short
Alex Braae (Spinoff): Want lower prisoner numbers in New Zealand? Look at Texas, not Norway
1News: British High Commissioner unaware preserved Māori heads still remain at British Museum
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Justice Minister Andrew Little seriously compromised on cannabis, euthanasia votes
Harrison Christian (Stuff): Chinese ‘soldiers’ at Auckland protest are international students
Brent Melville (ODT): Call to regulate property managers grows
Guardian: The Guardian and Aotearoa/New Zealand – a message
RNZ: The Detail: Hope is fading for the Kiwi nurse missing in Syria
Scott Palmer (Newshub): WorkSafe launches investigation into Auckland’s SkyCity convention centre fire
Point of Order: The issue for the Govt – as the fate of Tiwai Point smelter is decided – is to work out where the national interest lies
Vera Alves (Herald): When it comes to abortion, we’re debating the wrong thing
RNZ: Cook Islands retains ban on homosexuality
