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
Public health strategy, exiting lockdown
Thomas Manch (Stuff): A path out of lockdown is being charted, but experts say New Zealand is not ready
Nick Wison, Ayesha Verrall, Len Cook, Alistair Gray, Amanda Kvalsvig, Michael Baker (Public Health Expert): Testing for COVID-19 in NZ to Achieve the Elimination Goal
RNZ: Expert optimistic over level-4 response, but says testing and quarantine vital elements
RNZ: Nine to Noon: Data scientist says today could be turning point
Derek Cheng (Herald): Expert professor says no blanket quarantine at border risks a longer lockdown
James Fyfe (Newshub): Sir David Skegg calls for broadening of community transmission definition
Gordon Campbell: On the ethics (and some of the economics) of lifting the lockdown
Matt Burrows (Newshub): New Zealand should consider quitting lockdown early, David Seymour says
Herald: Govt should consider lifting lockdown early, David Seymour says
Ananish Chaudhuri (Newsroom): There is a trade-off
Zane Small (Newshub): Ministry of Health boss confirms stronger border measures ‘under active consideration’ to combat COVID-19
Anna Whyte (1News): Stronger border measures under ‘very active consideration’ – Dr Ashley Bloomfield
James Fyfe and Perry Wilton (Newshub): Bioethics expert says there’s ‘no right way’ of responding to COVID-19
Tess Nichol (Slate): The Extremely Competent, Somewhat Boring Civil Servant Who Has New Zealanders’ Hearts Aflutter
Michael Morrah (Newshub): Scientist confirms COVID-19 nasal swab shortages means shift to throat swabs
Scott Palmer (Newshub): Dr Ashley Bloomfield grilled over New Zealand testing shortages
James Fyfe (Newshub): Success of contact tracing apps will depend on how many Kiwis sign up – technology expert
Nikki Preston (Herald): DHB blames privacy for not revealing where Covid-19 cases are
Brittney Deguara (Stuff): PPE, swabs and contact tracing: A glossary of common coronavirus terms
Chris McDowall (Spinoff): Covid-19: New Zealand cases mapped and charted, April 7
Matt Burrows (Newshub): How long it takes for a coronavirus test to become a ‘confirmed case’
Matt Burrows (Newshub): New Zealand scientists pioneer wastewater testing to track COVID-19’s prevalence
1News: Covid-19 ‘immunity passports’ could be a way back to normal, but there are shortfalls – Kiwi immunologist
David Clark
Bryce Edwards (Democracy Project): Political Roundup: Can David Clark really continue as Minister of Health?
Stuff Editorial: What shall we do with a broken Minister?
Jane Patterson (RNZ): Health Minister David Clark’s lack of judgement a distraction at time of great crisis
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Jacinda Ardern should fire David Clark as soon as this is over
Audrey Young (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern makes sound judgment over thoughtless minister (paywalled)
Audrey Young (Herald): Why Health Minister David Clark can’t last (paywalled)
Heather du Plessis Allan (Herald): PM made the right call over Health Minister
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Clark’s career all but over after lockdown breaches
ODT Editorial: An offer Ardern cannot refuse
Herald Editorial : Health Minister David Clark’s clangers inexcusable (paywalled)
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Clark’s future in doubt
Anna Whyte (1News): PM stuck between ‘a rock and a hard place’ over Health Minister – Simon Bridges
Amelia Wade (Herald): Opposition leader Simon Bridges agrees David Clark should keep his job – for now
1News: ‘Writing’s on the wall’ for Health Minister David Clark after lockdown breaches – Jessica Mutch McKay
Jamie Ensor and Laura Grigg (Newshub): Coronavirus: No clear successor if Health Minister David Clark were sacked – Bryce Edwards
Heather Roy: New Zealand’s Narks – the New Normal
RNZ: PM on Clark – ‘I expect better and so does NZ’
Anna Whyte (1News): Health Minister’s breach of Covid-19 lockdown rules ‘a massive mistake’ – PM
Jason Walls (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern faces questions on Minister of Health’s future
Thomas Manch (Stuff): ‘I’ve made a fool of myself’: Health Minister David Clark on his lockdown beach trip
Eleanor Ainge Roy (Guardian): New Zealand health minister demoted after beach visit broke lockdown rules
Democracy Project: Bryce Edwards: Should David Clark have resigned as Minister of Health? (podcast)
Government, Epidemic Response Committee
Anna Fifield (Washington Post): New Zealand isn’t just flattening the curve. It’s squashing it.
