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
Coronavirus
Chris Trotter (Interest): A helluva job: the political machinations of the coronavirus crisis during an election year
Richard Harman (Politik): PM takes control
Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Coronavirus potential ‘game-changer’ in election year
Tom Hunt (Dominion Post): Showing symptoms but tests refused at Wellington Hospital
1News: PM, Health Minister insist airport coronavirus screening has been ‘aggressive’
Jason Walls (Herald): Pacific Mission trip cancelled due to coronavirus fears
RNZ: Covid-19: NZ foreign minister delays Pacific mission
Gavin Ellis: Don’t panic: It’s only pandemonium
—————
1News: Coronavirus travel restrictions for China, Iran extended, arrivals from South Korea, northern Italy required to self-isolate
Zane Small (Newshub): China and Iran travel ban extended with new requirements for South Korea and Italy
RNZ: New Zealanders warned not to travel to Iran
Zane Small (Newshub): China and Iran travel ban extended with new requirements for South Korea and Italy
RNZ: Government to consider advice for Covid-19 hotspots
Hannah Martin (Stuff): Restricting travel and trade during outbreak often ‘ineffective’, says WHO
Anuja Nadkarni (Stuff): Arrivals drop by 25 per cent amid coronavirus travel bans
—————
Laura Wiltshire (Stuff): Victoria University says minister was ‘missing in action’ during crisis
Laura Wiltshire (Stuff): Victoria University considering lay-offs due to coronavirus
Sarah Robson (RNZ): Universities warn more staff cuts on the horizon
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Reserve Bank may not wait three weeks for ‘coronavirus special’ on interest rates
Liam Dann (Herald): Rate cut odds rise as coronavirus crisis deepens (paywalled)
Liam Dann (Herald): ANZ says three OCR cuts now likely by May
Keith Woodford (Interest): The COVID-19 black swans keep bearing down
Liam Dann (Herald): ANZ says three OCR cuts now likely by May
Hamish Rutherford (Herald): Figures suggest exports to China may have fallen by close to a fifth
RNZ: Coronavirus effects on NZ exports to China revealed in first solid stats
Rebecca Howard (BusinessDesk): Exports to China take hit from covid-19
Charlotte Cook (RNZ): Supply disruptions for New Zealand importers and exporters
Alice Wilkins (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern announces $4m funding to businesses financially impacted by disease
RNZ: Calls for help for Chinese businesses affected by coronavirus
Taroi Black (Māori TV): Hundreds of kaimahi without work for ‘a few months’
RNZ: Tourism New Zealand focuses on Australian market amid China visitor slowdown
—————
Hannah Martin (Stuff): 1.7 million flu jabs ordered for New Zealand amidst fears flu season and Covid-19 could clash
Dan Satherley (Newshub): ‘No doubt’ there will be deaths if it gets loose in NZ
RNZ: Advice for schools: ‘Be alert but don’t be alarmed’
John Lewis (ODT): Schools, groups prepare
Zane Small (Newshub): National leader Simon Bridges describes Government’s coronavirus response as ‘subpar’
Simon Collins and Michael Neilson (Herald): Brian Tamaki’s Coronavirus comments slammed as ‘dangerous’ by Anglican vicar
Foreign affairs and trade
Bryce Edwards (Herald): Political Roundup: Jacinda Ardern’s masterful performance against Scott Morrison (paywalled)
ODT Editorial: Take that, Scott Morrison
Jessica Mutch McKay (1News): Those calling Jacinda Ardern a ‘show pony’ should trot on, 1 NEWS political editor says
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Jacinda Ardern snaps back at Australian minister in trans-Tasman deportation spat
AAP: Jacinda Ardern brushes off criticism from Peter Dutton on deportation stance
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern doesn’t expect Australia to ease up on deportations
1News: ‘Deport Kiwis but keep Australians’ – Jacinda Ardern’s fierce message about Australia’s deportation policy
—————
RNZ: Watchdog warns of ‘unbalanced’ Pacer Plus deal
Political finance
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Politicians need to change the rules around donations
Laura O’Connell Rapira (Spinoff): To build a new politics, we must break the grip of big money
Dominic Harris (Stuff): Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel ‘disappointed’ not to be told of SFO case
