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 – government
Chris Trotter (Interest): “We are all socialists now.”
Tim Watkin (Pundit): Pulling Together In A Crisis: The Coalition’s Biggest Test. And Opportunity
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Jacinda Ardern’s biggest task, heroic yet modest
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Fiscal and monetary response to better-case coronavirus scenario takes shape
Richard Harman (Politik): Billions to fight the virus
Alexander Gillespie (Herald): Declaring a state of emergency sets Govt’s path (paywalled)
David Farrar: Is it time for a Government of National Unity?
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Jacinda Ardern’s Government isn’t leading, they’re being led
David Cormack (Herald): Pandemics are bigger than politics (paywalled)
No Right Turn: Government matters
Scott Hamilton: Light reading
Coronavirus: health
James Fyfe and Perry Wilton (Newshub):Public health expert urges Govt to go ‘even further’, close schools, stop public transport
ODT: Pandemic effect ‘to extend well into next year’: Otago Uni expert
Ben Leahy (Herald): Don’t expect pandemic to be over by Christmas, says expert
James Fyfe (Newshub): ‘No one alive’s been through a pandemic like this’ – infectious disease expert Michael Baker
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Slowing arrival and spread of Covid-19 crucial – health expert
RNZ: Checkpoint: Medicine, vaccine supply disruptions likely – Pharmac
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Concerns over ICU capacity
Herald: Long waits and unanswered calls as Healthline inundated
Gordon Campbell: On the use of existing drugs to reduce the effects of coronavirus
Amelia Wade (Herald): Doctors urged to be prudent with tests to ensure future availability
1News: Pacific people in New Zealand at huge risk from coronavirus, health expert warns
Bronson Perich (Māori TV): Pacific Leadership Forum: Pasifika at highest risk of Coronavirus
Farah Hancock (Newsroom): NZ scientists horrified at ‘herd immunity’ strategy
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): The Grim Tutorial Of The 1918-19 Influenza Pandemic
1News: Advice for staying home when required
Eileen Merriman (Newsroom): On the frontline of a pandemic: an essay by an Auckland hospital doctor
1News: PM demonstrates ‘East Coast wave’ as coronavirus alternative to handshakes, hongi
Coronavirus: Economy, Reserve Bank OCR cut
ODT Editorial: Broad support needed in recession
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): What to expect from the Government’s support package for businesses – economist
Hamish McLean (ODT): Mayor: DCC may cover aid ‘gaps’ in Government’s Covid-19 response support package
Henry Cooke and Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Prime Minister says economic impact of Coronavirus could be greater than global financial crisis
1News: Jacinda Ardern says economic impact of coronavirus could be worse than global financial crisis
Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Treasury advice to Jacinda Ardern: COVID-19 impact could be worse than global financial crisis
Eleanor Ainge Roy and Charlotte Graham-McLay (Guardian): New Zealand acts on coronavirus as Ardern warns of recession worse than GFC
David Hargreaves (Interest): Our economists are talking recession with a capital R: ‘It won’t be a shallow one’
Anne Gibson (Herald): Economist Shamubeel Eaqub says OCR cut won’t save NZ from ‘deep’ recession (paywalled)
Bernard Hickey (Newsroom): RBNZ now ready for Quantitative Easing
Liam Dann (Herald): Reserve Bank of NZ faces historic fight to maintain confidence
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Orr’s blunt message to banks more important than rate cut (paywalled)
Michael Reddell: Pretty dreadful
1News: New Zealand banks start slashing interest rates in wake of record-low cash rate
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Grant Robertson and Government welcomes OCR cut