Richard Harman (Politik): It could have been a good day
Lana Andelane (Newshub): Government extends New Zealand’s state of national emergency during COVID-19 crisis
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Simon Bridges, chairing coronavirus select committee, avoids David Clark resignation offer
Derek Cheng (Herald): Health Minister David Clark grilled at Epidemic Response Committee
Simon Bridges’ commute
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Simon Bridges’ Tauranga-Wellington commute ‘fair enough’ – Winston Peters
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Simon Bridges says he needs to be in Parliament as leader of opposition, defending commute from Tauranga
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Comparing Bridges commute to Clark’s breaching of quarantine are two seperate issues
Enforcing lockdown rules
Jason Walls (Herald): Police alert level 4 powers mean officers can set up roadblocks
Stuff: Police to operate checkpoints stopping non-essential travellers
Annabelle Tukia (Newshub): Easter holidaymakers told to stay home during coronavirus lockdown
Stuff: PM, police warning – don’t go to your bach this Easter
1News: DOC frustrated as lockdown rules flouted at Waitako tourist hot spots
RNZ: Police report hundreds flouting rules
Chelsea Boyle and Sam Hurley (Herald): Police record nearly 300 lockdown breaches, Health Minister David Clark not included
Repatriation
1News: NZ to allow ‘carefully managed’ international passenger transfers through Auckland
Jane Patterson (RNZ): Reciprocal agreements sought as foreigners now allowed to transit through NZ airports
Zane Small (Newshub): The ‘extreme circumstances’ migrants can enter New Zealand during coronavirus lockdown
Glen Scanlon (RNZ): Immigration and travel: Your Covid-19 questions answered
RNZ: Govt working on repatriation flights for NZers in Vanuatu
Daisy Hudson (ODT): NZer stuck in Argentina may now have flight
1News: Lufthansa planes spotted at Christchurch Airport as thousands of German tourists prepare to return home
Hospitals, health system
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Health workers PPE advice focused on supply, not wellbeing – Nurses Organisation
Amelia Wade (Herald): What happened to all the flu vaccines? Private sector accused of stockpiling (paywalled)
Mike Houlahan (ODT): SDHB planning for months, or even years
RNZ: St John moves to extend phone friendship service during lockdown
1News: Medical profession goes digital amid coronavirus pandemic, changes could stay
Cathy Stephenson (Stuff): How lockdown has turned Kiwi GPs’ lives upside down
Wage subsidy
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): New World stores will withdraw claims for wage subsidies
RNZ: Foodstuffs stores withdraw wage subsidy applications
Julie Iles (NBR): The supermarket rethink on wage subsidies (paywalled)
Stuff: Fletcher Building says it hasn’t misled workers over wage subsidy
Debrin Foxcroft (Stuff): Retail giants use government welfare to get through crisis
Debrin Foxcroft (Stuff): Wage subsidy database inundated with requests
Brent Edwards (NBR): PM warns against abuse of high-trust wage subsidy scheme (paywalled)
Martin van Beynen (Stuff): Wage subsidy list reveals the scale of economic devastation
Anna Whyte (1News): Wage subsidy scheme pay out jumps up to $6.6 billion
Glen Scanlon (RNZ): Wage subsidy: Your Covid-19 questions answered
Employment, job losses
Kerry Davies (Spinoff): Why danger pay is not OK
RNZ: Unite Union accuses SkyCity of breaching law over sacked workers
John Lewis (ODT): Essential care workers suffer abuse
Lana Andelane (Newshub): New Zealand could face 10pc unemployment following COVID-19 lockdown
Stephen Blumenfeld (Newsroom): We must protect ‘gig economy’ workers
Migrant workers, immigration
Gill Bonnett (RNZ): Broke and desperate: Govt accused of hypocrisy over jobless immigrants
Guy Williams (ODT): Crisis for migrant workers warning
Local government
Felix Desmarais (Stuff): Rotorua Lakes District Council admits editing public record of meeting
Felix Desmarais (Stuff): Rotorua Lakes Council employees safe from redundancy – for now
Harry Lock (RNZ): Councils face pressure for services as revenue drops
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland Mayor Phil Goff open to pay cut
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland Council cuts up to 1100 temporary and contractor staff
Herald: Auckland Council’s contractor freeze: Hundreds of workers to take a hit
RNZ: Auckland Council puts external contracts on hold
Jamie Gray (Herald): Auckland Council investment diluted as investors gobble up Auckland Airport shares (paywalled)
Nita Blake-Persen (RNZ): Checkpoint: Auckland’s Spark Arena becomes huge foodbank during lockdown
1News: Auckland’s massive Spark Arena turned into food distribution centre for those who need help
Tina Law and Dominic Harris (Press): Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel wants to take pay cut as coronavirus fallout grips city
Tina Law (Press):Christchurch city councillors call on residents to push for a zero per cent rates rise
Damian George (Stuff): Wellington City Council forecasting $55m in lost revenue from closed community facilities
Gerogina Campbell (Stuff): Wellington City’s rates relief options revealed
Herald: Cold water poured on Cook Strait sludge dumping proposal
Tom Hunt (Stuff): Nature’s slow takeover begins in an empty Wellington, mayor asks people to clear leaves
Christina Persico (Taranaki Daily News): Repairs to New Plymouth wastewater plant drying unit on hold due to coronavirus
