Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.
Political donations
Guyon Espiner and Kate Newton (RNZ): New details revealed over NZ First-linked company and Shane Jones’ office
Matt Shand (Stuff): Winston Peters says the NZ First foundation is similar to the National Party’s foundation. Here’s how it isn’t
No Right Turn: A “coincidence”
David Farrar: Jones only declared a conflict after media asked questions
Audrey Young (Herald): Former NZ First officials want private hearing on donations with justice committee
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Former NZ First officials keen to talk to select committee inquiry on foundation
Zane Small (Newshub): Letter shows former NZ First president Lester Gray wants to submit on party’s donations
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Bryce Edwards (Herald): Political Roundup: What’s driving the urgent clamp down on foreign donations? (paywalled)
1News: Ways around Government’s ban on foreign donations to political parties, law professor says
1News: Government’s ban on foreign political donations doesn’t go far enough, Simon Bridges says
Yvette McCullough (RNZ): Bill banning foreign donations: ‘You’ve got a panicked government’ – Bridges
1News: Winston Peters labels National MP a ‘dysfunctional geriatric’ after being called a ‘rat’
Zane Small (Newshub): Chaos in the House: Winston Peters blasts ‘dysfunctional geriatric’ MP who labelled him a ‘rat’
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): ‘Plonker’, ‘dysfunctional geriatric’, ‘rat’: It’s silly season in Parliament
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Insults fly at Parliament as NZ First Foundation allegations spill into urgent electoral law debate
Jason Walls (Herald): Deputy PM Winston Peters comes out swinging in Parliament debate over political donations
Charlie Dreaver (RNZ): Dirty laundry aired as foreign political donations bill passes third reading in Parliament
Cannabis referendum
Gordon Campbell: On stoking fears about cannabis law reform
1News: Two starkly opposing views emerge after details of proposed cannabis reform
Damien Venuto (Herald): Story about driver who smoked cannabis on the job shocks employers boss
Heather du Plessis Allan (Herald): Why I’ll vote for cannabis legalisation if the law is strong enough
Martyn Bradbury: The only ‘unanswered questions’ about the cannabis referendum is how do you smoke 42 joints in a day and where do I sign up?
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): Revealed: the shocking volume of an intoxicating drug you can legally buy
Carmen Parahi (Stuff): My neighbours were drug dealers and I didn’t report them to police
Duncan Garner (Newshub): Legalising cannabis is bloody mad
Geoff Simmons: Will the Reeferendum Keep People Out of the Joint?
Russell Brown: The Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill: pretty good so far
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Cannabis referendum risks being New Zealand’s Brexit – National’s Simon Bridges
Thomas Manch (Stuff): ‘Find me somebody who has smoked 42 joints’: Politicians size up 14 gram cannabis proposal
Alan Kenyon (1News): Paula Bennett brings bag of fake weed to Parliament to make point on cannabis referendum
Jason Walls (Herald): National Deputy Leader Paula Bennett brought out a unique prop in Parliament this afternoon
Anna Bracewell-Worrall (Newshub): MPs fire up when Paula Bennett pulls out 14-gram baggie in Parliament
Michael Neilson (Herald): Cannabis lollipops, soft drinks and protein powder could be on the market for Kiwis following cannabis referendum
RNZ: Green Party’s Chlöe Swarbrick says prohibition model on cannabis has failed
Tracy Neal (RNZ): Public divided over government’s cannabis bill referendum
Abe Leach (Whanganui Chronicle): Cannabis vote: The word on the street and what our local MPs say (paywalled)
Samoa measles epidemic
Jason Walls (Herald): PM Jacinda Ardern upset over child refused vaccination before going to Samoa
Stuff: Jacinda Ardern says it was ‘outrageous’ a toddler was refused vaccination