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): RBNZ cuts the OCR by 75 bps in an emergency announcement, next step is a Large Scale Asset Purchase program if more support needed
Liam Dann (Herald): How the Reserve Bank’s big plan B works – Adrian Orr explains (paywalled)
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Bascand: RBNZ isn’t willing to take on the ‘additional risk’ of going into negative OCR territory; Banks well-funded for now but future uncertain
Rebecca Howard (BusinessDesk): Reserve Bank isn’t heading to zero – Orr (paywalled)
David Hargreaves (Interest): Reserve Bank says it wants the country’s banks to be focused on looking after their customers
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): RBNZ gives banks headroom to lend an additional $47 billion
Hamish Rutherford (Herald): Reserve Bank talks up how much banks should be able to lend (paywalled)
Jason Walls (Herald): Reserve Bank boss Adrian Orr sees recession scenarios for New Zealand as Covid-19 hits economy
Anna Whyte (1News): Negative economic impact of coronavirus ‘significant’ – Reserve Bank
1News: Reserve Bank slashes OCR as economy takes hit from coronavirus pandemic
Tom Pullar-Strecker, Susan Edmunds & Anuja Nadkarni (Stuff): Reserve Bank governor gives word to cap official cash rate at 0.25 per cent for a year
Hamish Rutherford (Herald): Reserve Bank cuts OCR to record low 0.25 per cent
Gyles Beckford (RNZ): Reserve Bank announces emergency official cash rate cut
Alex Braae (Spinoff): What the whopping Covid-cut to the Official Cash Rate means
Tess Nichol (Metro): What the Reserve Bank’s Official Cash Rate cut means: A guide for dummies
Coronavirus: travel ban, Pacific plan, large gatherings
Kendall Hutt (Stuff): Travellers flying to Pacific Islands to undergo health check at Auckland Airport
Newstalk ZB: Infectious disease expert praises Government’s travel restrictions
RNZ: Travel restrictions ‘exactly what we need’- microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles
Thomas Manch and Bridie Witton (Stuff): Travellers without adequate self-isolation plan ‘risk being refused entry’ into New Zealand
Vita Molyneux and Zac Fleming (Newshub): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s harsh ‘zero tolerance’ message to tourists refusing to self-isolate
1News: ‘Frankly, you are not welcome’ – Ardern’s strong words for travellers not adhering to coronavirus rules
Zane Small and Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Government looking to deport foreign backpackers flouting self-isolation protocols
Derek Cheng (Herald): The key role you can play in helping authorities enforce self-isolation
Newstalk ZB: PM looking at ‘deportation powers’, issues self-isolation warning
Herald: People who refuse to self-isolate could be fined – health chief
Ireland Hendry-Tennent (Newshub): People who refuse to self-isolate could be fined
1News: Jacinda Ardern confident ‘community-minded’ Kiwis will abide by coronavirus self-isolation measures
Tom Hunt (Stuff): Cruise ends abruptly, passengers let loose in Wellington
Hamish McNeilly (Stuff): Kiwis ditch cruise in Dunedin rather than risk being stuck in Australia
Tim Miller, Molly Houseman and Daisy Hudson (ODT): Passengers ditch cruise ship in Dunedin
Max Towle (RNZ): The moment coronavirus made travelling not much fun
Matt Burrow (Newshub): Kiwis react with rage to foreigners refusing to self-isolate
Zane Small (Newshub): Simon Bridges ‘commends’ Government for ‘doing something significant’
Collette Devlin and Henry Cooke (Stuff): Government advises that all large events should be canned
Zane Small (Newshub): PM Jacinda Ardern calls for gatherings of 500 people or more to be cancelled
Anna Whyte (1News): All large gatherings, with exception of schools, to be cancelled due to coronavirus – PM
RNZ: Gatherings of 500 or more people will not go ahead – Prime Minister
Coronavirus: Employment, business, savings
Melanie Carroll (Stuff): What about people who can’t work from home?
