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

New Cabinet
Michael Neilson (Herald): Record-breaking Cabinet, but will they be able to deliver for Māori?
Jennifer Curtin (The Conversation): Can New Zealand’s most diverse ever cabinet improve representation of women and minorities in general?
1News: Jacinda Ardern ‘utterly rejects’ idea NZ’s most diverse Cabinet is ‘virtue signalling’ – ‘They’re there on skill’
Lana Andelane and Hannah Kronast (Newshub): World reacts to Jacinda Ardern’s ‘incredibly diverse’ Cabinet
1News: High expectations and big challenges for Labour’s newly-named Cabinet
Stuff: Editorial – Test of Labour’s depth comes now
Paul Buchanan: Setting them up to fail?
RNZ: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reflects on Cabinet and ministerial appointments
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Kelvin Davis ‘more comfortable on marae’ than in the debating chamber – Jacinda Ardern
Shane Te Pou (Spinoff): Nice lineup. Now for the mahi – starting with the minefield of Māori health
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): A closer look at how Jacinda Ardern has divvied up the government’s roles and responsibilities
RNZ: New Deputy Prime Minister Grant Roberston takes rainbow community role model position seriously
Sanele Chadwick (Stuff): Pressure on for Pacific Ministers to repay loyal Labour voters
Kate Hawkesby (Newstalk ZB): ‘Thank goodness’ for Phil Twyford’s demotion

Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta
Geoffrey Miller (Democracy Project): Foreign policy in a pandemic – Nanaia Mahuta’s first challenges as foreign minister
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Surprise appointment of Nanaia Mahuta to foreign minister sends ‘great message’
Anna Powles (Stuff): New hands, new approach to Pacific relations?
RNZ: New Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta says she can do job differently
Zane Small (Newshub): Helen Clark, Māori Council denounce portrayal of Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta in international press
Julia Gabel (Herald): Author Olivia Pierson labels Nanaia Mahuta’s moko ‘ugly, uncivilised’, Mighty Ape pulls books

Covid
Michael Morrah (Newshub): Another lockdown possible if complacency, border ‘failures’ continue – Sir David Skegg
Steven Walton (Herald): Covid-19: Christchurch case labelled a ‘border failure’ by experts
Derek Cheng (Herald): Covid 19 coronavirus: Border failure? The point of infection prevention is … to prevent infection (paywalled)
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Health Ministry’s ‘not CovidCard’ trial still hard to fathom
Rachel Sadler (Newshub): Experts ‘concerned’ after managed isolation worker tests positive despite PPE
Georgia Forrester (Stuff): Covid-19: Why aren’t we following the rules when it comes to masks?
1News: Health officials express ‘high confidence’ Covid-19 case will self-isolate ‘rigorously’ at Christchurch home
NZ Herald: How to navigate the managed isolation voucher system into NZ
Liz McDonald and Steven Walton and Jonathan Guildford (Stuff): Call for vigilance in Christchurch after second community Covid-19 case
Jason Walls (Herald): Melinda Gates called on PM Jacinda Ardern to ‘speak up’ in support of global Covid-19 vaccine (paywalled)
1News: Siouxie Wiles says quick detection of second managed isolation Covid-19 case show ‘processes are working’
Hamish Cardwell (RNZ): ‘Unfair outcomes’ for Māori seeking Covid income support

Housing
Stephen Forbes (Stuff): Government’s time to deliver on housing promises, says trust
Jason Walls (Herald): ‘I am never not worried about housing’ – PM Jacinda Ardern on rising house prices
Jane Clifton (Listener): NZ’s lingering property price problem (paywalled)
Greg Ninness (Interest): The average value of NZ homes increased $55,834 over the last year
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): Westpac boss David McLean on why booming house prices are not healthy in the long-term (paywalled)
Gareth Vaughan (Interest): NZ’s ‘high quality’ hot housing market problem ‘a bit of a luxury’ right now, Westpac NZ CEO David McLean says
Tim Hunter (NBR): House prices ‘not healthy’ – Westpac (paywalled)
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff) Robertson pours water on Reserve Bank comments after LVR speculation
Scott Palmer (Newshub): First home buyers making housing crisis worse – Property Investors Federation
Hamish Cardwell (RNZ): Property Investors Federation slammed for housing crisis claims