Newstalk ZB: Lianne Dalziel focusing on her job during Serious Fraud Office investigation
Shane Jones’ comments on Indian students
RNZ: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones stands by Indian students remark
Yvette McCullough (RNZ): PM Jacinda Ardern publicly reprimands Shane Jones over Indian immigrant remarks
Jason Walls (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern yet again pulls NZ First Minister Shane Jones into line
Anna Whyte (1News): Shane Jones’ comments on Indian students both ‘loose’ and ‘wrong’, Ardern says
Rachel Sadler (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern slams Shane Jones’ ‘racist’ rant about Indian students ruining New Zealand academic institutions
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says Shane Jones was ‘loose’ and ‘wrong’
Harlene Hayne and Robert Patman (Newsroom): Jones’ attacks on Indian students a timely reminder
David Cormack (Herald): Jacinda Ardern’s deafening silence over Shane Jones ‘racist’ comments (paywalled)
Ben Uffindell (The Civilian): Shane Jones asked to self-isolate after recent travel to Newshub studios
Al Noor mosque threat, Chch terror attacks, right-wing extremism
Thomas Manch and Jonathan Guildford (Stuff): Worshippers at the Al Noor mosque photographed in terror threat
Jamie Ensor and Emma Stanford (Newshub): Al Noor mosque threat is ‘significant incident’ – Police Association
Ben Strang (RNZ): Muslims on high alert after report of threat against Christchurch mosque
1News: Online threat made against Al-Noor Mosque in Christchurch as anniversary of terrorist attack approaches
Mark Quinlivan and Mel Logan (Newshub): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says threats made against Al Noor Mosque ‘hard to believe’
RNZ: Police probe report of terror threat against Al Noor mosque in Christchurch
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): New threat made against Christchurch mosque
Cate Broughton (Press): Christchurch Muslims prepare to mark one year anniversary of mosque attacks
Herald: White supremacist posters appear around Auckland University
Lana Andelane (Newshub): White supremacist materials distributed around University of Auckland city campus
Health
Morgan Godfery (Spinoff): Māori nurses earn 25% less. And this government won’t even talk about it
Joy Reid (1News): Endometriosis sufferer hopes new guidelines will spare other women agonising pain
Kristin Hall (1News): Pharmac’s handling of funding request for sanitary products labelled ‘devious’ and ‘underhanded’
James Fyfe and Emma Stanford (Newshub): Nicky Stevens’ family calls for ‘urgent investigation’ of Waikato DHB mental health services
1News: Intellectually disabled man found with thousands of prescription pills in Bali shows ‘serious problem’ in NZ mental health system – lawyer
RNZ: Hawke’s Bay DHB spends nearly $12k on iceblocks and fans
RNZ: ‘Pill library’ reveals too high doses of MDMA, or none at all
Local Government
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Stuck between Shelly Bay, water woes, and a divided council
Joel MacManus (Dominion Post): ‘The perfect storm’: Wellington council warned last year of impending water crisis
Nicola Willis (Stuff): Councillors need to do more to fix capital’s water issues
Logan Savory (Southland Times): Invercargill Mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt to sue his own council
Karen Pasco (ODT): Mayor sues his own council
Marty Sharpe (Stuff): Napier City Council CEO Wayne Jack has resigned
RNZ: Napier City Council chief executive Wayne Jack resigns
ODT: DCC companies lose $882k and debt climbs
ODT: Half-year loss for DCHL was projected
Environment
Christine Rose (Newsroom): Govt’s ‘transformation’ for dolphins is MIA
RNZ: DOC investigates kea deaths after 1080 drop
Debbie Jamieson (Stuff): Kea part of Conservation Trust study group found dead near Wānaka
1News: Six kea found dead near Wanaka following 1080 drop
Sally Rae (ODT): Lobster fishers hope for consultation flexibility
RNZ: Togs and towels protesters call for tougher water quality rules
RNZ: Fox River clean-up efforts ebbing away, says guide Kelsey Porter
Laura Smith (ODT): Effects of climate change explained
Denise Piper (Stuff): North drought: Auckland breaks record, Whangārei driest summer since WWII
Gavin Evans (BusinessDesk): Power market reform needed to decarbonise – Genesis (paywalled)
Education
