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

Labour government
Peter Dunne (Newsroom): At the highwater mark with little wriggle room
RNZ: Caucus: Explaining The Red Tide: Kiwis hug Jacinda back as Labour breaks records
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): It’s Time For Some “Earnest Struggle”
Chris Trotter: “Change That Sticks.”
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): The Twilight Of Boomer Power
Brent Edwards (NBR): Questions over how far and fast Labour will go (paywalled)
AAP: Analysis: Think you know Jacinda Ardern? With ‘handbrake’ now removed, think again
Brian Fallow (Herald): Small steps beat radical change in Labour’s plan for the future (paywalled)
Guardian: Full Story: Could Jacinda Ardern’s ‘politics of kindness’ work in other countries? (audio)

Labour-Greens relationship, Green Party
Kevin Hague (Spinoff): Labour and the Greens must work together. Nature can’t wait
Thomas Nash (Stuff): In or out: The tricky choices facing the Greens
Jonathan Hill (BusinessDesk): Time for a more independent Green Party
David Farrar: Why the Greens are better not to go into coalition
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Zane Small (Newshub): Judith Collins heaps praise on Chlöe Swarbrick who ‘people on her own side’ get ‘very jealous’ of
Jono Galuszka (Manawatū Standard): Teanau Tuiono: activist, sci-fi fan, human rights investigator, MP

National
Peter Dunne: National has to confront some unpleasant realities
Matthew Hooton (Herald): National in need of surgery (paywalled)
Ben Thomas (Spinoff): For National, umpteen tough questions – and one small ray of light
Laura Walters (Newsroom): Is new-look National really more socially conservative?
Māori TV: Deflated Reti seeks chance to ask voters how Nats can do better
Herald Editorial: Opposition benches await the vanquished post election-2020 (paywalled)

Election, new parliament
Claire Trevett and Jason Walls (Herald): Labour’s art auction fundraiser returns despite Serious Fraud Office probe in party donations
Charlotte Jones (RNZ): Misinformation, complacency to blame for low Waiariki turnout – Labour electorate committee chair
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Why New Plymouth voters went for Labour
Alex Braae (Spinoff): A tale of two minor parties: Lessons for 2023 for TOP and the New Conservatives
Bob Jones: Some belated thoughts on the election
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Paul Spoonley (RNZ): Does the new Parliament look like us?
Eleanor Ainge Roy (Guardian): A midwife, a Covid-19 expert and a refugee: some of New Zealand’s new MPs
1News: New ACT, Labour MPs outline different stances on how to tackle poverty in NZ
Newshub: NZ Election 2020 quiz: Do you know these incoming new MPs?
Newshub: Warning to new MPs: Social media data targeted by ‘cyber criminals’, ‘foreign intelligence
Irra Lee (1News): ‘No job like being an MP’ — How Parliament’s new faces are preparing for the role

Environment
David Williams (Newsroom): How a climate-concerned Government might act
Olivia Wannan (Stuff): What would a new climate change minister mean for climate action?

ACT
Richard Harman (Politik): Sorry Roger; time to move on
Rosemary McLeod (Stuff):It worries me that we now have declared gun owners in Parliament
Zane Small (Newshub): ACT deputy leader Brooke van Velden on why she stopped supporting the Greens

