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
Child poverty, welfare
Max Rashbrooke (RNZ): Child poverty stats promising, but more is needed
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Child poverty is the KiwiBuild of social failure
Heather du Plessis Allan (Newstalk ZB): Child poverty figures shows PM is not helping those she promised to
Jason Walls (Herald): PM Jacinda Ardern and National’s Simon Bridges spin child poverty numbers – but who’s right? (paywalled)
Sarah Robson (RNZ): New figures show little change in child poverty
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Child poverty: Numbers show marginal change, but more children in material hardship
Jason Walls (Herald): Child poverty: High housing costs emerge as significant factor
Anna Whyte (1News): A quarter of Māori and Pasifika kids living in ‘material hardship’ – child poverty stats
Tema Hemi (Māori TV): Marama Davidson: New stats help government reduce child poverty
Māori TV: Jacinda Ardern: Coalition govt lifted 18,400 children from poverty
Zane Small (Newshub): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confident child poverty reduction policies ‘yet to show’ full results
Zane Small (Newshub): New child poverty data for New Zealand shows ‘no significant change’ in material hardship
Spinoff: The latest stats on child poverty in New Zealand, in 12 numbers
—————
Newstalk ZB: Andrew Becroft: Benefit increase doesn’t go far enough
Donations scandals
Guyon Espiner and Kate Newton (RNZ): Concerns over secret fisheries donations to NZ First Foundation
1News: PM distances Shane Jones’ role in fishery decisions after revelation Talley’s donated nearly $27,000 to NZ First Foundation
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): The malfeasance of NZ First
—————
Newstalk ZB: Bridges on SFO case: ‘The true facts will emerge’
Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Jami-Lee Ross accuses National Party of ‘manipulation and lies’ amid donations saga
Sam Hurley (Herald): National Party donations: MP Jami-Lee Ross pleads not guilty to SFO charges
Catrin Owen (Stuff): Former National MP Jami-Lee Ross and businessmen deny fraud charges
Anneke Smith and Jane Patterson (RNZ): Four men facing SFO charges over National Party donations plead not guilty
1News: Jami-Lee Ross, three Chinese businessmen plead not guilty to National Party donation charges
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Jami-Lee Ross pleads not guilty to National Party donations charges
—————
John Minto: CAFCA Special Investigation: The money behind the message
Foreign affairs
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Jacinda Ardern’s day in Suva, Fiji, with things close to her heart
Newstalk ZB: Lawyer: Bridges deportation plan has been policy since 1987
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Fijian PM wants Jacinda Ardern to keep climate pressure on other countries ahead of Australia visit
Anna Bracwell-Worrall (Newshub): Fiji urges Jacinda Ardern to stand up for climate change
RNZ: Fiji PM urges NZ to pressure Australia over climate
1News: Common ground between NZ and Fiji found on climate change, tackling meth trade during Ardern’s visit
Zane Small (Newshub): Pacific drug trade a ‘significant’ part of Jacinda Ardern’s talks with Fijian PM Frank Bainimarama
Jo Moir (RNZ): Jacinda Ardern arrives to warm welcome in Suva
TVNZ: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern enjoys kava during official Fiji visit
Jamie Tahana (RNZ): Eurocentric view of climate change failing to recognise impacts in Pacific – researcher
RNZ: Call for more support for bereaved families in Samoa in wake of measles crisis
Coronavirus
Fran O’Sullivan (Herald): Coronavirus – how PM Jacinda Ardern is handling ‘tricky beast’ with China (paywalled)
RNZ: Health Minister David Clark on coronavirus travel ban
Mandy Te (Stuff): Ministry prepares for potential pandemic, relooks at travel restrictions
1News: Ministry of Health outlines NZ pandemic strategy as coronavirus outbreak worsens globally
Rachel Sadler (Newshub): Ministry of Health ‘ready’ if World Health Organisation declares global pandemic
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): Coronavirus: Government invites tourism sector heads to advisory group
Derek Cheng (Herald): Coronavirus: Govt ready to steady the tourism ship
Vaughan Elder (ODT): Otago University ready to accept Chinese students
Liu Chen (RNZ): Covid-19 travel ban: Students speak out about ban and finding ways around it
RNZ: Covid-19 coronavirus travel ban: Students urge government to end ban
