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.
Euthanasia
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Euthanasia bill proves there’s power in a party-of-one
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Euthanasia’s parliamentary battle is won. Now the real fight begins
Anna Whyte (1News): Parliament passes euthanasia bill in night of emotionally charged speeches; now it’s up to voters
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Euthanasia bill passes 69-51, sending the final decision to a referendum
Tom Hunt, Felix Desmarais and Damian George (Stuff): MPs vote 69-51 to pass David Seymour’s End of Life Choice bill
Boris Jancic (Herald): End of Life Choice Bill passes: What it means
Boris Jancic (Herald): Euthanasia bill passes final vote, goes to referendum
Herald: End of Life Choice Bill final reading: How your MP voted
Herald: Euthanasia vote: Lecretia Seales’ mother celebrates victory
Zane Small (Newshub):David Seymour’s End of Life Choice Bill passes final reading
RNZ: Euthanasia bill passes final reading in Parliament
Charlotte Graham-McLay (Guardian): New Zealand to vote in referendum on euthanasia
Michael Hayward (Stuff): Assisted dying would ‘erode the trust’ between doctor and patient
Michael Hayward (Stuff): End of Life Choice Bill ‘does not go far enough’, advocates say
Tom Hunt (Dominion Post): Euthanasia campaigner fears spread of misinformation
Michael Neilson (Herald): Euthanasia Debate: Former terminally ill woman believes Kiwis will back End of Life Choice bill
Heather Major (Herald): Family needs to be factored into end-of-life choices (paywalled)
Duncan Garner (Newshub): Well done Winston Peters and David Seymour on euthanasia
Spinoff: A collection of voices on the End of Life Choice bill
Political finance
Claire Trevett (Herald): Does NZ First’s mystery foundation meet PM Jacinda Ardern’s ‘spirit of the law’ test? (paywalled)
Boris Jancic and Claire Trevett (Herald): Many questions, no answers about ‘opaque’ NZ First Foundation (paywalled)
No Right Turn: NZ First’s dodgy loans
Eric Crampton: Campaign finance balloons
Media
Jane Patterson (RNZ): Govt to consider replacing RNZ, TVNZ with new public broadcaster
1News: 50 years of network news: Breaking News – Part I
Budget leak investigation
Audrey Young (Herald): Investigation into Budget botch-up ‘compromised and terminated’
Anna Whyte (1News): Investigation into leak of Budget material shut down due to undisclosed conflict of interest
Zane Small (Newshub): Probe into Budget botch-up ‘terminated’ over undeclared ‘conflict of interest’
RNZ: Treasury data breach inquiry shut down over integrity issues
Nathan Smith (NBR): SSC replaces ‘compromised’ Budget leak investigation (paywalled)
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Budget inquiry shut down and restarted over undeclared conflict of interest
Parliament
Audrey Young (Herald): Parliament’s Speaker Trevor Mallard orders National leader Simon Bridges out of the House
1News: Simon Bridges kicked out of Parliament for saying Speaker hears better with ‘his left ear’
James Fyfe (Newshub): Simon Bridges kicked out of Parliament for mocking Trevor Mallard
OK boomer and generational warfare
ODT Editorial: OK Boomer – Dismissal shows divide
Herald Editorial: OK Boomer – The power of a phrase in the digital age (paywalled)
Peter Calder (Stuff): Baby Boomers weren’t sitting idly by, it was the politicians
Kyle MacDonald (Herald): The psychology of boomer-millennial warfare (paywalled)
Winston Peters’ privacy breach case
Yvette McCullough (RNZ): Upholding Peters’ complaints would be ‘catastrophic’ – lawyer
RNZ: Bennett, Tolley avoid financial damages in Peters privacy case
Tim Murphy (Newsroom): Peters accepts National ministers didn’t leak
Sustainable NZ
Liam Hehir (Pundit): Is There A Constituency For The Sustainable New Zealand Party?
