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.
Climate change
Audrey Young (Herald): Zero Carbon Bill passes with almost unanimous support in Parliament
Anna Whyte (1News): Ardern hails ‘historic moment’ for NZ as Zero Carbon Bill passes – ‘We are on the right side of history’
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Zero Carbon Bill passes with near-unanimous support, setting climate change targets into law
Henry Cooke (Stuff): ACT misses climate vote, allowing bill through unanimously
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Breakthrough on climate change policy as Nats support Zero Carbon Bill
Richard Harman (Politik): Bipartisan agreement on climate change — except for NZ First
Lana Andelane (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern praises Government’s united front in passionate speech after Zero Carbon Bill passes
Zane Small (Newshub): ‘Historic moment’: MPs erupt in applause as Zero Carbon Bill passes final reading
Eleanor Ainge Roy (Guardian): Ardern says New Zealand on ‘right side of history’ as MPs pass zero-carbon bill
Laura Walters (Newsroom): Unanimous support for landmark Zero Carbon Bill
RNZ: Zero Carbon Bill passes final reading
Anna Bracewell-Worrall (Newshub): Zero Carbon Bill passes but poll show most Kiwis don’t want climate emergency declared
Zane Small (Newshub): National Party supports Zero Carbon Bill in its final reading
Spinoff: 119 of 120 MPs just voted to pass NZ’s historic Zero Carbon Bill into law. Here’s the best of what they said
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Zero Carbon Bill passes with near-unanimous support, however National commits to making tweaks if elected into government
Tema Hemi (Māori TV): Zero Carbon Bill – Māori concerns addressed
No Right Turn: Climate Change: Passed
Jane Matthews (Stuff): New Zealand could be a ‘major player’ in transition to zero carbon
Andrew Gunn (Stuff): More of that ideological claptrap from those snowflake scientists
Significant shortfalls in the Environmental Reporting Act
Harry Lock (RNZ): Policymakers ‘flying blind’ with huge data gaps – environment commissioner
Eloise Gibson (Newsroom): Holey data leaves us ‘flying blind’ on environment
Amber-Leigh Woolf (Stuff): New Zealand’s lack of data risks ‘irreversible damage’ to the environment
Jamie Morton (Herald): Why ‘huge gaps’ in NZ enviro reporting could be hurting us
1News: New Zealand ‘flying blind’ when it comes to info about the environment, new report says
Brent Edwards (NBR): Big gaps in data on the environment (paywalled)
Alex Braae (Spinoff): Cheat sheet: NZ’s environmental reporting is falling short
Winston Peters’ privacy lawsuit
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): When those in media become part of the story
Bryce Edwards (Herald): Political Roundup: Winston Peters Puts dirty politics on trial (paywalled)
Steve Braunias (Herald): Politics – a sunny and glorious calling (paywalled)
Tim Murphy (Newsroom): Two ministers and a drunken conspiracy
Kim Baker Wilson (1News): Crown lawyer says Winston Peters’ case against SSC head is ‘scandalous and improper’
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): Court told Winston Peters’ allegations over superannuantion should never have been made
Isaac Davison (Herald): Winston Peters’ pension overpayment: Anne Tolley admits telling staff, family members
Harrison Christian (Stuff): Winston Peters case: Anne Tolley regrets ‘outburst’ to sister about confidential pension overpayment
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): Anne Tolley admits ‘outburst’ in Winston Peters superannuation case
Kim Baker Wilson (1News): Anne Tolley ‘regrets’ outburst where she told sister about Winston Peters’ pension overpayment – ‘I was tired and I was cross’
Zac Fleming (Newshub): Anne Tolley told husband, sister about Winston Peters’ superannuation overpayments
National Party
Simon Wilson (Herald): What’s Chris Luxon really going to do in Parliament? (paywalled)
Gordon Campbell: On National’s anointing of Christopher Luxon
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Chosen To Rule? What Sort Of Christian Is Chris Luxon?
