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
Election
Tim Watkin (RNZ): Sending out the political assassins as National shoots itself in the foot
Peter Dunne: Greens’ fate uncertain, but the rest of the election jigsaw is beginning to look remarkably settled
Andy Fyers (BusinessDesk): Will the polls move this close to election day? (paywalled)
Ali Shakir (Herald): Sorry Jacinda, I’m going passive (paywalled)
Leith Huffadine (RNZ): RNZ’s guide to The Outliers for general election 2020
Ben Thomas (Spinoff): The true legacy of minor parties in government
Chris Trotter: Majority Rule Requires Majorities That Are Real
Peter Dunne (Newsroom): First leaders’ debate a tough first test for both
AAP Fact Check: Has state housing wait list increased under Labour coalition?
Hannah Kronast (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern’s debate claim on child poverty fact-checked as ‘misleading’
Richard Harman (Politik): More budget problems for Goldsmith while Peters goes back to school
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Big-money donors dry up for political parties
Reweti Kohere (NBR): How much you say? Tallying up the dollars and cents of Labour and National’s election promises (paywalled)
Stuff Editorial: Civics education – we need to get our act together
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Dileepa Fonseka (Newsroom): Labour, Greens clash over emergency housing
Nicholas Jones (Herald): What’s the plan to improve our health? Policies compared (paywalled)
1News: Vote Compass: Kiwis divided on whether more migrants should be allowed in
Jono Galuszka (Manawatū Standard): Palmerston North candidates at odds over immigration and refugees
Derek Cheng (Herald): What’s the plan for law and order? Policies compared (paywalled)
Geraden Cann (NBR): The not-so-forgotten tech sector (paywalled)
Peter Griffin (BusinessDesk): Nats’ tech policy a real point of difference (paywalled)
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Leonie Hayden (Spinoff): Putting the spotlight on Te Tai Tokerau
Georgie Ormond (Herald): Local Focus: Whanganui candidates argue whether farmers avoid paying for their pollution?
Gavin Ogden (Herald): Local Focus: Who is Tricia Lawrence, NZ First candidate for Bay of Plenty?
Gavin Ogden (Herald): Local Focus: Who is Angie Warren-Clark, Labour
Patrick O’Sullivan (Herald): Local Focus: Candidates on Napier’s biggest issue
Greens
Simon Wilson (Herald): Why is the Greens’ wealth tax so terrifying? (paywalled)
Zane Small (Newshub): Grant Robertson ‘reaffirms’ Labour won’t adopt Greens’ wealth tax, confident of economic ‘rebound’
RNZ: Wealth tax not a bottom line for Green Party but they will push for it – Shaw
1News: Greens’ James Shaw says wealth tax is ‘priority’ but not a ‘bottom line’ for Labour coalition
Jason Walls (Herald): Greens co-leader James Shaw walks back Green MPs ‘bottom line’ wealth tax comments
National Party
Brian Fallow (Herald): National’s spending plan is just incredible – literally (paywalled)
Jane Patterson and Russell Palmer (RNZ): National says fiscal plan stacks up after Labour insists there’s another mistake
Newstalk ZB: Judith Collins on working with Act, foreign workers and National’s fiscal mistake
Brent Edwards (NBR): Why National won’t make its proposed tax cuts permanent (paywalled)
1News: Judith Collins targets younger demographic – at daycare – with fist-bumps and advice on drinking milk
RNZ: Complaint over National’s Lawrence Yule billboards fails
Marty Sharpe (Stuff): Nothing wrong with National MP’s billboards – Advertising Standards Authority
Hannah Kronast (Newshub): Advertising Standards Authority dismisses complaints National MP’s billboards are ‘misleading’
Anusha Bradley (RNZ): National MP’s ad under investigation after complaints it’s misleading
Agriculture policies
Katie Doyle (RNZ): Agriculture industry, environmentalists lukewarm on National, Labour policies
Stuff Editorial: Harvesting the urban-rural divide
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): National takes on Labour over agriculture policy
Henry Cooke (Stuff): National promises farmers return of foreign workers and a rollback of regulations on water and climate
Amelia Wade (Herald): National leader Judith Collins unveils agriculture policy
RNZ: National pledges to ease legislation for farmers
1News: National promises to stop farmers being ‘regulated into oblivion’, if elected
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Jacinda Ardern says National’s agriculture policy would take country back ‘decades’
Jason Walls (Herald): Labour leader Jacinda Ardern not pleased with National’s farming policy
Zane Small (Newshub):Jacinda Ardern bags National as ‘backward-looking’, says Labour ‘absolutely’ understands farmers
Amelia Wade (Herald): ‘I don’t know why she’d say such foolish statements’ – National’s Judith Collins hits back at attacks on farming policy
Primary industries
1News: New footage from South Island farms reveal cows living in knee-high winter mud
1News: ‘Conditional prohibition’ on live cattle exports to remain after ban lifted next month
Bonnie Flaws and Torika Tokalau (Stuff): Strawberry farm desperate for fruit pickers could offer Kiwis better pay: union