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Vernon Tava silent on Sustainable NZ’s position on key environmental issues
Local government
Nick Truebrdige (Stuff): Auckland Council investigating complaint after councillor’s response to Māngere Mountain tree removal row
Todd Niall (Stuff):Auckland mayoral contender John Tamihere still hasn’t made concession call to Phil Goff
Helen Harvey (Stuff): Candidate who lost election is named as a councillor in New Plymouth District update
Jane Matthews (Stuff): Stratford councillors pick their salary, but are still the lowest paid in Taranaki
Joel Maxwell (Stuff): Petrol-card use ‘entirely different’ between dumped Porirua mayor, and chief executive
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Sir Peter Jackson’s company bankrolling Shelly Bay litigation (paywalled)
1News: Wellington mum shocked at public pool breastfeeding ban – ‘I thought common sense would prevail’
1News: Breastfeeding now banned in all Wellington City Council pools
RNZ: Breastfeeding banned in council-run pools in Wellington
Damian George (Stuff): Wellington Mayor Andy Foster brings back catered councillor lunches
Adan E. Suazo (ODT): Trust vital in water management
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Majority votes to retain iwi representatives on Otago Regional Council
Katie Todd (RNZ): Pub hosting freedom campers hit by ‘insulting’ council decision
Education
Simon Collins (Herald): National v Labour on education: Paths to alternate futures (paywalled)
Laura Walters (Newsroom): National’s predictable education plan
Derek Cheng (Herald): Top marks for National’s education proposals (paywalled)
1News: National labels Government’s school system overhaul an ‘humiliating backdown’
RNZ: Tomorrow’s Schools reforms a ‘humiliating backdown’ for government – Simon Bridges
Anna Whyte (1News): National promises to bring back partnership schools, scrap first year fees-free tertiary model
Zane Small (Newshub): National teases options to replace ‘fees-free’ in education policy proposal
Henry Cooke (Stuff): National could scrap fees-free study, replace with ‘Education Saver’ accounts
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): National aims to replace fees-free policy with tertiary ‘education saver’ system
Derek Cheng (Herald): National looks at more teachers, spot ECE checks, and an EduSaver pot for every child
1News: Government commits to central funding of teacher aides as pay dispute continues
Claire Amos (Spinoff): A principal responds to the Tomorrow’s Schools Report
Taroi Black (Māori TV): Teacher aides fight for living wages
D’Angelo Martin (Māori TV): Kia Aroha College establishes their own School Lunch Scheme
Northern Advocate (Herald): Difficult kids in schools under pressure – the Ministry of Education responds over study into severe behaviour
Maria Slade (Spinoff): Crimson Education’s bills keep coming, even if your child isn’t going
Martyn Bradbury: Of course Massey went to the Spinoff to justify strangling free speech
Monetary policy
Hamish Rutherford (Herald): OCR: Adrian Orr banking on help from the Beehive (paywalled)
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Adrian Orr not letting Grant Robertson off the hook
Richard Harman (Politik): Well, we got that wrong
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Reserve Bank surprise: OCR on hold
Liam Dann (Herald): Adrian Orr plays it cool with pause on OCR cuts
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): RBNZ’s tactics could backfire as signs of potential mortgage rate hikes appear
Gyles Beckford (RNZ): Reserve Bank holds Official Cash Rate steady at 1 percent
1News: Official cash rate remains unchanged at one per cent – Reserve Bank
Brent Edwards (NBR): Reserve Bank expects low interest rates for a long time (paywalled)
Herald: OCR: NZ dollar spikes after RBNZ leaves interest rates unchanged at 1 per cent
David Hargreaves (Interest): RBNZ surprises by leaving OCR unchanged at 1%
Jenny Ruth (BusinessDesk): RBNZ defies economists and holds OCR at 1% (paywalled)
Infrastructure
Shamubeel Eaqub (RNZ):Transparency and capacity key to Infrastructure Commission success
Brent Edwards (NBR): Commission presses finger on NZ infrastructure pulse (paywalled)
Immigration
Jenna Lynch (Newshub):Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway only briefed on arranged marriage visa rule change in October
Dileepa Fonseka (Newsroom): Why the partnership visa fix is no fix at all
Derek Cheng (Herald): The Government reveals new system for arranged marriages and partnership visas
Charlie Dreaver (RNZ): New visa process in place for culturally arranged marriages
Anna Whyte (1News): Changes to be made to visa process for couples with arranged marriages, amid concerns in Indian community
Scott Palmer (Newshub): Government backflips on arranged marriage visas
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Immigration Minister announces visitor’s visa for culturally arranged marriages
Māori TV: U-turn on couples residency visas
Jo Moir (RNZ): Labour, NZ First arranged marriage coalition clash continues in Cabinet
Chris Wilson (Newshub): Nativism in New Zealand: What does NZ First really stand for?