No Right Turn: Greedy universities want to kill us
Jacob McSweeny (ODT): Forest group seeks relief for industry in trouble
Aaron Leaman (Stuff): Prepare for coronavirus impact: Reserve Bank governor
Liam Dann (Herald): Coronavirus wipes $5b off NZ stock market
RNZ: Covid-19: NZX falls on open amid virus fears
Economy
Liam Dann (Herald): Coronavirus and drought deliver ‘perfect storm’ – NZIER (paywalled)
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): NZIER warns of double blow from coronavirus, drought
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Coronavirus, drought to deliver ‘short, sharp shock’ to economy – NZIER
Local government
Dominic Harris (Stuff): Veil of secrecy over Christchurch mayor’s apology to Japanese quake families
Tina Law (Press): National’s Port Hills candidate has ‘nothing to hide’ after council role left off flyer
Emma Perry (ODT): Council backs STV as preference for national system
Brian Rudman (Herald): Phil Goff, ratepayers have right to be upset over $150,000 splurge on cultural consultant (paywalled)
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland iwi ‘angered’ over plan to move bus terminal onto its land
Matthew Theunissen (RNZ): Waitemata Local Board gets dressing-down from Ngāti Whātua historian over tree removal plan
George Block (Stuff): Auckland pop-up bar operating under ‘farmers market’ liquor licence
Marcus Anselm (RNZ): Councils face sewage climate challenge
Wellington
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Wellington mayor struggling to spread his wings
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Leaked emails: Wellington mayor under pressure to publicly front on water woes
Laura Wiltshire (Stuff): Council deemed Wellington’s broken pipes deemed ‘reasonable’ just 18 months ago
RNZ: Wellington residents voice frustrations with sewerage system repairs
Environment and conservation
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): With EVs out of the picture, where will the emissions cuts come from?
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): This generation’s nuclear-free moment? Yeah right
Terrence Loomis (Stuff): Climate crisis means ending government fossil fuel support
Mike Watson (Stuff): OMV’s Maui redevelopment to extend gas field’s life
1News: Frustration as sexist ‘chick scientists’ comment overshadows attempt to stop whitebait extinction
Southland Times Editorial: Let’s not bait our scientists like this
Laura Smith (ODT): Fallout from whitebait comment ‘fake news’
Emma Perry (ODT):Sexist talk enough for resignation
Farah Hancock (Newsroom): Toxic site’s distillation unit on Trade Me
Imran Ali (Northern Advocate): Appeal against water use consents in the Far North rejected
Denise Piper (Stuff): Northland drought: Defence Force rolls into Kaitaia to help with water distribution
Annabelle Tukia (Newshub): Department of Conservation hopes Southern Alps tahr cull will slow environmental devastation
Breanna Barraclough (1News): Photos capture grim reality of Antarctica melting in record-breaking heat
RNZ Checkpoint: Kāpiti Island webcams catch large number of poachers
Education
Jamie Morton (Herald): ‘This is not how a university behaves’ – Massey scientists vow to fight
George Heagney (Manawatū Standard): Big changes to Massey’s college of sciences in university restructure
RNZ: Students feeling the squeeze as university halls put prices up
Logan Savory (Southland Times): Southern Institute of Technology leaders overlooked for new board
Simon Collins (Herald): One in nine home-based childcare services broke rules
Health and disability
Oliver Lewis (Stuff): Screening programme must be extended to Māori in their 50s – Bowel Cancer NZ
Herald: Roll out bowel cancer screening programme to people aged 50-59, Bowel Cancer NZ pleads
Nick Truebridge (Stuff): Whakaari/White Island: Public tab skyrockets as Middlemore reports $2.1 million spend
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Levelling to begin next week
RNZ: Completion of Dunedin’s new hospital likely to take longer than expected
Emma Russell (Herald): ‘Unacceptable’: HDC slams rest home after 15 maggots found in resident’s wounds
Jenny Compston (Stuff):Bring back vital support for carers of the disabled
Justice, corrections
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Corrections terminates contract with supplier of ‘rapid-build’ prison units
Stuff: China’s fair trial rights assurances in extradition case can’t be trusted, Supreme Court told
ODT Editorial: Silence protects whose liberty?
