Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.
Kris Faafoi immigration case
Fiona Connor and Tova O’Brien (Newshub): ‘I’m on it bro’: Messages show Kris Faafoi offering help to friend Jason Kerrison over immigration case
Audrey Young (Herald): Kris Faafoi is in trouble but just how much? (paywalled)
Herald:‘Bro I have a plan’: Kris Faafoi offered to help in friend’s immigration case
Political donations
Henry Cooke and Thomas Manch (Stuff): National say Labour blocked former NZ First president and treasurer from giving evidence on foundation
Audrey Young (Herald): Winston Peters lashes out at ex-NZ First party officials for request to give evidence
Jane Patterson (RNZ): New details around New Zealand First conflicts of interest timeline emerge
Liam Hehir (Pundit): Turning The NZ First Foundation Fiasco Back On National Is Hilarious And Sad
Louis Holden (Noted): Hasty foreign donations ban a faux-democratic move
Banks
Chris Trotter: Adrian Orr – The Reserve Bank’s Revolutionary Governor?
Shamubeel Eaqub (RNZ): Borrowers will pay price of securing banks’ future
Newstalk ZB: Home loan interest rates set to rise off bank capital increase
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Reserve Bank Governor makes the billion-dollar bet on safer banks
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Adrian Orr rips the band aid of bank capital off – just in time for the election
Jenny Ruth (BusinessDesk): How RBNZ softened up the banks to accept higher capital rules (paywalled)
Liam Dann (Herald): Banks raise the white flag on capital review
Jason Walls (Herald): Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says the big Aussie banks should slash their dividends
Richard Harman (Politik): Beehive relieved at Reserve Bank pull back
Bernard Hickey (Newsroom): RBNZ pulls bank capital punch (a bit)
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Robertson: There’s ‘no need’ for farmers to ‘bear the brunt’ of new bank capital rules
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): Banks capital change threat to small business, rural sector, say critics (paywalled)
David Hargreaves (Interest): Message to banks: Don’t dump on the farmers
Hamish Rutherford (Herald): ANZ warns cost of capital changes will be ‘uneven’ (paywalled)
Hamish Rutherford (Herald): Banks need to raise $20 billion to meet tough new Reserve Bank requirements
Gyles Beckford (RNZ): RBNZ orders retail banks to hold $20 billion in capital
Katie Bradford (1News): Banks will have to hold more capital to ensure Kiwis’ cash is safe
Gareth Vaughan (Interest): RBNZ cedes a little ground on bank capital requirements
Jenny Ruth (BusinessDesk): RBNZ relaxes capital requirements, allows preference shares, extends phase-in
Michael Reddell: As we await the Governor’s final decision
Commerce Commission fuel market study
Rob Mitchell (Stuff): Don’t get too pumped on Govt moves to lower fuel prices
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Fixing a dysfunctional fuel market
Catherine Harris, Tom Pullar-Strecker and Collette Devlin (Stuff): Petrol could fall 18c a litre if fuel retailers forced to show price
RNZ: Government to act on fuel market recommendations
Jason Walls (Herald): Minister expects to see fuel prices drop 18c-32c a litre because of new petrol company rules
Zane Small (Newshub): Commerce Commission finds fuel discounting ‘distracts’ us from high prices
Anna Whyte (1News): Changes to make fuel market more competitive recommended by Commerce Commission
RNZ: ComCom recommends changes to fuel market to make it more competitive
Newstalk ZB: Consumer Affairs Minister confident fuel prices will drop
ODT Editorial: Pumping fuel wholesalers for change
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Fuel tax plan could backfire for Government
Gavin Evans (BusinessDesk): Fuel sector earnings ‘materially different’ from ComCom view – Z (paywalled)
Cannabis
Peter Dunne: Element of curate’s egg in government’s proposed recreational cannabis regime
Joseph Bradley (Spinoff): A real chance for New Zealand to end prohibition and its pernicious impacts
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Police concerned cannabis reform can’t be policed, won’t shut out gangs from black market
Press Editorial: Let’s keep the cannabis debate honest
Kyle MacDonald (Herald): Life as a white-privileged Shore boy with access to cannabis
Zane Small (Newshub): MPs in hysterics as Winston Peters displays weed meme of ‘expert’ Paula Bennett
1News: Paula Bennett and Winston Peters exchange jibes over cannabis
Opinion polls
Chris Trotter: Driving Us Up The Poll.