Donna Miles-Mojab (Stuff): Our immigration policies should reflect our Kiwi values
Health
Libby Wilson (Stuff): Waikato DHB and former boss Nigel Murray settle before case hits court
Natalie Akoorie (Herald): Nigel Murray still fighting to keep Maria Dew report into his spending secret
Libby Wilson (Stuff): Waikato DHB’s $29.1m Government bailout one of many for cash-strapped health boards
Jonathan Mitchell (RNZ): Halt drug switch linked to three deaths – Epilepsy NZ
RNZ: Measles spreading like ‘wildfire’ in Samoa – NZ vaccinologist
Koro Vaka’ut (RNZ): Tonga to re-vaccinate thousands for measles
Mackenzie Smith (RNZ): ‘Hoping we can hold’: Small Pacific states brace for measles spread
RNZ: American Samoa takes measles measures
Luisa Giraeo (ODT): Southern DHB not keen on charity colonoscopy help
RNZ: Researcher to put spotlight on health and well-being of Niueans
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Organ donation bill passes third reading, paving the way for new donation service
Emily Brookes (Stuff): Te reo Coca-Cola labels ‘exploit Māori’ says NZ Dental Association
Dita De Boni (NBR): Taco Bell the latest artery-clogging chain to hit NZ (paywalled)
Period Poverty
Jason Walls (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says tackling period poverty is a ‘personal priority’ for her
Jason Walls (Herald): Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter promises action on period poverty before Budget 2020
1News: Jacinda Ardern says she’s working on ‘ideas and solutions’ to period poverty in NZ
Mitchell Alexander (Newshub): Government to tackle period poverty before Budget 2020
Katarina Williams (Stuff): Period poverty petition presented to MPs, as Govt pledges action by Budget 2020
Justice, corrections
Isaac Davison (Herald): Shrinking number of judges come from poor households or have any experience of poverty, Chief Justice Helen Winkelmann says
Rodney Hide (NBR): Ask Kiwis what they want from judges (paywalled)
David Fisher (Herald): Bad food, cold water, leaky toilets – life inside a prison system bursting at the seams (paywalled)
Police
RNZ: The Detail: Police Māori strategy a re-turning of the tide
Daisy Hudson (ODT): AOS callouts soaring in South
Fireworks
Louise Humpage (Newsroom): Please, it’s time to ditch the fireworks
Jason Walls (Herald): Environment Minister David Parker wants to move firework sales to Matariki time
1News: Calls to ban use of private fireworks debated at Select Committee
Pam Graham (RNZ): Fireworks ban flares up as issue for Masterton
Catholic Church
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Two-year wait for Catholic Church to trial promised abuse audit
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Catholic Church starts survey ‘to be prepared’ for abuse inquiry
Environment and conservation
Guy Trafford (Interest): The Commissioner for the Environment’s latest report, and whether the problem of turning ideas into actions and results will be this Government’s demise
Brent Edwards (NBR): Environmental standards not all bad news (paywalled)
Daily Blog: Pub Politics – Climate Hoax or Climate Crisis Video feat. Scott Simpson, Geoff Simmons, Luke Wijohn and Peter Williams
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): Climate change deniers not basing their beliefs on science – expert
Hamish MacLean (ODT): Hoiho rescue groups applaud Govt funding
RNZ: Hoiho projects to get $500,000 helping hand
Scott Palmer (Newshub): Russia ‘pleased’ people from Russia voted in NZ Bird of the Year competition
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): Why Russia was so interested in the Bird of the Year competition
Maja Burry (RNZ): Drones with advanced sensors could help fight against Myrtle rust