Media
Duncan Bridgeman (Herald): NZME encouraged by talks with Government over plan to buy Stuff
Tim Murphy (Newsroom): NZME getting its Stuff together
Dita De Boni (NBR): Herald paywall sees digital advertising revenue slump at NZME (paywalled)
RNZ: NZME posts $165m loss
Paul McBeth (BusinessDesk): NZME pours resources back into pursuing Stuff
Felix Walton (Spinoff): What RNZ’s ‘youth network’ could learn from student radio
Hannah Tamaki Dancing with the Stars controversy
Sam Brookes (Spinoff): Hannah Tamaki and the limits of controversy as publicity
Siobhan Downes (Stuff): Hannah Tamaki’s campaign manager sacked as police consider social media complaint
Monika Barton (Newshub): Hannah Tamaki will not appear on Dancing With The Stars, MediaWorks confirms
Hannah Kronast (Newshub): Hannah Tamaki’s cryptic tweet amid Dancing With The Stars fallout
RNZ: Mediaworks confirms Hannah Tamaki will not be on Dancing with the Stars
Newstalk ZB: Hannah Tamaki dropped from DWTS as associate apologises over rant
Siobhan Downes (Stuff): Hannah Tamaki sacks campaign manager following ‘hate speech’ against Kanoa Lloyd
1News: Jevan Goulter apologises to TV host for ‘disgusting’ comments, says he’s resigned from Vision NZ role
1News: Tamakis sack Vision NZ campaign manager after ‘disgusting language’ against TV host
RNZ Checkpoint: Online attack ‘inexcusable’ – Vision NZ ex-campaign manager
Monika Barton (Newshub): ‘Revolting’ post about Kanoa Lloyd by Destiny Church PR man Jevan Goulter removed by Facebook
Rachel Sadler (Newshub): Kanoa Lloyd slams Hannah Tamaki over Dancing With The Stars rumours
Lana Andelane (Newshub): Hannah Tamaki’s history of controversy amid latest Kanoa Lloyd scandal
Housing
David Hargreaves (Interest): Why fixed term tenancies would be the way to go for rental housing
Jihee Junn (Spinoff): The rise of New Zealand’s renters by choice
Ashley Church (Herald): Do we have a ‘human rights crisis’ in housing?
Other
Newstalk ZB: Vernon Tava admits to floating idea of doctored party records
Paul Hunt (Stuff): Human rights for the public service – but what about the rest of us?
Sandra Coney (Newsroom): Ihumātao was long meant to be public land
Daisy Hudson (ODT): ‘He is just trying to get into the story’
RNZ: Government considering legislation to make sure small businesses are paid on time
1News: Green Party candidate makes pointed dig at ‘arbitrary’ voting age while celebrating 18th birthday
Sarah Robson (RNZ): Calls made for employers to change attitudes towards older workers
Damian George (Stuff): Wellington Jewish Council withdraws request for city council to approve new definition of antisemitism
Lane Nichols (Herald): American couple forced to sell luxury Waiheke home Glasshouse after breaching Overseas Investment Act (paywalled)
Ian Hyslop: Child Protection: Why doesn’t fixing it work?
Laura O’Connell Rapira (RNZ): Praise of noble contributions by white women ‘felt more like erasure’
Hamish Rutherford (Herald): New Zealand’s biggest ponzi fraudster, David Ross, enjoys his first day of freedom
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): Number of New Zealanders going vegetarian surges
Charlotte Jones (RNZ): Provincial Growth Fund invests $20 million in Kawerau’s future
Kristin Edge (Northern Advocate): High-risk Northland driving offenders targeted in police operation
Peter Jackson (Northland Age): Immigration minister Poto Williams refuses to intervene for Northland couple
Rebecca Howard (BusinessDesk): Freightways may call in lawyers over NZ Post discounting (paywalled)
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): RBNZ under pressure to protect AMP Life’s 200,000 policyholders
RNZ: New Zealand airport taxes too high – airlines
Josephine Franks (Stuff): Inside the drug-testing tent at Splore music festival
Hannah Kronast (Newshub): ‘Jacindigger’: Call for Kiwis to name City Rail Link’s new boring machine
1News: New campaign launched to stop Kiwi kids walking away from sport
