New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.
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Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.

New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.

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

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