Christina Persico (Taranaki Daily News): Infrastructure and coronavirus recovery discussed at Zoom NPDC meeting
Cherie Sivignon (Stuff): Tasman District Council may axe planned 2.97 per cent rates rise
Ruby Princess
Marty Sharpe (Stuff): PM seeks legal advice on whether Ruby Princess cruise ship fulfilled legal obligations
Craig McCullouch (RNZ): Ruby Princess cruise ship New Zealand visits may be prosecuted – government
1News: PM looking at legal advice over Ruby Princess cruise ship coronavirus cluster
Patrick Gower (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern seeks legal advice on Ruby Princess cruise ship
Emma Russell (Herald): PM Jacinda Ardern seeks legal advice on Ruby Princess cruise ship letting virus into New Zealand
Community checkpoints
Stuff: Plan for West Coast checkpoints being worked on
Charlotte Jones (RNZ): Ngāti Manawa set up checkpoints due to lockdown rule breakers
Māori health response
Carmen Parahi (Stuff): How to spend the $30m coronavirus health response for Māori
Māni Dunlop (RNZ): Government urged to put Māori at forefront of Covid-19 planning
Pacific communities
Hannah Martin (Stuff): Govt announces $17m package to support Pacific communities
Derek Cheng (Herald):Government announces $17m fighting fund for Pacific communities
1News: Government approves $17 million Covid-19 support package for NZ’s Pacific communities
RNZ: NZ identifies pasifika communities as at risk to Covid-19
Pacific
Koroi Hawkins (RNZ): Bleakest outlook for Pacific’s tourism-driven economies – ADB
RNZ: Samoa Parliament debates $US23m ‘Covid-19’ budget
RNZ:Fiji to juggle Covid-19 restrictions with cyclone prep
RNZ: Fiji Covid-19 cases now at 15
Inequality, poverty, welfare
Laura James (1News): Children who rely on school lunches now getting lockdown parcels delivered
1News: Families struggling during lockdown get generous grocery packages thanks to KidsCan
Air New Zealand, transport
John Anthony and Melanie Carroll (Stuff): Air New Zealand begins 387 pilot redundancies, union says
1News: Air New Zealand ‘proposing to make 387 pilots redundant’ amid Covid-19 turmoil
Herald: Air NZ to lay off 387 pilots
1News: Air New Zealand appoints new Chief People Officer as airline eyes major job cuts
Grant Bradley (Herald): Air New Zealand pilots in firing line as planes grounded (paywalled)
Mike Watson (Stuff): Essential highway maintenance continues as big resealing jobs on hold
Housing
Rob Stock (Stuff): You can refix to a lower interest rate while on mortgage ‘holiday’
1News: Thousands of home buyers, sellers in limbo waiting for settlement amid Covid-19 restrictions
Essential businesses and services
1News: Stagger benefit payment days to avoid long supermarket lines during lockdown, academic suggests
Melanie Carroll (Stuff): Most Mad Butcher stores won’t be doing deliveries despite PM’s green light
Amelia Wade (Herald): Mad Butcher left fuming at confusion around selling meat online
Hannah Kronast (Newshub): Woman disgusted after finding plastic gloves littered outside supermarket
Aimee Shaw (Herald): Dairies take responsibility for social distancing but would like more advice (paywalled)
Crusaders
Duncan Johnstone (Stuff): Arrogant or ignorant? Crusaders beg question with lockdown lunacy
Michael Burgess (Herald): Crusaders’ response the worst part of lockdown breach
Grant Chapman (Newshub): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern scolds Crusaders for lockdown training breach
RNZ: All Black Richie Mo’unga apologises after Crusaders filmed training
Business
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): KiwiRail forced to repay commercial tenant after chasing extra rent during COVID-19 lockdown
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Government has no desire to own stakes in big firms but wants to ‘keep options on table’
Fran O’Sullivan (Herald): A move to help virus-weakened NZ firms fend off predators (paywalled)
David Hargreaves (Interest): Access to debt is good – but our companies will need more capital too
Andrew Patterson (Newsroom): Reputations won and lost
Liam Dann (Herald): More govt support needed for small business – ASB economist (paywalled)
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): NZIER survey sheds light on anatomy of the business confidence collapse
Rebecca Howard (BusinessDesk): NZIER modelling points to 100% business pessimism
Brent Edwards (NBR): Businesses as depressed as they were in the GFC (paywalled)
RNZ: Covid-19: More business questions answered
Queenstown
Hugh Collins and Jacob McSweeny (ODT): Preparing for life after lockdown
Guy Williams (ODT): Move to guide Queenstown out of ‘toughest’ time
Debbie Jamieson (Stuff): Queenstown likely to be hardest hit in NZ – mayor
Education
Ethan Griffiths (Salient): Calls for Help Unanswered: Te Puni Village Influenza Case
Joel MacManus (Stuff): Student hospitalised after Vic Uni hall staff could not be reached for 10 hours
Simon Collins (Herald): AUT University abandons plan to make students start again and stay till Christmas
Cira Olivier (Herald): Rotorua schools fear the equity gap will widen during lockdown (paywalled)
Stephen Dobson and Edward Schofield (Newsroom): The rush to online-ness
RNZ: University lab makes, distributes 600 litres of sanitise
ODT: Emergency dental team continues despite high risk
Media
Brian Easton (Pundit): Obituary For The New Zealand Listener (1939-2020)
Duncan Greive (Spinoff): The next Bauer: What is the rescue plan for NZ’s devastated media industry?