Waatea News: Smart thinking needed to fix seasonal job gap – Willie Jackson
Maja Burry (RNZ): Lower sheep and beef farmers sentiment chief contributor to rural confidence fall – Rabobank
Labour on hate speech, free speech
Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Labour wouldn’t stop with just religion in hate speech crackdown
Derek Cheng (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern wants stronger hate-speech protections
Anna Whyte (1News): Labour promise tougher hate speech laws if re-elected
RNZ: Al Noor Mosque imam urges reform of hate speech laws to protect religious followers
Zane Small (Newshub): David Seymour fears for freedom of expression as Jacinda Ardern plans to beef up hate speech laws
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Sigh – Jacinda wades into free speech debate – this will end badly
NZ First
Matthew Hooton (Herald): You’ll miss Winston Peters when he’s gone (paywalled)
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): NZ First MP Ron Mark recorded saying he’s not interested in party vote, only wants electorate
Māori Party
1News: John Tamihere says it’s ‘disgraceful’ a Govt ministry sought advice about his potential conflicts of interest
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Māori Party eyes comeback from Taranaki
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Māori Party wants capital gains tax, halt on immigration until housing crisis is fixed
Dan Satherley and Edward O’Driscoll (Newshub): John Tamihere picks unlikely preferred coalition partner for Māori Party
RNZ: Māori Party housing policy includes immigration halt, homes on ancestral land
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Māori Party wants taxes on ‘ghost’ houses, capital gains from rentals
TOP
Dan Satherley (Newshub): TOP keen to work with Māori Party after unexpected endorsement from John Tamihere
Jason Walls (Herald): TOP’s green Robin Hood plan – tax high emitters extra to pay for more electric vehicles
Herald: The Opportunities Party’s Geoff Simmons misspells electorate’s name in advertising campaign
ACT
1News: David Seymour skydives to highlight plight of struggling tourism operators
Toby Morris (Spinoff): The Side Eye: How to draw David Seymour
Cannabis and euthanasia referendums
Marta Rychert and Chris Wilkins (The Conversation): The missing question from New Zealand’s cannabis debate: what about personal freedom and individual rights?
Lydia Lewis and Dan Satherley (Newshub): Ex-synthetic drug user tells MPs to ‘pull their heads out of their backsides’ and legalise cannabis
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Collin Tukuitonga (Newsroom): Euthanasia’s clash with Pacific worldview
Lucy Warhurst (Newshub): Controversial euthanasia ads accused of being ‘designed to mislead and create fear’
Health
George Laking (Spinoff): The four things New Zealanders need for good health
Rebecca Moore (1News): Calls for long-term investment, upgrade of ‘clunky’ public health system
Evangelia Henderson (Spinoff): What the next government must do to save lives from breast cancer
RNZ: Fewer children being immunised – research
Jennifer Salmond and Martin Brook (Newsroom): What lies beneath: is this the new asbestos?
Mental health
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Need for New Zealand mental health services at ‘breaking point’ – Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
1News: ‘I had to step away from the fire’ – Todd Muller opens up about intense panic attacks, mental health struggle as National leader
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Todd Muller reflects on the panic attacks, anxiety he faced as National leader
Duncan Garner (Newshub): This Government talked all the platitudes on mental health, but it’s the same ugly result
Disability
Catherine Hutton (RNZ): Closure of purpose-built gym and pool a disaster for disabled clients – advocate
Kate Green (Stuff): People with disabilities share stories of lockdown in new book
Coronavirus
David Murdoch and Magnús Gottfreðsson (The Conversation): Covid-19 and small island nations: what we can learn from New Zealand and Iceland
Emma Cropper (Newshub): Two returnees in isolation at Pullman hotel denied chance to see dying parents
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): A rubbish story: Covid waste worries
Education
Brian Gaynor (BusinessDesk): Why is the Dio School Foundation a charity? (paywalled)
Josephine Franks (Stuff): Students hit by lockdown offered catch-up classes during holidays
Brianna Mcilraith (Stuff): Applications for Green School principal have opened
Julia Gabel (Herald): Professors call out racism as a ‘major issue’ at universities
RNZ: Waikato University staff lead project on racial oppression
Eleanor Ainge Roy (Guardian): Māori academics call for national inquiry into racism at New Zealand universities
Tom O’Connor (Stuff): Finding racism is easy, tackling it takes more effort
Mariné Lourens (Stuff): Otago Uni accused of being ‘deceptive’ about medical school admissions policy
Laura Wiltshire (Stuff): Group calls for mandatory sexual consent education for tertiary students
Abuse in care inquiry
David Williams (Newsroom): Crown set up secret Lake Alice meeting
