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.
NZ First
Matt Shand (Stuff): What NZ First slush fund was spent on: Campaign HQ, staff overtime, and a shredder
Danyl Mclauchlan (Spinoff): The NZ First donations scandal is very serious, and won’t let Jacinda Ardern hide
Matthew Hooton (Herald): The case for a snap election (paywalled)
Max Rashbrooke (Guardian): A weeping sore – Jacinda Ardern must clean up New Zealand’s political donations mess
Andrew Geddis (Pundit): The NZ First Foundation: A Story With No Happy Ending
Liam Hehir (Pundit): Jacinda Ardern’s Crisitunity
Jane Patterson (RNZ): NZ First’s political donations: A creeping feeling of deja vu
Claire Trevett (Herald): Does NZ First’s mystery foundation meet PM Jacinda Ardern’s ‘spirit of the law’ test? (paywalled)
Derek Cheng (Herald): NZ First donations and the danger of history repeating
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Peters allegations another political toothache for PM
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): NZ First and the real problem with political donations (paywalled)
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): PM must take a stand against NZ First
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): We’re right to question Winston Peters
Duncan Garner (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern needs to step up and take control of her Government
Jason Walls (Herald): NZ First donation saga: Jacinda Ardern under pressure to order investigation
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Winston Peters says his party has always obeyed electoral law after new revelations about foundation
Jane Patterson (RNZ): Winston Peters rejects accusations over NZ First Foundation
Zane Small (Newshub): Winston Peters blasts ‘filthy allegations’ about New Zealand First hiding donations
Jason Walls (Herald): NZ First Leader Winston Peters insists party in the clear over electoral donation claims
Jenée Tibshraeny ((Interest): NZ First Leader Winston Peters distances himself from the foundation allegedly used to funnel donations to his party
Jason Walls (Herald): Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters promises to ‘set the record straight’ over electoral donations claims
Newstalk ZB: Former NZ First treasurer says he questioned party’s financial records
Dubby Henry (Herald): NZ First Foundation: Party officials, MPs kept in the dark about funds
Zane Small (Newshub): Winston Peters ‘not sorry at all’ for labelling journalist ‘psycho’
1News: Electoral Commission receives complaint over NZ First Foundation
Newstalk ZB: The Huddle: Should Jacinda Ardern call a snap election?
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Simon Bridges says he would welcome a snap election
Tova O’Brien (Newshub): National’s chances of working with NZ First weakened by donation allegations – Simon Bridges
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern must act over New Zealand First hidden donation allegations – Simon Bridges
1News: ‘I’m not the chief censor’ – Jacinda Ardern distances herself from latest Shane Jones controversy
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she won’t censor New Zealand First ministers’ language
No Right Turn: A corrupt practice
David Farrar: Oops he did it again
Martyn Bradbury: On NZ First’s current funding ‘scandal
Greg Presland (Standard): Not a good look
Overseas investment rules
Hamish Rutherford (Herald): Sales of airports, lines companies could be blocked under new ‘national interest test’
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Spy agencies sought govt’s foreign new investment ‘call-in’ powers
Scott Palmer (Newshub): Government announces reform of overseas investment rules to protect ‘national interests’
Collette Devlin (Stuff): National interest test added to overseas investment rules
Brent Edwards (NBR): Tough new overseas investment rules protect national interest (paywalled)
RNZ: Government toughens OIO rules with ‘national interest’ test
Reuters: New Zealand to widen powers to block foreign investment on security grounds
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): National interest test added to overseas investment rules
Richard Harman (Politik): Parker’s big rewrite of the overseas investment rules
Hamish Rutherford (Herald): Overseas investors face new tests for water bottling, infrastructure investment
Anna Whyte (1News): Overseas investment shake-up sees extra step for water bottling consents
Anna Bracewell-Worrall (Newshub): Government tinkers with overseas investment rules for water bottling
Mia Chung (University of Auckland): Is New Zealand giving away control over its water?
Media
Chris Trotter (Interest): New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation Redux – a threat to democracy?
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Media merger phoenix has another crack at rising
Luke Malpass and Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Kiwishare model mooted to protect journalism in new NZME-Stuff takeover bid
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): StuffMe is back, but will the Commerce Commission play ball?