Coronavirus
RNZ: Nine to Noon: Sir David Skegg warns over public’s complacent attitude
RNZ: Experts warn against complacency ahead of Labour Day weekend
Newshub: Pub visit a ‘concern’ but COVID-19 system working – expert
Charlotte Graham-McLay (Guardian): Ardern urged to review New Zealand Covid measures after election landslide
Andrew Bevin (NBR): Health minister meets maritime union to improve port Covid containment
RNZ: Checkpoint: Health Minister Chris Hipkins on latest Covid-19 outbreak
Hannah Martin (Stuff): Why is Auckland’s Greenhithe pub case low risk, and should we move alert levels?
Zane Small (Newshub): Grant Robertson confirms there ‘is no plan to move alert levels’ despite community COVID-19 cases
1News: Authorities ‘working very fast’ to prevent alert level shift after Covid-19 case visited Auckland pub – Health Minister
1News: ‘Dust off those masks’ – Bloomfield warns Kiwis not to be complacent about virus over long weekend
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Infected Kiwi at pub shows importance of COVID app to avoid wide infection – Chris Hipkins
Jamie Morton (Herald): Big Read: How did New Zealand’s ‘hero’ port worker get Covid 19 coronavirus?
1News: Two crew members test positive for Covid-19 on cargo ship thought to be source of NZ infections
RNZ: Greenhithe Malt pub visit: Reasonably low risk but not no risk – Hipkins
Crystal Wu (Newshub): Snap Fitness Browns Bay closed after positive case visited
Lana Andelane (Newshub): Lessons New Zealand can learn from Taiwan’s pandemic response

Border exemptions for migrant labour
Bryan Gould: Priorities
1News: Sealord employing fishermen from Covid-19 hot spot Russia due to lack of ‘qualified’ Kiwis
Bonnie Flaws (Stuff): Salaries can be high, with lots of time off – so why can’t fishing boats hire Kiwis?
Emma Russell (Herald): Serious health workforce burden looms: Experts say more migrant workers needed
Brent Melville (BusinessDesk): Immigration roadblock ‘strangling’ entry of urgent workers (paywalled)
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Let the fruit pickers in

Business
Steve Kilgallon (Stuff): Justice denied: How unpaid workers miss out when bosses liquidate
Rebecca Stevenson (BusinessDesk): The cost-cutting consultants cashing in at The Warehouse
Marta Steeman (Stuff): SMEs are urging Labour to be more business-friendly now that it can govern alone
Chris Keall (Herald): Who will pay what share of downsized telco tax? (paywalled)

Health
Collin Tukuitonga (Newsroom): Time to take health inequities seriously
Newstalk ZB: Budget is why Pharmac is letting down New Zealanders, CEO says
Stephen Forbes (RNZ): Pharmac decision pending on life changing diabetes medication
Eleisha Foon (RNZ): Nationwide shortage of hormone replacement therapy causing concern
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Emergency patients often young, drunk

Local government
Jean Bell (RNZ): Auckland Council job cuts help save $78m: ‘A really good start’
Tracy Neal (RNZ): A song and demotions mark extraordinary Nelson council meeting
Hamish McNeilly (Stuff): Complaints upheld against Dunedin councillor who yelled at fellow councillor
Grant Miller (ODT): Vandervis defends behaviour towards deputy mayor
Grant Miller (ODT): Vandervis ruled in breach, on the mat
ODT: ‘Screaming’ Vandervis investigated after ‘tirade’ at deputy mayor
Mike Mather (Waikato Times): Pay stays the same for Hamilton City Council boss
Robin Martin (RNZ): Council blunder means no liquor ban in city centre
Mark Price ODT): Public to get say on Queenstown Lakes District Council setup
Christina Persico (Stuff): Petitions for and against New Plymouth Māori ward referendum battling for signatures

Wellington
Tom Hunt (Stuff): Shelly Bay: Councillors heading into crucial deliberation with faulty advice
Georgia-May Gilbertson (Stuff): Wellington region expected to grow by 200,000 people in the next 30 year
Harry Lock (RNZ): Wellington council considers significantly higher sludge reduction investment
RNZ: Identifying why people assault is key to safer cities – Wellington charity
Harry Lock (RNZ): Rate of assaults in Wellington 10 times higher than nation’s average

Housing
The Standard: Why Can’t The Ministry of Works Just Build Houses Like 1935?
David Hargreaves (Interest): The Reserve Bank should not delay in reinstating lending restrictions on housing investors
Michael Andrew (Spinoff): How permanently low interest rates are killing the home ownership dream for many
RNZ: The Detail: Squeezing us in – the housing crisis is changing expectations
D’Angelo Martin (Stuff): Ancient ways of living for modern Flaxmere whanau