Lana Andelane (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern slams ‘outrageous’ Auckland clinic that refused to vaccinate Samoan toddler
1News: Jacinda Ardern outraged by reports that Samoan toddler was turned down for measles jab in NZ
Logan Church and Alex Perrottet (RNZ): Shock as Samoan toddler denied MMR vaccine in Auckland
RNZ: UNICEF on Samoa measles outbreak: ‘The situation is huge’
RNZ: Samoa measles epidemic: Death toll rises to 60
Logan Church and Alex Perrottet (RNZ): Fatal botched vaccine in Samoa was against parents’ wishes
Florence Kerr (Stuff): Samoan measles: Funeral Director refuses payment from families burying their young
Florence Kerr (Stuff): Samoa measles outbreak: Five more die in measles-ravaged Samoa
RNZ: Samoa measles epidemic: non-essential road travel banned
Florence Kerr (Stuff): Samoa measles outbreak: Non-vaccinated told to tie red flag to their homes
ODT Samoa measles cartoon
ODT Editorial: We got it wrong
Press Editorial: Samoa epidemic no laughing matter
Bronson Perich, Heta Gardiner (Māori TV): Samoan High Commissioner comments on Otago Daily Times
1News: ODT Samoa measles cartoon ‘a slap in the face to grieving families’ – Race Relations Commissioner
ODT: Cartoonist’s work on hold as paper considers new policy
1News: Protestors confront Otago Daily Times editor demanding answers about Samoa measles cartoon
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): Otago Daily Times cartoonist Garrick Tremain apologises for Samoan measles comic
Richard Pamatatau (RNZ): Tremain Samoa cartoon a chance to make ODT’s journalism more informed
Karl du Fresne: That Garrick Tremain cartoon
Hamish Cardwell and Tim Brown (RNZ): ODT to cease publishing cartoonist’s work during review
RNZ: First Up: Cartoonist not sorry for measles cartoon labelled as racist
Stuff: Samoa cartoon labelled ‘extremely appalling’ by Race Relations Commissioner
Alex Braae (Spinoff): ODT cartoonist infuriates his colleagues with Samoa measles epidemic ‘joke’
Christine L Ammunson (Spinoff): I thought NZ had changed. Then I saw the cartoon making fun of our Sāmoan babies’ deaths
Tuki Laumea (TheCoconet.tv): Samoan measles cartoon ‘white privilege hate’ published by ‘rednecks’
Hamish Cardwell (RNZ): ODT cartoon sparks calls for anti-racism training for the paper
Stuff: Cartoonist Garrick Tremain’s controversial Samoa cartoon not the first to be criticised
Local government
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Govt moves to end ‘coin-toss’ local elections
RNZ: Minister proposes electoral law changes after Whakatāne coin toss incident
Dileepa Fonseka (Newsroom): Referendum system for Māori wards to stay
Susan Botting (RNZ): Call for statutory Māori seats in local government to increase representation
Damian George (Stuff): Wellington City Council paid $50,000 to recruit chief executive
Joel Maxwell (Stuff): Case closed, or consider taking further action: Mike Tana decision loom
Dominic Harris (Press): Public cash not used to fly new Christchurch council boss’ pooch from UK
Ports of Auckland
Simon Wilson (Herald): Port in a storm, part 4: The North of Plenty (paywalled)
Andrea Fox (Herald): Northport can’t be super port without ownership shakeup: report (paywalled)
Anne Gibson (Herald): Ports of Auckland fights back: Study estimates $626m import cost rise, more carbon emissions
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland Port move: Import costs would rise by up to $600m says new study
James Fyfe (Newshub): Movinng Auckland’s port would see $500 million increase in import costs – report
1News: GDP would drop $1.2 billion per year if Auckland’s port is moved to Northland – NZIER
Graham Skellern (NBR): Closing port is a $1b plus cost to national economy, says new report (paywalled)
Michael Neilson (Herald): Ports of Auckland wants to dredge 2.5 million cubic metres of sediment from Waitematā Harbour
Education
Laura Walters (Newsroom): Early Learning Action Plan more ‘plan’ than ‘action’
Jessica Long (Stuff): Education’s leaning tower: Does the Pisa international benchmark matter?