Paul McBeth (BusinessDesk): Beehive lobbied for revised StuffME deal (paywalled)
RNZ: NZME confirms it is in discussions to buy Stuff
Herald: NZ Herald owner NZME confirms interest in buying Stuff
Amanda Meade (Guardian): Merger between New Zealand Herald and Stuff owners back on the table
Ihumātao
Jo Moir (RNZ): Ihumātao: Govt told not to ‘alienate mana whenua’ from talks
Māori TV: Kiingitanga surprised over unconfirmed Ihumātao rumours
Laura Walters (Newsroom): Labour Māori caucus anxious for Ihumātao solution
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Government won’t confirm or deny loan for Ihumātao
Derek Cheng (Herald): National urges Govt on Ihumātao: No taxpayer or ratepayer bailout
Emma Cropper (Newshub): Government warned against using taxpayer money to resolve Ihumātao
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Government should forget about Ihumātao
Josh O’Sullivan and Lozza Kiff (International Socialists): Ihumātao: a Struggle for Justice
Child poverty
1News: Government’s $5.5b Families Package on track to lift 74,000 children out of poverty – report
Yvette McCullough (RNZ): Government quotes welfare stats after child poverty inaction accusations
Ben Strang (RNZ): Child poverty, welfare: government inaction frustrates advocacy groups
NZ in Afghanistan
RNZ: NZDF agrees deal to have private firm clear deadly Afghan firing ranges
No Right Turn: Still denying responsibility
Electoral changes
Mitchell Alexander (Newshub): Flat Bush expected to be proposed new North Island electorate
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Boundary changes likely for the South
Parliament
RNZ: MPs scrap ban on use of Parliament TV footage
Phil Smith (RNZ): In Parliament this week
Firearms
Ben Strang (RNZ): Banned firearms: ‘There’s effectively a permanent amnesty’
Eric Crampton: Police and guns
Housing
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Don’t pity landlords over rental changes, just make sure the Government builds houses
Andrew Bevin (NBR): Auditor-General finds no meat in Collins’ KiwiBuild concerns (paywalled)
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Kris Faafoi’s rental law changes won’t make life easier for anyone in property market
Eric Crampton (Newsroom): The misery of a stifled housing market
Eric Crampton: Really protecting tenants
David Hargreaves (Interest): Why the new tenancy rules will drive more into state housing
Environment and conservation
Harry Lock (RNZ): Seabird conservation plan not tough enough, says advocates
Amber-Leigh Woolf (Stuff): Fishing vessels ‘bulldozing’ oceans, destroying 3000 tonnes of coral in one year
Russel Norman: Bruce Jesson Memorial Lecture: What institutional reform befits the era of the long climate crisis?
James Renwick (Stuff): Climate explained: Why coastal floods are becoming more frequent as seas rise
Tracy Neal (RNZ): Climate-friendly power schemes hindered by government policy – industry
David Clarkson (Stuff): First Extinction Rebellion protester to be arrested in NZ heading to trial
Robin Martin (RNZ): Port Taranaki flunks environmental report card
D’Angelo Martin (Māori TV): Hapū concerned about water levels at Poroti
Gerrard Eckhoff (ODT): Rural water use – beyond irrigation
Primary industries
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Should we really feel sorry for dairy farmers
Rachael Kelly (Southland Times): MP goes head-to-head with Fish and Game boss over bird poo
Local government
Kiri Gillespie (Herald): Tauranga City Council’s controversial begging and rough sleeping ban u-turn divides (paywalled)
Sam Kelway (TVNZ): Tauranga’s controversial begging bylaw may be thrown out, despite claims it’s ‘working well’
Nikki Preston (Herald): Overnight retreats, hot springs and bus trips: How Waikato’s elected members got inducted
Tommy Livingston (Stuff): First things first: Wellington City Councillors vote on giving themselves a pay rise
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Complaints kept secret in Wellington councillor code of conduct investigation
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Wellington council massage room relocated after outrage
Damian George (Stuff): No immediate plans to fix Wellington’s ‘poorly functioning’ Civic Square
Daisy Hudson (ODT): Aurora work: power bills up $500
ODT: Boult takes aim at DCC over proposed power price hike
Daisy Hudson (ODT): Huge power price hikes on cards for Otago households
Education
Lee Kenny (Stuff): Auckland medical students to face scrutiny after Otago students faked placements