Newstalk ZB: Simon Bridges on polls: ‘I don’t need to be loved’
Labour Party
Yvette McCullough (RNZ): Labour Party failing to elect Māori president ‘opportunity missed’
Peter Dunne (Newsroom): It’s not enough to be the party of bright ideas
Infrastructure
Matthew Hooton (Herald): Government’s spending plan is a winner (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): National advises where Coalition can invest in infrastructure (paywalled)
Local government
1News: ‘Coin toss’ election victories should end, Local Government Minister says
Susan Botting (RNZ): Northlanders forking out $3million for local government politicians this year
Susan Botting (RNZ): Room for improvement in Northland’s democracy, student says
Charlotte Jones (Stuff): Rural areas holding highest rate debt in Whakatāne district
Michael Neilson (Herald): Tree protest: Dozens battle to save 100-year-old oaks from Parnell developer
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): Auckland to get curbside compost collection
1News: Auckland will have kerbside food waste collections from 2021
Anusha Bradley (RNZ): Napier demolition put on hold after doubts raised over severity of earthquake risk
Sean Hogan (1News): Napier City Council delays decision to demolish empty civic, library buildings
RNZ: Driveway car washing ban in Napier aims to curb pollutants
Damian George (Dominion Post): Mike Tana petrol card use review delivered to Porirua City councillors
Chloe Ranford (RNZ): Chorus slammed for ‘grossly misleading flattery’ in bid to land Marlborough contract
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Christchurch council refuses to sign off on new building due to faulty quake design
Martin van Beynen (Stuff): Council fails to spot 10 serious flaws in Christchurch high-rise
Daisy Hudson (ODT): Retrofitting from Aurora penalties?
Tess Brunton (RNZ): Dunedin council revives campaign for five-star hotel
Ports of Auckland
Simon Wilson (Herald): Move the Auckland port? Why the numbers aren’t everything (paywalled)
Andrea Fox (Herald: Port in a storm, part 5: Crunching the numbers to shift the Auckland port (paywalled)
Jane Patterson (RNZ): Port move north not done deal, says Finance Minister Grant Robertson
Frances Cook (Herald): The Front Page podcast: Ports of Auckland decision worth billions and impacts us all (paywalled)
Parliament
Damien Venuto (Herald): Why the cannabis and euthanasia referendums are big mistakes (paywalled)c
Benedict Collins and Katie Bradford (1News): Inside Parliament: Labour up, Labour down (video)
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Parliament talent show promises dancing, singing MPs
Breanna Barraclough (1News): NZ First MP recalls getting caned by his then teacher Gerry Brownlee, during education bill reading in Parliament
Electoral Commission
Audrey Young (Herald): Electoral Commission chair Marie Shroff raises prospect of stronger powers
Jo Moir (RNZ): Electoral Commission chair calls for greater power
Primary and extractive industries
Jamie Mackay (Herald): The political play for the hearts and minds of farmers
Eric Frykberg (RNZ): Help may be on the way for farmers struggling with Farm Environment Plans
Andrea Fox (Herald): Gone fishing: Industry and amateurs squabble for a share of the seafood catch (paywalled)
RNZ: OMV dismantles climate protesters’ ‘history of oil museum’
Health
Dan Satherley and Ella Prendergast (Newshub): Disabled far more likely to be poor, unsatisfied with life – report
Guyon Espiner (RNZ): Epilepsy patients angry at being told symptoms all in their heads
1News: Pharmac-funded video downplays side effects of drug linked to four unexplained deaths, epilepsy patients say
Natalie Akoorie (Herald): New details released in Nigel Murray spending investigation
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Pharmac announces funding for breast, ovarian cancer drugs
1New: Two new cancer drugs to be funded by Pharmac
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Health board says it’s made improvements since claims of gynaecology patients’ rights breaches
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Nurses say gynaecology patients’ rights were breached
1News: Paramedics ‘absolutely support’ mandatory prison sentences for people who assault first responders
Samoa
Listener Editorial: There are hard questions to be answered over NZ’s role in Samoa’s measles epidemic
Duncan Garner (Newshub): NZ needs to share blame for Samoa measles crisis
Mariné Lourens (Stuff): Why measles is claiming lives in Samoa, but not in New Zealand
Bruce Munro (ODT): Global Insight: New Zealand’s relationship with Samoa
Alex Perrottet and Logan Church (RNZX): Checkpoint: Samoa shut down as mass vaccination begins
RNZ: Samoa’s measles state of emergency: Police out in force
James Fyfe (Newshub):How Kiwis can help victims of Samoa measles crisis
1News: Anti-vax groups swamp Samoan government’s online pages during massive vaccination campaign
1News: Wellington bus drivers swap uniforms for lavalavas in show of solidarity with Samoa amid measles epidemic
Cartoons
Iati Iati (RNZ): Thank you ODT, for the Samoan measles cartoon
Lana Andelane (Newshub): NZ Herald criticised for ‘inexcusable’ cartoon in wake of ODT backlash
Newstalk ZB: Stuff’s David Seymour cartoon labelled ‘bad taste’
Climate change
Joel MacManus (Stuff): Scathing international report marks NZ’s climate action ‘insufficient’
No Right Turn: Climate Change: The shameful reality
Max Towle (RNZ): Government funds to continue investing in fossil fuels
David Hall (University of Auckland): Climate change: Is a careful revolution possible?