Brent Edwards (NBR): CTU says wage subsidy scheme will help counter Covid-19’s economic impact (paywalled)
Melanie Carroll (Stuff): Kiwis are seeking income protection insurance – but beware
Melanie Carroll (Stuff): Coronavirus is a pressing concern for New Zealanders about to retire
Aimee Shaw (Herald): Up to 10,000 retail jobs at risk over next few months: Retail NZ
Michael Andrew (Spinoff): How a global pandemic has impacted a single strip of Dominion Road
Coronavirus: School closures, universities
1News: NZ schools scramble to prepare for possible coronavirus closures
RNZ: Education Ministry discusses closure plans with schools
Simon Collins (Herald): Ministry surveys schools to prepare for closures
Matt Burrow (Newshub): Kiwi business leaders urge ‘aggressive’ solution from NZ Government
Herald: Influential entrepreneurs call for school shutdown, border closure
Denise Piper (Stuff): Schools ‘ready’ if New Zealand reaches shutdown stage
Stuff: School Sport NZ suspends all events on national calendar, including the Maadi Cup
Lee Kenny (Stuff): Universities staying open but graduation ceremonies may be cancelled
Coronavirus: Parliament, MPs
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): PM Jacinda Ardern not ruling out changing election date amid COVID-19 pandemic
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Ardern holding to Sept election despite virus
Jessica Mutch McKay (1News): Better to be safe than sorry as more MPs self isolate
Zane Small (Newshub): Labour’s Nanaia Mahuta joins growing list of MPs in self-isolation over COVID-19 concerns
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Public tours cancelled as Parliament implements pandemic plan
Jason Walls (Herald): Tours of Parliament and school visits to its buildings suspended to limit spread of Covid-19
Zane Small (Newshub): Public tours and school visits to Parliament cancelled amid COVID-19 concern
Coronavirus: Tourism industry
Jacob McSweeny ODT): Uncertain wait for tourism firms
Guy Williams (ODT): Flights into Queenstown Airport near empty as controls kick in
Matthew Mckew (ODT): Queenstown rentals market prices adapting
Liu Chen (RNZ): Travel restrictions already biting for tourism industry
1News: Tourism boss pleads for mental health support as industry buckles under coronavirus outbreak
RNZ: The Detail: Is COVID-19 the iceberg that will sink the cruise ship industry?
Anan Zaki (RNZ): Akaroa businesses fear devastating impact of cruise ship restrictions
Coronavirus: Air NZ
Grant Bradley (Herald): Inside Air New Zealand’s battle in the new dark age of travel
RNZ: Union seeks a voice as Air NZ prepares to axe 3500 jobs
1News: Air New Zealand may cut 30% of staff as coronavirus pandemic hits travel industry hard
1News: Air NZ cuts long haul capacity by 85 per cent, domestic by 30 per cent as coronavirus impact hits hard
Nona Pelletier (RNZ): Air NZ halts share trading, slashes long-haul flights
Grant Bradley (Herald): Air New Zealand could cut staff by 3700
Grant Bradley (Herald): Air NZ in trading halt; plans to cut international capacity by 85 per cent in next few months
Dan Lake (Newshub): Air New Zealand to ‘cut up to 30 percent of staff permanently’, according to pilots association
David Hargreaves (Interest): Our national airline is cutting long haul international services by 85% and domestic services by 30% in reaction to the Government’s travel restrictions
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Air NZ adopts skeleton ‘get-you-home’ international flights (paywalled)
Coronavirus – climate change
Nita Blake-Persen (RNZ): Checkpoint: Climate change emissions drop as travel bans hit
Amber-Leigh Woolf (Stuff): Coronavirus could teach us how to mitigate climate change
Nicholas Agar (Newsroom): How Covid-19 and climate change mirror each other
Coronavirus – primary industries
Bonnie Flaws (Stuff): Federated Farmers call on Government to defer a raft of environmental regulations
Maja Burry (RNZ): Further strain on fruit picking labour shortages
Ruth Hill (RNZ): Horticulture looks to forestry to solve labour shortage
Glen Herud (Stuff): Farmers should survive the turmoil relatively unscathed
Coronavirus – media
Gavin Ellis: Balanced on Covid-19 tightrope
Duncan Greive (Spinoff): Covid-19 and the NZ media: ‘We’ve never seen anything like this’
Coronavirus – other
Dominic Harris (Stuff): Shoppers spending large in supermarkets as politicians call for calm
1News: New Zealand Post changing parcel delivery procedure to limit physical contact
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): New Zealand Post couriers no longer accepting signatures as coronavirus precaution
