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
Political donations
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Second SFO inquiry into donations a worry for NZ democracy
Audrey Young (Herald): PM Jacinda Ardern rules out standing down Winston Peters over NZ First probe by SFO (paywalled)
Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern refuses to say she trusts Winston Peters amid New Zealand First donation allegations
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): As SFO probes NZ First donations, Ardern is visited by the ghost of scandals past
Andrew Geddis (Spinoff): The NZ First donations investigation had to happen. And ignorance is no excuse
Richard Harman (Politik): Ardern won’t say whether she trusts Peters
David Farrar: Where should the SFO focus?
No Right Turn: A hopeful sign
Brent Edwards (NBR): PM calls for a review of electoral finance laws (paywalled)
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): NZ First to review donations policy as pressure mounts on PM (paywalled)
Scott Palmer and Zane Small (Newshub): Winston Peters ‘welcomes’ Electoral Commission’s referral to police
Matt Shand (Stuff): Electoral Commission refers NZ First Foundation donations to police, says donations should have been declared
Jason Walls (Herald): NZ First undeclared donations: Serious Fraud Office to investigate
Anna Whyte (TVNZ): Donations made to NZ First Foundation referred to Serious Fraud Office by police
RNZ: Donations made to NZ First Foundation referred to police for investigation
RNZ Concert FM backlash, merger with TVNZ
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Both RNZ Concert and Youth Radio – Not Either/Or.
Gavin Ellis: RNZ (& others) seek Fountain of Youth
Dave Armstrong (Stuff): State Committee on Culture knows what we want
ODT Editorial: Concert call strikes flat note
Marc Taddei (ODT): Reckless to deconstruct Concert FM’s success
Tony Ryan (Stuff): For youth orchestra members, RNZ Concert is the lifeblood of music-making
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): PM needs to show a backbone over RNZ dilemma
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Merging RNZ, TVNZ is an ideological train wreck
Sue Allen (Stuff): RNZ needs to focus on what it’s good at and forget the rest
David Farrar: 12 staff to run Concert FM is ridiculous
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Jason Walls (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern seems to have found a solution to Concert FM scrapping saga
Dubby Henry (Herald): Concert FM: Prime Minister steps in, Cabinet to seek another frequency for youth station
Jo Moir (RNZ): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern frustrated by RNZ Concert proposal timing
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Government to free up FM frequency to keep RNZ Concert
RNZ: Jacinda Ardern on RNZ Concert changes: ‘We don’t have to lose one for the other’
Herald: Concert FM: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern frustrated by RNZ move
Newstalk ZB: PM confirms Govt frustrations over RNZ’s plans to gut Concert FM
Election
TVNZ: Ardern says she can see ‘no reason why’ Labour would enter into electorate deals ahead of September vote
James Fyfe (Newshub): Newshub poll: PM says Northland deal ‘not on the cards’ as NZ First slips in poll
Zane Small (Newshub): Simon Bridges on why he has no regrets ruling out Winston Peters
Newstalk ZB: Matthew Hooton: Why it may be impossible for National to win election
Ella Prendergast and Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Newshub poll: National leader Simon Bridges still made the right call ruling out Winston Peters – political commentator
RNZ: Jacinda Ardern says Labour will ‘campaign hard’ for Māori seats
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Latest TV3 Poll shows the horror scenario of Greens falling below 5%
Tina Law (Press): Battle heats up over what electorate Christchurch suburb Bromley belongs in
Blair Jackson (Stuff): Southern mayors head to Dunedin to speak on boundary changes
Coronavirus
Jessica Mutch McKay (TVNZ): Ardern’s trip to China called off amid coronavirus outbreak, 1 NEWS understands
Michael Morrah (Newshub): SkyCity slammed for allowing employee who recently went to Wuhan to work
Ben Heather (Stuff): Coronavirus: Border agencies to pass details to Ministry of Health
Zane Small (Newshub):Coronavirus: PM Jacinda Ardern outlines most impacted industries in New Zealand
Hamish Rutherford (Herald): Coronavirus: Universities warn of major financial hit with 6500 students stuck in China
Herald: Government keeps close eye on trade amid coronavirus
RNZ: Coronavirus global pandemic ‘looking likely’ – NZ public health expert
RNZ: Retailers cutting staff hours and orders amid coronavirus pressure
Amanda Cropp (Stuff): Coronavirus: Tourism NZ tackles possible $500m Chinese visitor gap
Emma Cropper (Newshub): Coronavirus: New Zealanders quarantined on cruise ship won’t be evacuated home
RNZ: Coronavirus latest: No cases suspected or confirmed in NZ, more staff for Healthline
TVNZ: Doctor urges Kiwis to keep calm amid coronavirus outbreak – ‘There’s nothing to panic about in New Zealand’
Health
RNZ: Disability sector funding crisis ‘tragedy waiting to happen’
Emma Russell (Herald): Government announces $23 million injection into tackling measles
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): New measles, mumps rubella immunisations to target those aged 15 to 29
TVNZ: New Zealand to get $23 million boost for immunisation, including 350,000 new MMR vaccine doses
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Birthing unit in Ōpōtiki reopened but not staffed overnight
Laine Moger (Stuff): Man who took his own life at Waitakere Hospital mental health unit was ‘failed by staff’
RNZ: Coroner outlines ward’s failings relating to death of Ruarangi McIntyre
Lane Nichols (Herald): Coroner identifies series of failures after death of young father at Waitematā DHB mental health unit (paywalled)
Breanna Barraclough (TVNZ): ‘Striking lack of compassion’ – Canterbury DHB chastised over death of alcoholic man left at bus stop
TVNZ: Only one orthopaedic surgeon left at Wairarapa DHB following another resignation
Housing
Jason Walls (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is teasing details of a $300m spend on fighting homelessness
David Cormack (Herald): Political Crises (paywalled)
TVNZ: Lack of houses for Hamilton’s growing population highlights a ‘New Zealand problem’
Benn Bathgate (Stuff): Gauntlet thrown to Te Arawa over Rotorua homelessness
RNZ The Detail: Another generation of unsustainable housing
Greg Ninness (Interest): New homes are getting smaller but construction costs are still going up
Environment
Laura Smith (Greymouth Star): Coalition concedes green economy relies on mining resources
No Right Turn: One million more tons of CO2 under Labour
John Lewis (ODT): Concern at glacier retreat
Alex Braae (Spinoff): Cheat sheet: Just how bad is the big drought getting?