Employment
Te Aniwa Hurihanganui (RNZ): Nurse has registration cancelled following racist social media posts
Anuja Nadkarni (Stuff): Countdown proposed pay rise for call centre staff ‘unacceptable’, union says
Piers Fuller (Stuff): Treaty claim over poor conditions for Māori women in shearing industry

Primary industries
Guy Trafford (Interest): Who will set agriculture policies in a group that has little affinity with rural issues and is light on rural talent
Lois Williams (RNZ): Major changes unlikely to new freshwater rules – WCRC chief executive

Child welfare
Meriana Johnsen (RNZ): Blenheim held up as exemplar of iwi working with Oranga Tamariki
RNZ: Calls for Oranga Tamariki resources to be diverted to Māori authority
Duncan Garner (Newshub): Māori must be given their own child welfare agency – run by Māori, for Māori

Transport
Stephen Forbes (Stuff): Twyford denies claims Government is backing NZ Infra’s light rail proposal
Tom Kitchin (RNZ): Police and Waka Kotahi step up efforts on lethal State Highway 5

Drugs
Chris Marriner (Herald): Helen Clark endorses book which advocates sale of cocaine in pharmacies
Matt Burrows (Newshub): Helen Clark pens foreword for book recommending sale of cocaine, ecstasy at pharmacies
Te Karere: Mongrel Mob chapter pilots programme to help members kick meth addiction

Sport
Sophie Cornish (Stuff): No girls allowed: League team risks disqualification for flouting ban on female star
Adrian Seconi (ODT): Player handed eight-game ban by Otago association for racial abuse during game

Christ Church Cathedral
RNZ: Cost to reinstate Christ Church Cathedral goes up by $50m
Charlie Gates (Press): Cathedral leaders look for wealthy Cantabrians to donate $26m in a single year
1News: How Christ Church Cathedral will look after quake-damage revamp revealed

Eric Watson
John Anthony (Stuff): Eric Watson’s sentence reduced due to mitigating factors including testing positive for Covid-19, judge say
Tim Hunter (NBR): Jailed Watson to be free by Christmas (paywalled)
Victoria Young (NBR): Eric Watson appeal unlikely, sentencing judge says (paywalled)

Other
Aaron Smale (Newsroom): When officials dance on the head of a pin
Melanie Carroll (Stuff): MBIE accused of scrapping cladding fire-test proposal
Ananish Chaudhuri (The Conversation): Explainer: why the government can’t simply cancel its pandemic debt by printing more money
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): TVNZ/RNZ merger back on after election but rationale remains sketchy
Melanie Carroll (Stuff): Why some people just keep bouncing back
Ben Doherty (Guardian): Australia should create ‘Pacific visa’ to reduce impact of climate change and disaster on islanders
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Government department had not tested staff ability to work from home before lockdown
RNZ: Covid-19 the biggest challenge to Auckland Airport in history, board chair says
1News: TVNZ to air US Election Special live from NZ, US and UK
Gavin Evans (BusinessDesk): Tui vessel operator seeks costs from govt (paywalled)
Deena Coster (Stuff): Last Taranaki iwi to settle treaty claim votes to accept $30m deal
RNZ: International humanitarian institutions managed by central power in Pyongyang – retired US diplomat
Lana Andelane (Newshub): New Zealand inmates receive ‘no consequences’ for assaulting Corrections’ staff – associate vice president
Amy Wiggins (Herald): New Zealand woman ‘intended to facilitate a terrorist act’ for Islamic State denied judicial review
Stuff: Court upholds cancelling of NZ passport on terror-related grounds
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Revealed: The New Zealand regions Kiwis are moving to the least
Murat Ungor (Newsroom): We need to learn from Korea, fast