Nauru, Manus refugees
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand still waiting on Australia to accept 150 refugee offer
Herald:‘Not how we operate’: Jacinda Ardern’s subtle rebuke for Australia
AAP: NZ government at odds with Australia on refugee resettlement offer
RNZ: Australia to seek NZ solution for Manus, Nauru refugees – reports
Police
George Block (Stuff): Privacy concerns over police’s new ‘state of the art’ facial recognition system
Anna Whyte (1News): Petition with 10,000 signatures urges Goverment to stop armed police trial
1News: Cops justified in Tasering, pepper-spraying man during Geraldine arrest, watchdog finds
Education
Mandy Te (Stuff): Celebrities support early childhood teachers demanding pay parity
Mandy Te (Stuff): Victoria University of Wellington ‘blatantly ignoring’ everyone, councillor says
Samantha Gee (Stuff): Sophie’s thriving in her first flat thanks to Salisbury School
George Heagney (Manawatū Standard): Pupils do the sums on emissions with new carbon calculator
Elena McPhee (ODT): Uni earmarked more than just marine science
Meriana Johnsen (RNZ): Te Wānanga o Raukawa receives one-off $10m grant
Transport
Hamish Cardwell (RNZ): Wellington looks to accelerate a multi-billion-dollar plan to fix its traffic woes
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland Bus Strike: Fare-free travel continues ahead of talks on Monday
Word, quote of the year
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): New Zealand Quote of the Year 2019 finalists announced
Public Address: Word of the Year 2019: Korero phase
Other
Wayne Hope: Our Public Media Crisis
Brent Edwards (NBR): Time to stop the political spin on the economy (paywalled)
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Parliament committee can’t agree on new terror law to tackle Kiwi ‘jihadi’ Mark Taylor
Alexander Gillespie (Herald): NZ’s report card shows excellence in some areas, failures in others (paywalled)
Tony Wall (Stuff): Inquiry underway into how one of our largest prisons was left with just two guards
Te Aniwa Hurihanganui (RNZ): Wāhine Māori in violent relationships fearful of system designed to help – report
No Right Turn: More secrecy
Maynard Hawkins (Herald): Executive pilots ‘sacrificed’ in the effort to apportion blame for Erebus (paywalled)
1News: First female to win prestigious electrical apprentice award hoping to inspire others
1News: Cyber crime at all time high in NZ, expert warns of ways to keep safe online
Herald Editorial: Gun lobby needs to take stock and fall into line (paywalled)
D’Angelo Martin (Māori TV): Te Mātāwai shares long term reo revitalisation vision
Jessica Tyson (Māori TV): New project to develop Māori-owned land in Gisborne expected to bring $60m in revenue
Emma Dangerfield (Stuff): Subdivision residents furious after ECan blocked off waterway filled with wildlife
AP: Stephen Colbert ‘had a genuine love’ of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern says
1News: Slave labour, health concerns leads to NZ dumpling company ditching prawns from the menu
Dileepa Fonseka (Newsroom): Kāinga Ora bill more than land acquisition
Jessica Tyson (Māori TV):“Leave your ideas up north” – Hicks Bay whānau say to Shane Jones
RNZ: The Detail: Does our explosion in imported shopping events have an expiry date?
AP: Jacinda Ardern will use ‘every opportunity we can’ to stop alleged Christchurch shooter’s hate spreading
Luisa Girao (ODT): Tiwai worker: closure would have a devastating impact on families
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Spark refusing to halt 5G rollout, despite protest