Economy and work
Duncan Bridgeman (Herald): Fulton Hogan to keep $33m wage subsidy despite bumper profit, shareholder dividends (paywalled)
Henry Cooke (Stuff): New workplace minister Michael Wood says unions need to attract new members themselves
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Economy showing ‘green shoots of recovery’ – economist
Keith Woodford (Interest): The Reserve Bank drives economic policy
Fran O’Sullivan (Herald): On the devastating forecast NZ needs to act on (paywalled)
Louise Tong (Herald): Sustainable Finance: Billions to be bold (paywalled)
Jacinda Ardern (Herald): Sustainable Finance: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern welcomes Roadmap for Action (paywalled)
Graham Skellern (Herald): A roadmap to social, economic and environmental gain (paywalled)
Tania Simpson (Herald): On the Māori model for fighting climate change (paywalled)

Transport
George Block and Todd Niall (Stuff): New Auckland harbour crossing: 25-year wait for road link ‘laughable’, says AA
Katie Scotcher (RNZ): Michael Wood: Auckland ‘will choke on its growth’ without light rail
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Light rail and Mt. Victoria tunnel on the agenda for new Transport Minister Michael Wood
Anna Bracewell-Worrall (Newshub): Michael Wood: The new Transport Minister tasked with turning light rail from pipe dream to reality

Parliament and elections
Emile Donovan (Newsroom): It ain’t over until the specials are in
Edward Willis (Newsroom): Government terms: three years or four?
Jimmy Ellingham (Stuff): Rangitīkei MP says National needs to rebuild credibility
Tom Peters (World socialist website): New Zealand Green Party joins right-wing Labour government

The Opportunities Party
Alex Braae (Spinoff): First post-election leadership casualty: TOP boss Geoff Simmons quits
Stuff: The Opportunities Party leader Geoff Simmons resigns, interim leader named
1News: The Opportunity Party’s Geoff Simmons steps down as leader, citing family commitments

Local government
Rob Mitchell (Stuff): Regional councillor fights for ‘million-dollar’ Porirua property
Todd Niall, Caroline Williams and James Baker (Stuff): Auckland super city: Proud cities ‘lost their identity’ after council merger
Penny Hulse (Spinoff): Assessing the Auckland Super City, 10 years on

Environment
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): There’s no retreat from NZ’s colossal climate change bill
Jonny Edwards (Stuff): Ngāi Tahu court case ‘good starting point’ for healing South Island rivers, lakes
No Right Turn: A headache for the government

Health
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Report shows Covid-19’s long-term impact on Auckland public health
Teuila Fuatai (Herald): The mess around surgical mesh (paywalled)
Rob Hennin (BusinessDesk): Private health insurance has a role in public health outcomes (paywalled)

Oranga Tamariki
Joel Maxwell (Stuff): New assistant Maori Children’s Commissioner Glenis Philip-Barbara starts job, makes emotion-charged plea for change
Meriana Johnsen (RNZ): Glenis Philip-Barbara officially begins as Assistant Māori Commissioner for Children
Whatitiri Te Wake (Māori TV): Returning tamariki to their whanau top priority for Assistant Children’s Commissioner

Other
Gill Bonnett (RNZ): Hopes pinned on Labour’s manifesto leading to significant immigration changes
Claire Breen (The Conversation): Talk of scrapping NZ’s Human Rights Commission is a danger to democracy
David Fisher (Herald): All you need to know about Kim Dotcom’s judgment day (paywalled)
RNZ: Armed police trial popular with officers, less so with the public
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Government planning for mega schools, but are they a good idea?
Priscilla Dickinson (Newshub): Law change set to make trusts more transparent for beneficiaries
Herald: ‘Perfection is not required’ – Damien Grant wins court fight in bid to save insolvency career
Laura Tupou (Newshub): Solicitor-General ‘doesn’t get’ former Lake Alice patient’s concerns during Royal Commission
Andrew McRae (RNZ): Redress process ‘wholly inadequate’, Solicitor General told
Tuari Potiki (Spinoff): One way or another, we’ve got to fix our broken drug law
Rob Stock (Stuff): Power customers cut off by companies ‘without the right to do so’
Rob Stock (Stuff): Long Covid a new problem for insurers to grapple with