Tim Pankhurst (Stuff): Banning fishing on large parts of our coast won’t save Māui dolphins
Firearms
Philippa Yasbek and Jeff Loan (Stuff): Why a gun register will make us safer
Thomas Manch (Stuff): No shortage of semi-automatic guns as New Zealand rearms after March 15
Zane Small (Newshub): More guns added to semi-automatics ban after loophole exposed
John Weekes (Stuff): Mutant pistols to be included in gun ban plan
Transport
RNZ: Auckland bus drivers strike over unpaid split-shift hours
1News: South Auckland bus drivers striking today after ‘month from hell’, impacting school exams
Royal Commission into mosque attacks
Charlie Gates (Press): March 15 terror attack Royal Commission extended nearly five months
Zane Small (Newshub): Royal Commission into mosque attacks gets $3m boost, four month extension
Charlie Gates (Press): Plan for ‘over the top’ Christchurch mosque shooting memorial on hold
Newshub: Facebook has removed or blocked millions of attempts to upload banned video
Kim Moodie (Herald): Over 4.5m pieces of content related to Christchurch terrorist attack removed from Facebook
Primary industries
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Forestry Minister Shane Jones to meet farmers protesting Billion Trees Programme at Parliament
ODT Editorial: Critical time ahead for Fonterra
Sally Rae (ODT): No further poultry disease found in NZ
SkyCity fire
Anne Gibson (Herald): SkyCity convention centre fire: Up to estimated $250m to repair the damage
RNZ: Arsenic found in SkyCity smoke plume
Housing
Mike White (North&South): A dirty rotten scandal: The leaky homes saga
1News: Auckland not ahead of housing shortfall, despite record-number of dwelling consents – expert
Erebus
RNZ: White Silence: Film captures last images of passengers before Erebus crash
Katy Gosset (RNZ): White Silence: Remembering Christine
Other
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Chinese propaganda films are being made in New Zealand at taxpayer expense
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Income tax rejig tipped as Labour ponders how to fill hole left by CGT failure
Conan Young (RNZ): Commission’s official apology for quake claims botch-ups
Charlie Dreaver (RNZ): Terrorism bill an ‘obnoxious’ piece of legislation – privacy commissioner
Jimmy Ellingham (Manawatū Standard): Government inaction on foam contamination continues; local officials further frustrated
Sonya Rockhouse (Stuff): It’s not just about bodies, it’s about justice
Catherine Harris (Stuff): NZ Post holds $38 million aside to correct miscalculated holiday pay and leave
Frank Greenall (Herald): Gangs need pathways out (paywalled)
Pattrick Smellie (Herald): Electricity’s real elephant in the room (paywalled)
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Keeping Tiwai Point smelter open best for climate change – Contact chair (paywalled)
Brittany Keogh (Stuff): Cannabis legalisation: Teen addiction rate rises by a quarter in some US states
Scott Palmer (Newshub): New Zealand government condemns Gaza rocket attacks on Israel
Susan Strongman (RNZ): Now we are Five Million: New Zealand’s dying towns
Daisy Hudson (ODT): Anti-trans complaint misused govt email
RNZ: France risks being sued over Moruroa nuclear waste – MP
Michael Woodhouse (ODT): Union rail criticism must be consistent
Steve Maharey (Pundit): Authoritarian Populism, The Third Way And The Future Of Social Democratic Politics. Blog #7
Chris Keall (Herald): Another Aussie crackdown on Big Tech – this time targeting fake ads on Facebook (paywalled)
Siobhan Downes (Stuff): US ambassador and KISS megafan Scott Brown ‘disappointed’ by cancelled concert
Brent Melville (ODT): Engineering hub gains support
