Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.
Lianne Dalziel undeclared political donations
Cate Broughton (Press): Christchurch mayor has ‘cavalier attitude’ to donation rules
Martin van Beynen (Press): Donors supporting Lianne Dalziel connected to her husband
RNZ: John Minto calls for investigation over Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel political donations
John Minto: Request for inquiry into the 2019 and 2016 election expenses return of Christchurch City Mayor Lianne Dalziel
Anan Zaki (RNZ): Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel blames husband for donor non-disclosure
Cate Broughton and Michael Hayward (Press): Christchurch mayor ‘regrets’ not taking independent advice over election expenses
David Farrar: I didn’t declare donors because my husband told me not to!
Local government
Simon Wilson (Herald): The good news (and not-so-good) about the Auckland Council year (paywalled)
Herald: Big step taken to clear way for Napier City Council-owned site to be developed
Damian George (Stuff): Council away day with overseas speaker costs Wellington taxpayers $23,000
Sophie Trigger (Stuff): Childcare reimbursement step to attract young parents to Marlborough council
Blair Jackson (Southland Times): Recycling may end up in Southland landfills after tender process closed
2019 in review
Peter Dunne (Newsroom): Goodbye to a year of stagnation and tragedy
Martyn Bradbury: TDB 2019 Media Awards
Russell Brown: “OK Boomer” wins Public Address Word of the Year: Services alerted
Infrastructure consensus and the election
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Reconnecting Jacinda With Her Inner Swashbuckler
Matthew Hooton (Herald): Unity on infrastructure great way to end 2019 (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): Long-term commitment to infrastructure investment needed (paywalled)
Poverty, inequality
Rosemary McLeod (Stuff): Old people have too much money? Don’t make me laugh
Susan St John (Newsroom): ‘Pension for children’ no panacea
Jeni Cartwright (CPAG): Dear New Zealand Government, this Christmas families want a light at the end of the tunnel
Transport, road safety
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Government announces road safety package, with $10 billion earmarked for safety improvements
1News: Government aims for 40 per cent reduction in road deaths, serious injuries by 2030
Zane Small (Newshub): Speed limits and penalties under review in Government’s road safety action plan
Herald: Speed camera ahead: Government unveils road-safety plan
Dileepa Fonseka (Newsroom): The road to zero deaths
Chris Fowlie (Daily Blog): Govt roadside drug testing shock: the proposed rules are actually pretty good!
Andrew Dickens (Newstalk ZB): No evidence of CRL creating a retail wasteland
ODT Editorial: National cycle fines laughable
Herald: Free public transport today: Police fear Friday will be big day for drink-driving
Dan Satherley and Perry Wilton (Newshub): 2019’s worst day for drink-driving is here
Climate change
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Government proposes capping emissions at 2020 levels with huge changes to ETS pricing
No Right Turn: Climate Change: The scale of failure
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): 20,000 Aucklanders could be exposed to flood hazards in the next 100 years – report
John Berry (Spinoff): A message to Westland and KiwiSaver investors: Coal is finished
1080
Stuff: Dogs, cats and other animals used for experiment into deadly 1080 alternative
Farah Hancock (Newsroom): Westport rats ‘Mr X’ is Dr Nick Wall
Environment
Regina Scheyvens (RNZ): Complacency no option for NZ tourism
Interest: Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment warns current approach to tourism risks ‘killing the goose that laid the golden egg’
Klaus Bosselmann (Newsroom): Can kaitiakitanga save the planet?
Abbey Palmer (ODT): Asbestos-erosion link on Bluff’s Ocean Beach
Farah Hancock (Newsroom): Jacinda’s lichen-ness
Primary and extractive industries
Zac Fleming (Newshub): Caged-egg farm under investigation by MPI after video shows rotting chickens
Richard Harman (Politik): Jones answers the “rednecks”
Zane Small (Newshub): Wairoa farmland sold for forestry angers 50 Shades of Green as Shane Jones extends olive branch
Chris Morris (ODT): AgResearch confirms Invermay to stay
Guy Trafford (Interest): Environmental issues made the most impact in 2019. The wild card for 2020 is the election
Guy Trafford (Interest): A foggy 2019 is giving way to a better 2020
Mike Watson (Stuff): Receivers called as Tamarind Taranaki placed into liquidation after watershed creditors meeting
Hamish Rutherford (Herald): Troubled oil company Tamarind Taranaki placed in liquidation
Gun buyback scheme
Herald: Over 50,000 guns collected as buy-back scheme comes to an end
RNZ: Gun amnesty: calls to extend as collection period ends
Anna Leask (Herald): Lay down your guns – or surrender: Last hours of arms amnesty approaching
Immigration, refugees
RNZ: Refugee Behrouz Boochani’s overstay in New Zealand could fuel tensions with Australia
Anna Whyte (1News): NZ endorses international pledge to support refugee programme
Labour Party assault inquiry
Newstalk ZB: Mike Williams: Sexual assault allegations a police matter (audio)
Newstalk ZB: Louise Nicholas: What employers can learn from Labour Party assault report (audio)
National Party
Newstalk ZB: Simon Bridges names his Politician of the Year (audio)