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): A Lamentable Failure of Imagination
Personal finance
Sam Stubbs (Stuff): Compulsory KiwiSaver is key to long-term post-coronavirus wealth
Herald: Cooking the Books podcast: The steps to prep for a recession if you don’t have any savings
Primary and extractive industries
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): After a decade-long debt binge, Coronavirus has slayed the oil industry
Gavin Evans (BusinessDesk): Oil ship to stay at Tui field – High Court (paywalled)
Bonnie Flaws (Stuff): Farming can weather the economic fall out from coronavirus, economists say
RNZ: Pandemic kills off Israel agritech move
Jacob McSweeny (ODT):Alliance trims staff levels for distancing
RNZ: Support set up for farmers facing stock feed shortages
Environment
James Every-Palmer (Stuff): Climate change: We’re borrowing from our children, so let’s make it count
Todd Niall (Stuff): Drought: Auckland would have mandatory water restrictions if not for Covid-19
Police
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Canterbury police officer unjustified in striking runaway driver with gun – IPCA
RNZ: Police officers censured for ‘overly aggressive’ response
1News: Use of young police dog in fleeing driver’s arrest ‘unprofessional’, IPCA finds
Religion
Scottie Reeve (Spinoff): Easter is a time of reflection and reckoning, especially during lockdown
Max Towle (RNZ): Faith in quarantine: How religion has been affected by Covid-19
Insurance
1News: FMA steps in after false ads claiming health insurance is needed for Covid-19 posted online
Herald: FMA clamps down on misleading insurance ads
Telecommunications
Chris Keall (Herald): NZ telcos’ big roaming revenue hit (paywalled)
Juha Saarinen (Herald): No, Spark isn’t profiteering from Covid-19 coronavirus (paywalled)
Other
Alexander Gillespie (Herald): Four matters to address after the pandemic (paywalled)
Wyatt Creech (Pundit): The Biggest Challenge For A Generation Ahead – Covid-19. Defeat And Recovery
Newstalk ZB: Shane Jones considering ban on log exports so NZ has priority access to wood
George Block (Stuff): NZDF reserves deployed to prepare hospital in hard-hit region
Rosie Gordon (Newshub): SPCA, Cancer Society feeling financial effects of COVID-19
Hannah Kronast (Newshub): British PM’s message to New Zealand after being admitted to hospital with COVID-19
1News: Ardern reveals message Boris Johnson sent to NZ while he fights coronavirus
Susan Strongman (RNZ): Abortion services available by phone for some New Zealanders during lockdown
Hamish Cardwell (RNZ): Fish and chip shop closures sting potato and fish suppliers
RNZ: Checkpoint: How volunteers are helping refugees in NZ lockdown
Dileepa Fonseka (Newsroom): Paywave ‘contactless’ threshold may lift to $200
Rebecca Moore (1News): Expert warns cat owners to keep pets in their coronavirus lockdown bubbles after Covid-19 diagnosis in tiger
1News: Countdown urges customers to not flush wet wipes after increase in blockages during lockdown
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Shane Jones concedes Provincial Growth Fund hasn’t created enough jobs, promises a fix
Kiwiblog: Nick Smith: Govt rushing through prisoner voting during the pandemic
Sam Hurley (Herald): John Stringer v Colin Craig: Former Conservative Party leader wins defamation bout with ex-board member
George Block (Stuff): National Party office burglary case runs cold
