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
Briefings to Incoming Ministers
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Government briefings blame Covid and are a double edged sword
No Right Turn: BIM day
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Some cash, please: Many government departments want more funding after Covid-19
Herald: Briefings to ministers: Government releases advice to new ministers
Newstalk ZB: Housing crisis, Covid misinformation, racism: Problems flagged to new ministers
Claire Trevett (Herald): Premier House needs more renovation work, department tells PM
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Premier House ‘dated and basic’ and in need of upgrade, prime minister’s officials warn
Simon Ewing-Jarvie: Another great but broken promise?
Housing
RNZ: New ANZ report says continuing house price rises ‘doesn’t add up’
Brent Melville (BusinessDesk): Bold moves needed to reverse house price trends: ANZ
RNZ: ANZ tightens lending to property investors to help ‘bring balance’ to property market
David Hargreaves (Interest): Why did the ANZ put a 40% deposit rule on housing investors?
1News: ANZ placing tougher requirements on property investors seeking loans
RNZ: Property investors not convinced by ANZ tightening lending
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): ANZ wants 40pc deposit from property investors
Jenny Ruth (Business Desk): ANZ moves to 40% deposits for residential property investors (paywalled)
Rupert Gough (One Roof): What the 40 percent deposit rule means for first home buyers
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Just one in ten state homes meet Government’s own Healthy Home Standards
Brent Melville (Business Desk): Megan Woods and her $6.8b housing budget (paywalled)
James Baker (Stuff): Child’s foot impaled despite months of safety complaints to Kāinga Ora
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): ‘No vacancy’ at the inn (or motel, or holiday park, or backpackers’) this Christmas
Rob Mitchell (Stuff): The battle of Wellington: Medium density meets high anxiety
Christina Mackay (Stuff): Squandering or treasuring our built inheritance?
Climate change and environment
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Government policy ‘not enough’ to curb rising transport emissions, officials say
Olivia Wannan (Stuff): New Transport Minister promises to ‘get moving quickly’ to cut emissions
Zane Small (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern hits back at speculation over New Zealand’s absence from Climate Action Summit
Matt Burgess (Newsroom): NZ needs better friends
The Standard: Show me the climate action New Zealand
David Farrar: Greta vs Jacinda
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): But James and Jacinda – Greta is RIGHT – your climate emergency declaration is a meaningless virtue signal
Business Desk: Ministers need to make decisions now to avoid critical environmental change in the future (paywalled)
Cherie Sivignon (Stuff): Thousands of Tasman homes at risk of storm inundation and sea level rise
Richard Harman: David Parker’s big opportunity
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Costs & benefits of ‘carbon neutral’ public sector by 2025 unknown
Newstalk ZB: Greenpeace: Govt needs to get serious on agricultural emissions
Eric Frykberg (RNZ): Government warned about potential spread of wilding pines
Speaker Trevor Mallard’s rape allegations
Herald: Editorial: Speaker Trevor Mallard should go after defamation debacle
Heather du Plessis-Allan (NewstalkZB): PM happy to waste her political capital protecting her mates
Audrey Young (Herald): Mallard has a second chance at select committee on false rape claim (paywalled)
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): In defense of Trevor Mallard
Tim Dower (Newstalk ZB): Travel bubble was announced to distract us from Trevor Mallard
Oranga Tamariki
1News: Oranga Tamariki should stop blaming Crown, society when admitting its own ‘structural racism’ – Lady Tureiti Moxon
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Outgoing Oranga Tamariki deputy backs under-fire boss Gráinne Moss
RNZ: Call for Oranga Tamariki boss Grainne Moss ‘to be gracious and leave’
Tumamao Harawira (Māori TV): Backlash as top Māori at Oranga Tamariki departs
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Latest Oranga Tamariki meltdown warning – Davis must sack Moss
Health
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Overstretched, underfunded and inequitable: incoming Health Minister Andrew Little warned system is under immense strain
Ian Powell: Child health disgrace highlights health system failure to address unmet need
RNZ: Lack of funding, burnout contributes to urgent care clinic halting overnight service
Susan Strongman (RNZ): Abortion access improves with new law, but inequity still significant – Ministry
Laura Walters (Newsroom): Doctors still denying ‘undeniable’ racism
Cecile Meier (Stuff): Canterbury DHB to announce new chief executive before Christmas
Cate Broughton (Stuff): Outraged dentists want Coca-Cola 18-can pack with ‘mum’ and ‘bub’ removed from shelves
Parliament, and end of year reviews
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): This could be the worst Parliament since MMP unless urgent changes are made
David Farrar: 2020 Kiwiblog Awards winners
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Te Paati Māori takes on Parliament with humour
Amelia Wade (NZ Herald): ‘I thought Santa wasn’t a great guy’: Jacinda Ardern and Judith Collins share their Christmas plans
Newstalk ZB: Jacinda Ardern discusses the highs and lows of 2020
Herald: Jacinda Ardern’s wedding pushed back due to Covid-19
Economy and work
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Here comes the rebound: NZ’s post-lockdown recovery to be revealed
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Treasury warns more tax needed to plug Government spending hole, house prices will keep rising
Tom Hunt (Stuff): Serious Fraud Office braces for Covid-19 fuelled fraud surge
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Wage Subsidy & new business payment to be provided if Covid restrictions are reinstated
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): We need more fiscal stimulus now & higher taxes in the future
Debbie Jamieson (Stuff): Minister advised to turn the tap off on tourism grants
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Kiwirail’s future as state-owned enterprise in question after Covid
Eric Frykberg (RNZ): Agriculture minister warned of impact of Covid-19 on industry’s future
Anne Gibson (Herald): $16b construction sector hard-hit: 500 building projects cancelled due to Covid (paywalled)
Brent Ecwards (NBR): Treasury less gloomy but says NZ will still be poorer post-Covid-19 (paywalled)
RNZ: New Zealand households dial up spending
Gareth Vaughan (Interest): Will the RBNZ finally get a treasured debt-to-income ratio tool?