Brent Edwards (NBR): Chris Luxon’s selection dilemma for National’s election campaign (paywalled)
Jason Walls (Herald): KiwiBuild, light rail and taxes: Fact-checking National’s attack ad on the Government (paywalled)
Alan Kenyon (1News): Winston Peters takes cheeky dig at Simon Bridges over potential leadership challenge from Christopher Luxon
Government
Bryce Edwards (Guardian): Jacinda Ardern has a major problem with minor parties, and it could seal her fate
Joanne Carroll (Stuff): Ministers hit back at West Coasters planning rally against Government policies
Immigration
Jane Patterson (RNZ): Coalition attempts to dispel discord over partnership visa policy
Jane Patterson (RNZ): Coalition partners stand their ground on partnership visas
Listener Editorial: The disturbing takeaway from Shane Jones’ comments on the Indian community
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Finally, Labour has stood up to NZ First
Terrorism bill
Anna Whyte (1News): Counter-terrorism bill quick timeframe ‘outrageous’ – Amnesty NZ
RNZ: Terrorism bill’s submissions period too short – Amnesty International
OASIS: The Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill
Inquiry into abuse in state and church care
RNZ: The Detail: Abuse inquiry just scratches the surface
Andrew McRae (RNZ): Royal Commission hearings: Children’s Commissioner says state care has failed
Andrew McRae (RNZ): State care institutions central to early gang formation – academic
Andrew McRae (RNZ): Woman recalls years of ill-treatment in state care
Oranga Tamariki
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): Controversial attempted Oranga Tamariki uplift highlights ‘deeper structural issues’ – Children’s Commissioner
Tim Murphy (Newsroom): One small step for OT, one giant leap for human rights
Derek Cheng (Herald): Comment: Oranga Tamariki boss pledges openness and honesty, then undercuts herself (paywalled)
Aaron Smale (Newsroom): A big fat boomerang
Mandy Te, Marty Sharpe and Felix Desmarais (Stuff): Oranga Tamariki changes practices after attempted uplift of baby in Hastings
Derek Cheng (Herald): Damning Oranga Tamariki review: Gaps in the work, poor consultation and relationships
Sam Sachdeva and Melanie Reid (Newsroom): Oranga Tamariki overhaul after damning uplift report
Māori TV: Oranga Tamariki owns up to their mistakes
Māni Dunlop (RNZ): Oranga Tamariki inquiry acknowledges systems failed Hawke’s Bay whānau
Mark Quinlivan and Laura Macdonald (Newshub): ‘I am truly sorry’: Oranga Tamariki apologises for trauma caused after uplift of Hastings baby boy
Alice Webb-Liddall (Spinoff): Huge changes to be made at Oranga Tamariki following review into child uplift process
Police
Zane Small (Newshub): Police Commissioner Mike Bush ‘wrong’ on 1800 new police target – Winston Peters
Jordan Bond (RNZ): Police officer suggested he would plant evidence to boost arrests
1News: Auckland cop quit during investigation into planting evidence to search cars
Brittany Keogh (Stuff): No evidence of police planting evidence, but some willing to cross lines, says police watchdog
Nick Forrester (Herald): Officer made comments about planting evidence, Police confirms
No Right Turn: Justice for Bomber
Regan Paranihi (Māori TV): Police to work closely with Māori to decrease crime
Local government
RNZ: Law change may be needed after councillors’ tied vote – minister
Sahiban Hyde (Hawkes Bay Today): News Hastings Sikh temple: Community of ‘close to 2000’ elated as council gives green light (paywalled)
RNZ: Sikhs overjoyed new temple can be built in Hawke’s Bay
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Justin Lester doesn’t have the numbers he was counting on
Damian George (Stuff): Ousted Wellington mayor Justin Lester’s vote recount hopes take a hit
Felix Desmarais (Stuff): Wellington Mayor Andy Foster announces councillor portfolios nearly a month after taking power