RNZ: Aucklanders asked to trim water use as demand rises
Southland floods
TVNZ: State of Emergency for flood-hit Southland to last another week
Che Baker (Stuff): State of Emergency, issued in Southland because of flooding, extended
Evan Harding (Stuff): Invercargill City Council to consider putting $100,000 towards flood relief
Provincial Growth Fund
Lana Andelane (Newshub): Shane Jones unleashes on ‘bible-bashing’ climate change activists
Waatea: Shane Jones – talk comes with no promises
Education
John Gerrtisen (RNZ): Schools assess benefits of $63m donation-replacement scheme
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): New Zealanders carrying student loans until they die
Local government
Joel MacManus (Stuff): Wellington mayor not giving up on congestion charging, despite council backlash
Hamish MacLean (ODT): DCC Aiirbnb-type rates boost draws critics
Chloe Ranford (Stuff): Council faced ‘logistical challenge’ after hundreds opposed quarry increase
RNZ: $750k to seal leaky roof of Marlborough council building
Employment, workplace safety
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Research into work-related deaths involving vehicles overdue, say advocates
Zac Fleming (Newshub): New Zealand’s most dangerous industry to work in revealed
Damien Venuto (Herald): Government plan to get young people into work launched
Economy
Bernard Hickey (Newsroom): Would an OCR cut help vaccinate the economy?
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): ASB forecasts NZ economy will decline, but interest rate cut may not be a cure
David Hargreaves (Interest): Economists take their pruning shears to NZ economic growth forecasts
Rebecca Howard (BusinessDesk): Coronavirus to keep RBNZ watching and waiting (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): CTU economist says higher wages will boost labour productivity (paywalled)
Netsafe’s NZ Kids Online report
Luke Kirkness (Herald): Speaking to strangers, suicide guides & violent images: What Kiwi teens are looking at online
Hannah Martin (Stuff): Almost half of New Zealand teens exposed to self harm, suicide and violence online – study
Racism
TVNZ: Māori Council announces plan to stomp out racism in NZ by 2040, appoints national taskforce
Melanie Earley (Stuff): Māori Council announces plan to rid New Zealand of racism by 2040
Bob Jones defamation suit
TVNZ: Sir Bob Jones’ lawsuit against woman he accuses of defaming him by calling him racist gets underway
Meriana Johnsen (RNZ): Sir Bob Jones’ ‘Māori gratitude day’ column clearly ‘tongue in cheek’ – lawyer
Stuff: Waitangi Day column satire, Bob Jones tells defamation court case
Stuff: Sir Robert Jones, humourist, kicks off defamation case with a laugh
Leonie Hayden (Spinoff): The Bob Jones v Renae Maihi ‘Māori Gratitude Day’ case goes to court
Bronson Perich ((Māori TV): Renae Maihi supported by indigenous peoples worldwide – spokesperson
Auckland Pride
Dominic Godfrey (RNZ): ‘Listen to our voices’: Pasifika protest over anti-gay laws at pride march
Stephen Forbes (Stuff): Auckland Pride: Religious hecklers target marchers
Other
Rob Mitchell (Stuff): Driving change – has the car’s social licence expired?
TVNZ: ‘Where does it end?’ Film industry subsidies come at a price, says NZ Initiative
Newsroom: Ross’ ‘toxic’ office problems raised in June
TVNZ: Auckland restaurant vandalised twice since ACT leader’s Waitangi Day speech
Gill Bonnett (RNZ): Domestic abuse victims call for end to ‘no-fault’ divorce settlements
RNZ: Northland to Auckland highway to be country’s second urban growth corridor
Madison Reidy (RNZ): Foreign state hackers targeting NZ businesses, spy agency warns
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): NZ faces international scrutiny over money laundering as expert warns of gaps (paywalled)
Gareth Vaughan (Interest): Kris Faafoi not in a hurry to engage with any push to establish Code of Practice for buy now pay later industry in New Zealand
Chloe Ranford (RNZ): Simcox quarry rubble mining application faces heavy local opposition
RNZ: EU keen to deepen ties with Pacific on number of issues
Anna Whyte (TVNZ): ‘I don’t see many movies, but I’ve seen that one’ – Jacinda Ardern praises Taika Waititi’s Oscar win
Jason Walls (Herald): PM Jacinda Ardern congratulates Taika Waititi on Oscars win
RNZ The Detail: Are we seeing a Te Reo Māori revival?
David Fisher (Herald): Sir Ron Brierley: The day a Master of the Universe was brought to earth in a Sydney courtroom (paywalled)
Jo LInes-Mackenzie (Stuff): New Zealand prison menu upgraded after 11 years: ‘The old style of working was we filled them up full of carbs’