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Classroom disruption, decline in reading blamed for poor test scores
1News: The worrying reason behind NZ’s dropping teenager education levels
James Fyfe (Newshub): OECD report shows long-term drop in New Zealand children’s academic performance
Henry Cooke (Stuff): State integrated schools could take Government to court over infrastructure boost
DAmian Rowe (Southland Times): Two Southland schools noted for borrowing money outside of Ministry guidelines
Rachel Sadler (Newshub): Students support banning phones at school – Auckland’s Glendowie College principal
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Academics urge greater scrutiny of university foreign deals
Steve Stannard (Manawatū Standard): New Zealand institutions found wanting over research
Primary industries
Toby Morris (Spinoff): Excuse me, HOW many chickens just died on one farm in a powercut?
Richard Harman (Politik): Making peace with farmers
Jamie Mackay (Herald): Jacinda Ardern: There is no rural/urban divide (paywalled)
Collette Devlin Stuff): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern warns banks to be mindful about farm debt
Brent Edwards (NBR): No major impact on farmers from new bank capital requirements, RBNZ says (paywalled)
Jenny Ruth (BusinessDesk): Bad dairy loans aren’t getting worse, just reclassified: Orr (paywalled)
Luke Kirkness (Herald):MPI fires stark warning to ‘risky’ unpasteurised milk retailers
Damian Rowe (Stuff): MPI investigating unregistered raw milk suppliers in Southland
John Gibson (Newsroom): Seasonal workers’ important NZ role
Tobias Buck (Spinoff): The harvesters: A photo exhibition showing the hidden side of horticulture
Climate change
Eleanor Ainge Roy (Guardian):Climate change to steer all New Zealand government decisions from now on
Amber-Leigh Woolf (Stuff): Wellington Region transport emissions increase by 12 per cent in five years
Amber-Leigh Woolf (Stuff): New Zealand joins international treaty to slash ship emissions
David Hall (Stuff): When it comes to forestry, we’ve got the wrong end of the stick
Jamie Tahana (RNZ): COP 25: Pacific nations demand greater commitments
1News: Last month was the hottest November on record in NZ, NIWA scientists say
Environment and conservation
Lois Williams (RNZ): West Coast iwi join call for review of Conservation Board line-up
Herald Editorial: The plastic pollution problem – NZ’s part in the waste stream (paywalled)
Leith Huffadine (RNZ): ‘Four percent is not enough’: Low amounts of philanthropic funding going to the environment
Housing
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Should poverty be a crime? Other ideas to combat homelessness
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Time to accept home ownership isn’t a birthright
Stephen Forbes (Stuff): Orakei Local Board wants to restrict high density housing in Auckland’s posh suburbs
Nicholas Boyack (Stuff): Mixed reaction to transitional housing plan for Wainuomata
Kate Hawkesby (Newstalk ZB): Good luck finding a flat and getting started in life
Police
Hone Harawira (Daily Blog): A White Man kills and Black People suffer
Jason Walls (Herald): Mongrel Mob ‘Media Liaison’ among those calling on the Govt not to further arm police
RNZ: Cyclist dies after being hit by vehicle during police pursuit
Health
Farah Hancock (Newsroom): Requests for national catch-up MMR campaign ignored
Imran Ali (Herald): Push for measles vaccination in Northland ahead of holidays (paywalled)
Jo Moir (RNZ): Internal Affairs criticises public ‘beating up’ of Hepatitis Foundation over report
Aaron Leaman and Ellen O’Dwyer (Stuff): Waikato health boss Nigel Murray’s spending revealed in new report
Nicholas Jones (Herald): Preschooler’s teeth removed under general anaesthesia after Auckland Regional Dental Service delays (paywalled)
Katarina Williams and Amber-Leigh Woolf (Stuff): Midwives push for better resourcing, pay
Sarah Monod de Froideville (Newsroom): Ongoing victims of Havelock North’s water crisis
Ngāpuhi treaty negotiations
1News: Ngāpuhi members call for more detail as Government announces negotiation changes
1News: Government changes tack over stalled Ngāpuhi treaty negotiations
Te Aniwa Hurihanganui (RNZ): Ngāpuhi hapū doubt Crown’s new approach to settlement