Cate Broughton (Stuff): Christchurch City Council drops investigation into former councillor Deon Swiggs
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Former Christchurch City councillor Deon Swiggs says investigation against him has been dropped
Welfare
1News: Benefits need to increase, but ‘it’s not happening right now’ – Green Party co-leader
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Work obligations don’t help unemployed find jobs – study
1News: Getting unemployed into work ‘totally doable’ says National, as Government hands out millions in hardship grants
Education
Simon Collins (Herald): Tutoring firm Crimson hires Sir John Key, starts global online high school
Laura Walters (Newsroom): Moves to address teacher shortage just the beginning
Thomas Mead (1News): Exclusive: Canterbury Uni pulls plug on Antarctic study, cancels well-known scientist’s contract
Lee Kenny (Stuff): Call to investigate former medical students after Otago work placement scam
1News:‘A very small minority’ of students accessing porn at school, despite high interception numbers
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Private school helping 70 students battle vaping addictions
Dominion Post Editorial: Early childhood teachers deserve more cash – and kudos
Parliament, OK boomer
Rob Stock (Stuff): Thank Chlöe Swarbrick for reminding us about Parliament’s ‘anti-manners’
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Ok Boomer – a weary insult from a gathering generational war
Molly Roberts (Washington Post): Chloe Swarbrick’s ‘OK, boomer’ shows how Gen-Z is fighting back
Dan Satherley (Newshub): ‘OK Boomer’: World reacts to NZ politician Chloe Swarbrick’s use of meme in Parliament
Anna Whyte (1News): Quickfire: Jan Logie and Louise Upston speak out on fireworks ban, no jab-no pay and odd experiences on the job
Phil Smith (RNZ): Meaty week at Parliament: Climate, Organs, and Criminals
Social media, fake news
Brigitte Morten (Pundit): Regulating Social Media Or Limiting Political Debate?
Miriam Ross (Stuff): What Jojo Rabbit, fake news and Facebook’s political advertising have in common
Stephen Colbert’s visit to NZ
Jason Walls (Herald): Stephen Colbert’s NZ trip: Tourism New Zealand spent $100,000 but expects $5m return
RNZ: Stephen Colbert’s visit to NZ cost Tourism NZ more than $100k
Siobhan Downes (Stuff): Stephen Colbert’s New Zealand visit cost Kiwi taxpayers $100k
Newstalk ZB: Tourism NZ CEO defends Stephen Colbert investment
Firearms
Jane Patterson (RNZ): Police talk with gangs to encourage gun laws compliance
Katie Bradford (1News): More than 100 gang leaders contacted by police after reluctance to hand over guns
Zane Small (Newshub): Labour MPs yell ‘out of order’ as National probes Police Commissioner on gun buyback
Health and disability
Brittany Keogh (Stuff): Use of antidepressants among teenagers rises 83 per cent in nine years
George Block (Stuff): E-scooter injury risk: Auckland surgeons call for zero alcohol limit
James Fyfe (Newshub): Auckland doctors call for more regulation for e-scooters
Nick Truebridge (RNZ): More funding on way to tackle Auckland measles outbreak
RNZ: Samoa measles epidemic: Cases continue to rise
Tracy Neal (RNZ): Medicinal cannabis supplier Rose Renton calls quits on being ‘green fairy’
Katarina Williams (Stuff): Capital & Coast DHB can’t provide keto-trained dietitian for boy with epilepsy
Hannah Bartlett (Stuff): Disabled woman nearly out of time to find new home in Nelson
Justice, corrections
Katie Doyle (RNZ): Young offenders, families need long-term support – judge
Katy Jones (Stuff): Shouldn’t need death to find peace, victim of mental patient says
Daisy Hudson (ODT): Law not consistent in drug sentences – New Zealand Drug Foundation report
Insurance
Rob Stock (Stuff): Finance minister warns insurers not to leave New Zealanders without cover