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): Medical student overseas placement holiday rort ‘widespread’ – GP
RNZ: Guidance and rules for medical students ‘are loose’ – resident doctor’s association
ODT Editorial: Placement rort undermines integrity
Steve Stannard (Stuff): University gender breakdown gives food for thought
Skycity gambling
Taroi Black (Māori TV): Skycity gambling hidden agendas claims Māori health provider
Gerald Piddock (Stuff): SkyCity argues plans for 399 pokie machines a ‘modest’ increase for Hamilton casino
Andrew McRae (RNZ): SkyCity wants more pokies in exchange for fewer blackjack tables
Police
Harrison Christian (Stuff): Northland Police defend ‘brutal’ arrest after video shared on social media
Scott Palmer (Newshub): Police praise dog handler’s ‘brave actions’ after controversial arrest in Whangārei
1News: Police defend actions in Whangārei arrest, after footage emerged online of police dog biting alleged offender
Health
RNZ: Checkpoint: Unaffordable dental care: ‘I can’t do anything about it’
Oliver Lewis (Stuff): Mental health patients stuck in ‘unkempt’, ‘outdated’ quake-prone building
Stephanie Ockhuysen (Taranaki Daily News): Lack of psychologists leads to 12-month waiting list for Taranaki children to be assessed
David Farrar: NZ smoking rates
Emma Perry (ODT): Hodgson describes vision of new Dunedin Hospital
Samoa measles outbreak
RNZ: Samoan family loses third child to measles epidemic
Jamie Ensor and Perry Wilton (Newshub): Counties Manukau nurses heading to Samoa as measles crisis worsens
Foreign affairs
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Universities hit out at planned export crackdown
Mackenzie Smith (RNZ): NZ administrator to Tokelau ‘encouraged’ suspensions – High Court
Maire Leadbeater (Herald): Deafening silence as West Papua crisis deepens (paywalled)
Immigration
Amanda Cropp (Stuff): Philippines Government opens labour office to stop migrant exploitation
Gill Bonnett (RNZ): New visa conditions to join partner in New Zealand
Greg Ninness (Interest): More New Zealanders are leaving the country and more non-NZ citizens are arriving
Stuart Smith and Deborah Russell (Stuff): Is New Zealand exploiting migrants or giving them a chance?
Banks
1News: Reserve Bank increases supervision of BNZ after identifying ‘a number of errors’
RNZ: BNZ forced to increase its capital to $600m
Gareth Vaughan (Interest): RBNZ imposes $250 mln regulatory capital increase on BNZ
Jenny Ruth (BusinessDesk): RBNZ steps up BNZ supervision after capital calculation breaches (paywalled)
Royal tour
Brian Rudman (Herald): Let’s not wait any longer – draw up the succession plan (paywalled)
RNZ: Royal tour: Prince Charles and Camilla’s official welcome
Zoe Hunter (Herald): How sweet! What Simon Bridges gifted to Prince Charles
Stephen Colbert
Anna Murray (Herald): The verdict on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert: The Newest Zealander
1News: Watch: Stephen Colbert enjoys traditional Kiwi BBQ with Jacinda Ardern, Clarke Gayford and Lorde
1News: Watch: Jacinda Ardern and Stephen Colbert sing Bohemian Rhapsody together after PM picks him up from airport
Stuff: The Late Show host Stephen Colbert wants to officiate at Jacinda Ardern’s wedding
Siobhan Downes (Stuff): Stephen Colbert reveals why he chose to focus on New Zealand for a whole week
Herald: Lorde, PM Jacinda Ardern pranked by Stephen Colbert on The Late Show
Other
Simon Chapple (Newsroom): A largely unnoticed power grab by government ministers
Tim Maurice (Spinoff): Behrouz Boochani should think twice before claiming asylum in New Zealand
Ian Hyslop (Newsroom): We must let go of illusions to address child abuse
Meriana Johnsen (RNZ): Is there tikanga around euthanasia?
Peter Lyons (ODT): Money and the stories we tell ourselves
Liam Dann (Herald): Westpac: The worst is over, economy headed for rebound
RNZ: The Detail: The battle over Ōwairaka is about more than trees
David Farrar: The race to be Labour’s President
David Farrar: Gareth Hughes retires
RNZ: Women dehydrating themselves due to no toilets at work, union says
Māori TV: Wāhine dehydrating themselves to avoid toilets – RMTU
Jessie Chiang (RNZ): Scams targeting Pasifika people on the rise – community leaders
Marc Daalder (Newshub): The ISP scramble to block the Christchurch video
David Farrar: Govt and Oppn polling comparison
Zizi Sparks (Rotorua Daily Post): Kaumātua gather in Rotorua to discuss issues affecting them (paywalled)