Māni Dunlop (RNZ): Ngāpuhi given opportunity to propose new Treaty negotiation framework
Banking sector
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Reserve Bank’s ‘$20 billion’ decision on bank capital may flow through to mortgage rates
Gyles Beckford (RNZ): D(ecision)-Day for bank finance rules
Hamish Rutherford (Herald): Reserve Bank defends one in 200 year calculation, on eve of capital announcement (paywalled)
Gareth Vaughan (Interest): A recap of six key changes proposed by the RBNZ in its bank capital review
Jenny Ruth (BusinessDesk): NZ banks can currently withstand one-in-100-year shocks: Orr (paywalled)
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Ratings agency says outlook negative for Kiwi banks
Transport
1News: Dozens of Auckland buses cancelled over next two days as strikes continue
Mike Noon (Dominion Post):Why the Ōtaki to Levin highway can’t wait until 2034
Australia repeals refugee evacuation laws
Matt Coughlan (AAP): Australia repeals refugee evacuation laws, could opens door for New Zealand offer
Benjamin Robinson-Drawbridge (RNZ): ‘Life saving’ medevac laws repealed by Aus gov
Pike River
Mark Quinlivan and Sam Farrell (Newshub): Pike River re-entry crew allowed further up mine
1News: Pike River re-entry team to venture further into mine as WorkSafe gives green light
Laura Smith (ODT): Way cleared for full Pike River Mine re-entry
RNZ: Pike River mine re-entry work progresses onto next phase
Stuff: Pike River mine re-entry plan progressing
Wellington Lifelines report
Damian George (Stuff): Wellington’s passenger rail network would be affected for almost three years following major earthquake
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Thousands of quake-prone buildings in need of work yet to be identified
‘Jew’ comment
Juliet Moses (Spinoff): The BSA ruling on a ‘Jew’ slur loaded with centuries of persecution is utterly feeble
RNZ: NZ Jewish Council wants punishment for Sky Sports over ‘Jew’ comment
RNZ: Complaint over ‘Jew’ description of rugby player not upheld
Other
Gill Bonnett (RNZ): Immigration quota talks begin as 35,000 wait on residency decision
No Right Turn: Terrorism Suppression Bill: Worse than I thought
Kate Macnamara (Stuff): Police privacy breach underscores the need for stronger privacy laws
Claire Trevett (Herald): Does grim poll mean the Coalition supper will be a last supper? (paywalled)
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): The catch with debt is it must be repaid (paywalled)
Spinoff:I complained to Labour of a sexual assault. Then I read about it in the news
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Winston Peters says New Zealand won’t respond to Russia alleging Defence Force committed ‘crimes’
Rawiri Taonui: A Collins’ Guide to Cultural Colour Blindness
Pattrick Smellie (Herald): Fresh, unified thinking emerging around future of work (paywalled)
Bernard Hickey (Newsroom): Govt move turns the screw on Rio Tinto
Rodney Hide (NBR): Policy by blunder as PM picks taxpayers’ pockets (paywalled)
Tina Ngata (Guardian): Cultural appropriation of Māori traditions is an exercise in entitlement and privilege
RNZ: Cyber scam and fraud reports up 20 percent
Stuff: Judges heading major inquiries leaves Supreme Court short handed
Maxine Jacobs (Manawatū Standard): Do they know it’s Christmas? Charities counting the cost as Palmerston North food drive haul drops by a quarter
Zane Small (Newshub): Labour MP Iain Lees-Galloway imitates a dinosaur in Parliament
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Our country is too small to keep rejecting foreign buyers
Dita De Boni (NBR): Imagine a future company without CEOs, managers (paywalled)
Maria Slade (Spinoff): Cheat Sheet: Why small businesses should be feeling happy this week
Julie Iles (NBR): Small business needs more financing options (paywalled)
Gareth Vaughan (Interest): Trusts among ‘extremely attractive structures for money launderers & terrorism financiers’
Eric Crampton: Data preservation, IRD, and the OIA – the saga continues
Zizi Sparks (Rotorua Daily Post): Tāmati Coffey submits bill to change surrogacy laws (paywalled)
RNZ: Residents and relatives furious over Erebus memorial decision delay
1News: Firefighters forced to rely on rental van as faulty new trucks pulled
Katie Todd (RNZ): Mums of former crèche kids dismayed by Peter Ellis appeal process