Sandeep Singh (Herald): Kiwi-Indian migrants’ contribution to NZ economy assessed at $10 billion
Debrin Foxcroft (Stuff): Union: Pandora’s anti-sick leave sentiment not unusual
Terry Baucher (Interest): Don’t look back in anger, a review of 2020’s big tax stories
Paul McBeth (BusinessDesk): Taxing workload for Parker as land tax rules report looms (paywalled)
Poverty and inequality
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Jacinda Ardern warned child poverty will rise due to Covid-19 in Government briefing
Sarah Robson (RNZ): Number of children living in poverty likely to rise because of Covid-19
Child Poverty Action Group: Government leaves disadvantaged children to face “most severe” COVID-19 effects
China; International relations and trade
Reuters: New Zealand foreign minister offers to help broker peace deal between Australia and China
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Government briefings say threats to New Zealand grow with a ‘receding’ world order
Hongzhi Gao (The Conversation): As China’s trade war with Australia shows, New Zealand must be careful to balance its own economic priorities
1News: Ardern warns US-China relationship may not immediately improve with Biden in White House
Rebecca Howard (BusinessDesk): Covid heightens political risks in the Pacific, MFAT warns (paywalled)
Covid and border
NZ Herald: ‘Quick and decisive’: Jacinda Ardern’s Covid-19 response recognised by science journal Nature
Rachel Sadler and Caley Callahan (Newshub): Coronavirus: Government reveals three contingency plans in case of community outbreak over summer
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Let’s talk about opening the border to more people: MBIE
Charlie Gates (Stuff): Calls for ‘luxury’ self-isolation for rock acts as arts minister warned of 11,000 job losses
Jason Walls (Herald): Covid 19 coronavirus: What if there’s an outbreak over summer? Govt unveils plan
RNZ: Tourism industry hopeful after plans for trans-Tasman travel bubble announced
Education
Richard Prebble (Herald): Education standards in freefall – what’s going on in NZ schools? (paywalled)
Simon Collins (Herald): Covid 19 coronavirus: Covid kept rich kids in school but poor kids stayed away
Anne Gibson (Herald): AUT invites students to towering new 697-unit accommodation block: $375/week studios
Lee Kenny (Stuff): Calls for review of Teaching after teacher registration fees rise
Local government
Harry Lock (RNZ): Wellington homes may be demolished for Let’s Get Wellington Moving development
Tim Newman (Stuff): Vulnerable communities the focus of council’s community partnership plan
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Wellington councillors reveal history of intimidation and abuse after death threat
Mike Watson (Stuff): Government grant for Yarrow Stadium rebuild saves ratepayers $16m
Kate Sheppard’s house opened
Katie Pickles (The Conversation): The ‘epicentre of women’s suffrage’ — Kate Sheppard’s Christchurch home finally opens as a public museum
Herald: Prime Minister opens repurposed Kate Sheppard house in Christchurch
Jonny Edwards (Stuff): Kate Sheppard’s descendents moved by opening of museum at her old residence
Prisons and justice
Tom Hunt (Stuff): Call for ‘fundamental change’ of NZ justice system, expanding clean slate
Meriana Johnsen (RNZ): Prison report shows failure to implement Hōkai Rangi strategy – advocate
RNZ: Chief Ombudsman’s unannounced visit of Paremoremo prison reveals failures
Media
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Work has resumed on RNZ-TVNZ merger, briefing to minister confirms
Stuart Smith; Arena Williams (Stuff): Prejudice and misconceptions about Māori hurt all New Zealanders
Shilo Kino (Newsroom): Listen to your ancestors: The power of being a Māori journalist
Other
Saar Cohen (Stuff): The law takes animal welfare seriously – it’s time the Government did too
Damien Venuto (Herald): Clarke Gayford’s ads for Amazon should raise eyebrows (paywalled)
NewstalkZB: Clarke Gayford’s appearance in Amazon ad sparks criticism
Zane Small (Newshub): Second gun buyback planned for 2021
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern speaks to Queen Elizabeth II, monarch hopes Kiwis have ‘wonderful break’
Herald: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s phone call with the Queen
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): 2021 – The Year Sh*t hits the fan – Predictions
Aaron Smale (Stuff): As many as 250,000 children could have been abused in state care – report
Mike Yardley (Newstalk ZB): PM playing a very dangerous game with Ihumatao
Stephen D’Antal (Guardian): White Island volcano: Ardern urged to help rescue pilots facing charges
Helen Livingstone (Guardian): New Zealand sex worker wins six-figure sexual harassment payout
Martyn Bradbury (Waatea News): Warrantless searches out of control
Anna Leask (Herald): ‘Hate speech’ scrawled outside Christchurch mosque ‘not our culture’ says imam
Jo Cribb (Stuff): All I want for Christmas is a better deal for women
Herald: Kiwis slam the Kardashians over TikTok video of their kids performing Māori haka
Anna Leask and Kurt Bayer (NZ Herald): ‘Hate speech’ graffiti outside Christchurch mosque: Police track down man
Sylvia Frain and Rebecca H. Hogue (Spinoff): This Steinlager ad distorts the truth about anti-nuclear protest in the Pacific