Zane Small (Newshub): Hundreds of false declarations made on fees-free university applications
Jamie Morton (Herald): ‘This is about more than our little NZ Uni’ – angry Massey scientist hits out at vice-chancellor
Logan Savory (Southland Times): Southern Institute of Technology council uncomfortable with asset promise
Luisa Girao (ODT): Govt promises to ring-fence SIT assets
RNZ: University of Otago grows Pacific science connectionss
Te Ururoa Flavell (Spinoff): Welcome to the reo-volution: On the explosion in Māori language learning
John Gerritsen (RNZ): More teachers staying in the classroom into their 70s
Simon Collins (Herald): New school confirmed as Kiwibuild vs playgrounds fight erupts
Child poverty
RNZ: Famous chefs reveal meals of those in poverty
Tom McRae (Newshub): Kidscan’s latest campaign features top chefs cooking real-life poverty meals
Josephine Franks (Stuff): Child poverty: Kids bring dry noodles to school for lunch – or no food at all
Alwyn Poole (Herald): Poverty finger needs to be pointed in the right direction (paywalled)
Gun control
Derek Cheng (Herald): Police union boss decries false use of his name to bolster opposition to gun law changes
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Gun registry ‘crucial’ to any reform
Primary industries
Sean Hogan (1News): Drought-hit Hawke’s Bay farmers battling fresh outbreak of bovine tuberculosis
Blair Voorend (Hawkes Bay Today): Mayor pledges to never sell to forestry as Austrian billionaire plans to plant out Wairoa farmland
Stuff: Austrian billionaire cleared to buy New Zealand farm for $8 million
Immigration
Dileepa Fonseka (Newsroom): Migration policy ‘on a pathway to Dubai’
Richard Davison (ODT): Immigration NZ decision leaves migrant facing deportation
Housing
Carmen Hall (Herald): Not up to standard: Buyer spends millions of dollars maintaining Tauranga state houses (paywalled)
Ben Leahy (Herald): New Zealand house prices haven’t fallen since Rugby World Cup 2011
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Landlords threaten to throw out ‘bad quality’ tenants ahead of rental reforms
Maria Slade (NBR: Ratbag renters and the 90-day headache (paywalled)
Deena Coster (Stuff): Demand for rentals remains high in NP but mixed views on what role Airbnb plays
Banks
1News: ANZ ordered to pay customers extra $29.4 million after interest calculation botch-up
Herald: ANZ Bank to pay $29.4m to customers affected by loan calculator error
Gareth Vaughan (Interest): ComCom unveils biggest settlement with a single bank with ANZ NZ coughing up more than $35m
1New: ASB announces living wage accreditation across company
KiwiSaver
No Right Turn: No investments for criminal industries
David Farrar: Another meaningless virtue signal
Other
Hamish McNeilly and Rachael Kelly (Stuff): MP Hamish Walker in fight to retain contested Clutha-Southland seat
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Why I’m congratulating Jacinda Ardern
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): David Seymour threatens to strip Young ACT’s name amid plan to sell drug paraphernalia
Stuff: Dunedin South MP Clare Curran admits cannabis conviction
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): Tuia 250 privacy breach: Tech boss signed off on government website with no testing
RNZ: The Detail:Is cancel culture repressing freedom of thought?
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Police watchdog reviewing ‘efficiency’ as it deals with surge in complaints and funding issues
Damien Grant (Stuff): The man who would be finance minister knows what it’s like to be consigned to the bargain bin
Sean Plunket: The right to silence has destroyed children’s right to life
Jason Walls (Herald): Petrol price rules may lead to fuel company collusion
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): More than 100 Auckland buses cancelled on Tuesday due to strike
1News: Pro-life advocates take to Auckland streets as Abortion Legislation Bill progresses
Aroha Awatau (Māori TV): Fight for treasured film of Princess Te Puea
Janesa Jeram (Spinoff): Is NZ Super sustainable? The truth is, economists don’t know
RNZ: Iwi upbeat despite year of low returns
Sam Sherwood (Press): The failed media manager, the fraudster and the fake doctor
Ben Strang (RNZ): The Whakaari recovery operation – behind the scenes
Newstalk ZB: Luxembourg makes public transport free – can NZ do the same?