1News: Lake Alice survivor’s grim testimony of abuse and mistreatment at psychiatric hospital
Edward Gay (Stuff): Lake Alice survivor says she can’t get closure without justice
Michael Neilson (Herald): Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry: Sexually abused man still fighting for apology
Andrew McRae (RNZ): Abuse in care inquiry: ‘Prison guards were more caring’ than welfare homes
Andrew McRae (RNZ): Man suffered sexual abuse in psychiatric care
Edward Gay (Stuff): Abused in state care as a boy, still fighting for recognition decades later
Local government
Rob Mitchell (Stuff): Why it appears Kiwis won’t stand for Māori wards
Harry Lock (RNZ): Hutt City Council faces $1.3bn bill for water pipes upgrade
Danielle Clent (Stuff): Auckland port deaths: Union says health and safety expert should lead review
Emma Perry (ODT): No pay rise for city councillors — authority
Felix Desmarais (RNZ): No more shovel-ready funding for Rotorua Lakes Council
Tracey Roxburgh (ODT): Bid for more ‘shovel-ready’ funds for Queenstown Lakes District Council fails
Logan Savory (Southland Times): Southland Chamber of Commerce raises concerns about Invercargill City Council performance
Environment
Jason Walls (Herald): James Shaw’s $50m schools spend-up – cash to replace ‘old, dirty’ public school boilers
1News: Eighteen schools to replace coal boilers for clean energy, costing $50 million
Olivia Wannan (Stuff): Coal-free heat for 18 more schools
RNZ: Clean energy coal boiler replacement fund rolls out to more schools
Robert McLachlan (Stuff): Flight to nowhere sends the wrong message in climate crisis
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland drought: Water restrictions eased to help businesses affected by ban
Jean Bell (RNZ): Slight easing of water restrictions in Auckland next month
Christchurch mosque shootings
Dominic Harris (Stuff): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern unveils memorial at Christchurch’s Masjid An-Nur
Anna Whyte (1News): Ardern helps unveil mosque plaque in memory of 51 Christchurch terrorist attack victims
Derek Cheng (Herald): Jacinda Ardern in Christchurch to honour Al Noor Mosque victims
RNZ: Christchurch terror attack victims remembered with plaque unveiling
Housing
Stephen Forbes (RNZ): Housing shortages continue to bite in south Auckland
Marta Steeman (Stuff): Housing entrepreneurs Ockham Residential launch their 14th Auckland apartment project with plenty of KiwiBuilds included
Business
Anuja Nadkarni (Stuff): How companies capitalised on the Covid-19 pandemic
RNZ: Business leaders keen to ensure climate action stays on agenda
Gavin Evans (BusinessDesk): Partnerships vital for ‘massive’ emission reduction investment (paywalled)
Kirk Hope (Interest): The economy, a smart border approach
Immigration
Gill Bonnett (RNZ): Uncertainty for immigrants as visa extensions fail to materialise
Matthew Mckew (ODT): Call to sort lack of foreign workers
Tim O’Connell (Nelson Mail): Ten-year-old faces deportation over special needs schooling support
Kiwibank
John Anthony (Stuff): Kiwibank to pay remediation totalling $5.2m to more than 48,000 borrowers
1News: Kiwibank to pay borrowers total of $5.2 million over mortgage systems failures
RNZ: Kiwibank to pay some home loan customers in ComCom settlement
Gloriavale
RNZ: Former Gloriavale member takes legal action for removal of trustees
Michael Morrah (Newshub): Current Gloriavale members sneak out to openly criticise leaders
Other
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): What 100% renewable energy does to power prices
Melanie Carroll (Stuff): Prompt payment discounts still around despite Government wish to see them gone
Rob Stock (Stuff): Researchers plumb secrets of building financially strong households
Kirsty Johnston (Stuff): She spent $50,000 trying to get safe. In the end, she gave up
Stuff: ‘Ludicrous’ longest serving prisoner, with dementia, is still jailed – lawyer
David Farrar: Labour’s Failures Part 2 – One billion trees
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): Regulator calls out concerning behaviour in financial services firms (paywalled)
Dan Brunskill (BusinessDesk): The FMA is running out of patience (paywalled)
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Financial advisers need to act — Faafoi
RNZ: Funding for Lending – how it pushes down your mortgage and term deposit rates
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Auckland restaurant ordered to pay nearly $50,000 for exploiting migrant worker
1News: Auckland restaurant ordered to pay nearly $50,000 for exploiting migrant worker
Gerrard Eckhoff (ODT): Wealth redistribution is not a simple or perfect tool
Newstalk ZB: Grant Robertson hits out at ‘ridiculous’ Rugby Championship changes
Sophie Cornish (Stuff): Nationwide meth use dropped by almost a third during and after lockdown
Herald: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern features in reboot of British television series Spitting Image
Tim Murphy (Newsroom): Tribunal rebuffs Crown over Hastings uplift, video
RNZ: Three countries agree to join search for Gulf Livestock crew – report
Stuff: China, South Korea, Taiwan reportedly agree to help search for livestock ship missing with two Kiwis on board