Jamie Ensor (Stuff): Nigel Latta admits ‘stupid’ Twitter feud with Simon Bridges motivated by ‘fear’
Economy
Liam Dann (Herald): Who’s the hero of the GDP rebound? You are … you and your credit card (paywalled)
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): New Zealand economic growth stronger than expected
RNZ: GDP rises 0.7 percent for September quarter
1News: Retail spending drives GDP increase in September quarter
Newstalk ZB: Shoppers boost economy – GDP growth better than expected
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): GDP growth stronger than expected in September quarter at 0.7%
Rebecca Howard (BusinessDesk): New Zealand’s economy is bigger than thought
Health and disability
RNZ: Checkpoint: A new wheelchair-accessible state home after years of struggle
RNZ: Nine to Noon: Parents of kids with disabilities, summer without support
Sophie Trigger (Stuff): Financial and family stress a heavy price to pay over the festive season
Emma Hatton (RNZ): Family of mother with dementia furious over care home’s assessment
Samoa measles epidemic
RNZ: Call for national inquiry into Samoa’s measles epidemic
RNZ: Samoa’s measles epidemic claims another life, death toll now 77
Kendall Hutt (Stuff0: Samoa measles outbreak: Sonny Bill Williams, other rugby players raise more than $100,000
Minimum wage increase
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Minimum wage changes vs unemployment – what the evidence says
Angie Skerrett (Newshub): Lana Andelane (Newshub): Minimum wage increase will make ‘big difference’ for families with ‘nothing left’ after Christmas – Auckland City Mission CEO
Angie Skerrett (Newshub): ‘A blunt instrument’: Horticulture boss calls for rethink on minimum wage law
Rua Kēnana pardon
Meriana Johnsen (RNZ): Rua Kēnana’s descendents gather for official pardon at Maungapōhatu
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Tūhoe leader Rua Kēnana receives long-awaited pardon
Whakaari/White Island, Middlemore burns unit
Boris Jancic (Herald): Government considers more money to help Middlemore burns unit
Herald: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern meets Middlemore Hospital staff, patients
Rachel Sadler (Newshub): White Island eruption: Middlemore Hospital seeking donations for National Burn Centre
Nick Truebridge (Stuff): Whakaari / White Island: Middlemore burns unit calls for critical equipment
David Farrar: Publicly funded hospital calls for donations to treat burns victims
Pak’nSave Mangere charged with overcharging customers
Aimee Shaw (Herald): Pak’nSave Mangere caught ‘overcharging’ customers
Newstalk ZB: Pak’nSave Mangere could face a million dollars in fines over price fixing
1News: Auckland Pak’nSave facing charges of price discrepancies
RNZ: Auckland supermarket accused of overcharging at checkout
Ports of Auckland move
Denise Piper (Stuff): Auckland port move to Northland would take more than 30 years, Northport says
Andrea Fox (Herald): Port of Tauranga share price buoyed by Auckland port debate, fair economic winds (paywalled)
Housing
Rob Mitchell (Stuff): Landlords looking to sell up over proposed changes to rental rule
Phoebe Carr (Spinoff): Good housing is considered a privilege in New Zealand. In Sweden it’s a human right
Banks
Dita De Boni (NBR): Scandals gag NZ arms of misbehaving global parents (paywalled)
Jenny Ruth (BusinessDesk): RBNZ critics applaud governance changes, deposit insurance
Arthur Allan Thomas
Edward Gay (Stuff): Arthur Allan Thomas, pardoned for Jeanette and Harvey Crewe murders, faces rape charge
Simon Plumb (1News): Arthur Allan Thomas – pardoned for the 1970 Crewe murders – charged with rape, sex offences
RNZ:‘When is Arthur going to get a break?’ – Arthur Allan Thomas’ brother questions fair trial
Other
Bryce Edwards (Guardian): New Zealand’s euthanasia and cannabis referendums will rightly give power to the people
Newstalk ZB: Peters talks 2019: Health issues, media and the coalition (audio)
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Government departments’ consultant spending increases
Graeme Edgeler: Did Parliament give the New Zealand Defence Force the power to prohibit newspapers from publishing?
Boris Jancic (Herald): Act leader David Seymour talks guns, euthanasia and dancing (paywalled)
1News: NZ First’s youth delegates convince party to soften ‘hard line’ on pill testing at festivals
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick shares bizarre letter from angry Baby Boomer
Kirsten Patterson (NBR): Good governance needs longer parliamentary term
Robin Martin (RNZ): Moungaroa protesters decry sale by Chorus
George Block (Stuff): Lack of sprinklers in 31 fire stations is ‘mind-blowing’, union says
Luke Appleby (1News): Wedding licences are pulling in about $3 million a year – so where does the $150 fee go?
Stephen Forbes (Stuff): Blogger Cameron Slater ordered to pay extra costs to Matthew Blomfield
Siobhan Downes (Stuff): TVNZ spent $169k on clothes for its presenters in 2019
RNZ: First Up: Prison-grown fresh veggies feeding families in need
Thomas Mead (1News): University grads march through Christchurch for first time since earthquake nine years ago
Kristy Johnston (Herald): Comment: The professor’s secret – how one man harassed a woman and kept his name hidden (paywalled)
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Law Commission pondering succession laws
Stuff: Sarah Bristow announced as Newshub’s new director of news