Rob Stock (Stuff): Why insurance claims are ‘withdrawn’ – dishonesty, bullying insurers, say Kiwis
Rob Stock (Stuff): Insurer accepted claim, but payout left policyholder feeling ripped off
Rob Stock (Stuff): AA Insurance: Tower wrong to say 20 per cent of claims ‘withdrawn’
Foreign affairs and trade
Herald Editorial: NZ needs to speak with one voice on trade (paywalled)
Bonnie Flaws (Stuff): Seafood wins from China trade deal upgrade, but dairy will have to wait
Bryan Gould: A New Zealand voice in international affairs
1News: New High Commissioner to UK announced, replacing Sir Jerry Mateparae
Primary and extractive industries
Brent Melville (ODT): Mineral plan meets motley criticism
Paul McBeth (BusinessDesk): Fonterra’s farmers need a watchdog they can trust
RNZ: ‘Some mud needs to be thrown’ – farmer at Fonterra AGM
Sally Rae (ODT): Chairman called on to resign
Paul McBeth (BusinessDesk): Fonterra farmers ‘should be pleased with progress’ after record loss, says chair (paywalled)
RNZ: Fonterra not ‘broken but needs to change’ – chairperson
Mitchell Alexander (Newshub): People should be refused border entry if caught bringing in biosecurity risks – National MP Hamish Walker
FMA privacy breach
Andrew Bevin (NBR): FMA accidentally uploaded 445 private documents (paywalled)
Madison Reidy (RNZ): FMA admits privacy breach after documents ‘inadvertently uploaded
Erebus
RNZ/Stuff: White Silence: The tragic story of the Air Zealand jet that flew into Mt Erebus, killing all 257 people onboard
Michael Wright (Stuff): White Silence: The bizarre Erebus burglary – ‘hardly anything was missing’
Transport
ODT Editorial: Driver licensing review timely
Nicholas Pointon (RNZ): Slip blocking state highway leads to loss of profits and businesses ‘suffering’
Other
Peter Dunne (Newsroom): The perverse outcomes of the OIA
Chris Trotter: Too Late To Change Capitalism’s Flightpath?
Matthew Hooton (Herald): Act leader carries the flag for freedom (paywalled)
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Data shows there are 185,000 New Zealanders who’ve hit international ‘millionaire’ status
No Right Turn: More crime from the spies
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Lack of economic crash confuses economist
Katarina Williams (Stuff): Religious leaders’ anti-euthanasia letter sparks fiery David Seymour response
RNZ: RNZ wins two categories at international broadcasting awards
Curwen Ares Rolinson (Daily Blog): Shane Jones And Da Mystery Of Chessboxin’
Michael Reddell: Threadbare analysis and ideological causes
Leonie Hayden (Spinoff): ‘The Māori trouble’ at Waitara: Revisiting the Taranaki wars and myths set in stone
RNZ: The Aotearoa History Show: Episode 13: Decades of Change
Brent Edwards (NBR): Infrastructure bonds on Coalition agenda soon (paywalled)
Rob O’Neill (NBR): Is the taxman coming for Microsoft NZ? (paywalled)
Gareth Vaughan (Interest): ‘The obvious question is why such a business would want to have a physical presence in New Zealand at all’
Anne Gibson (Herald): The most powerful people in NZ property: who really runs the sector? (paywalled)
Brian Fallow (Herald): Don’t reach for the knife, RBNZ (paywalled)
Oliver Lewis (Stuff): Gloriavale-linked company misses out on Provincial Growth Fund funding
Evan Harding (Stuff): Petition launched to save smelter
Mandy Te (Stuff): Antelope from Wellington Zoo dies from ‘high levels of stress’ due to fireworks
Felix Desmarais (Stuff): Cook Island human rights advocates call on NZ to help decriminalise homosexuality
Meriana Johnsen (RNZ): Tapu te Ranga marae cleanup slow going
1News: Northern Ireland man sentenced for making online death threats to Jacinda Ardern
Newstalk ZB: Jacinda Ardern death threat: Northern Irish man gets community service
Damien Venuto (Herald): TVNZ boss: Expect more free-to-air sports on Kiwi TV (paywalled)
Emily Brookes (Stuff): TVNZ fights streaming competition with local content
