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

Covid: Govt messaging, blame, compliance
Chris Trotter (The Daily Blog): When It Comes to Covid, the “Little People” Cast a Big Shadow 
Claire Trevett (Herald): The Prime Minister, Case L and the pickle of confusion (paywalled)
Michael Morrah (Newshub): Growing calls for an apology after Unite Against Covid-19 post contradicts Jacinda Ardern
Jo Moir (Newsroom): Prime minister’s ‘kindness’ must extend to Covid-19 costs
Gordon Campbell: On why the public doesn’t always do what its told, even in 24 different languages
Lana Andelane (Newshub): Unite against Covid-19 Facebook post contradicts PM’s claim infected KFC worker was told to isolate
Thomas Manch (Stuff): ‘Badly worded’ self-isolation health order issued nine days after cluster was discovered
Kendall Hutt (Stuff): Ministry post says KFC worker was not required to isolate, despite PM’s claims
Herald: Government website contradicts Jacinda Ardern’s KFC worker claim
Amelia Wade (Herald): Who was told what, when and by whom? A timeline of the messages to the Papatoetoe High School community
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Were families of Covid-19 contacts required to isolate?
Fa’anana Efeso Collins (The Guardian): Don’t blame one suburb for New Zealand’s Covid problems – Manukau is central to the fight, and we will win
Simon Collins (Herald): Jacinda Ardern and Papatoetoe High School principal Vaughan Couillault have ‘frank and open’ talk about blaming families with Covid
Alexander Gillespie (The Conversation): Lots of law, not enough order — the government must be clearer about dealing with COVID rule-breakers
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Judith Collins says contact tracing systems have become too complex
Rukuwai Tipene-Allen (Māori TV): Sorry – a word that ‘Case L’ may never hear from the government
1News: Judith Collins says Covid-19 messaging needs to be ‘spot on every time’ after confusion sees contacts skip isolation
Newstalk ZB: Hipkins, HDPA clash over what KFC worker was told; timeline on what was said when
1New: Hipkins backs PM, details ‘very clear’ guidance given to KFC worker who went to work while ‘symptomatic’
Kate Gregan (RNZ): Hipkins backs Ardern after Case L says she wasn’t told to isolate
Anuja Nadkarni (Stuff): Govt spent $1.3m on Covid-19 adverts in two weeks, but did it miss the mark?
Daisy Hudson (ODT): Te Anau locals criticise Brian Tamaki’s lockdown-defying South Island travels

Covid: General
Jamie Morton (Herald): Three questions about NZ’s road ahead
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Longer lockdowns, $30b wage subsidy, and food rationing in Covid worst-case scenario
Jason Walls (Herald): There’s light at the end of NZ’s Covid tunnel – but still a long way to go
Brigitte Morten (Pundit): We Should Leave ‘Be Kind’ For The Cushion Covers
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Are we being kind or not?
Herald: Editorial: Testing drops as contact tracing lags – are we drifting? (paywalled)
Peter Williams (Magic): Losing faith in our media and its framing of Covid
Kate Hawkesby: Government must look at other ways to contain small clusters
1News: ‘Insanity’ – Medical expert slams Government’s recent contact tracing efforts
RNZ: Covid contact tracing targets missed due to scale of operation – Chris Hipkins
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Did Bishop Brian Tamaki and wife Hannah deserve the wrath of the Government in ‘escaping’ Auckland?
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Destiny Church lashes out at critics after Tamakis flee Auckland lockdown
Lane Nichols (Herald): Destiny Church lashes out at critics after Brian and Hannah Tamaki flee Auckland lockdown
Danielle Clent (Stuff): Destiny Church leaders fleeing Auckland lockdown ‘completely irresponsible’
Katie Todd (RNZ): Govt investigates phone app that detects Covid-19 before onset of symptoms
Chris Keall (Stuff): Covid-19 coronavirus early-warning app: Govt close to deal with NZ’s Elarm
Ella Stewart (RNZ): How Auckland children are being affected by another lockdown
Aimee Shaw (Herald): Microbiologist on efficacy of ‘deep cleans’ after Covid exposure

Covid: Managed isolation payment proposal
Jo Moir (Newsroom): PM’s ‘kindness’ must extend to Covid costs
1News: Despite union and business support, Govt rejects National’s pitch to pay full wages for self-isolation
RNZ: Government rejects full wage for isolation payments
No Right Turn: A sensible idea from National
RNZ: National wants government to pay wages of those self-isolating

Covid: MIQ
Michael Neilson (Herald): Frontline MIQ workers share experiences earning minimum wage while carrying burden of a nation
Miriam Burrell (Herald): MIQ price hike ‘crippling’ for migrant families
Todd Niall (Stuff): Construction industry seeks MIQ quota to cut delays in bringing in staff
Thomas Airey (Herlad): Napier woman told to self-isolate despite completing MIQ stay

Covid: Vaccine
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): Government criticised for ‘rolling maul’ vaccine strategy
Justin Giovannetti (The Spinoff): New Zealand’s Covid-19 vaccine programme is still largely a secret
Collin Tukuitonga (Newsroom): Why we should vaccinate Pacific Islands early
Josephine Franks (Stuff): New Zealand beating Australia’s vaccination rates with 9000 doses given
Nikki Preston (Herald): Health expert wants travellers prioritised for vaccine
Donna Miles-Mojab (Stuff): Structural racism produces Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy

Covid: Workers, business, economy
Catherine Harris (Stuff): Staff complain that ‘pandemic clauses’ are leaving them without pay
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Wage subsidy to make return on Thursday, payments go out Monday
Daniel Dunkley (Stuff): Business leaders are right to ask the tough Covid questions
Fran O’Sullivan (NZ Herald): Business knocking on Jacinda Ardern’s door
Liam Dann (Herald): How will NZ reconnect? Grant Robertson defends Government strategy (paywalled)
Richard Harman: What if the tourists don’t come back
Aaron Leaman (Stuff): No immediate panacea for housing crisis post-Covid, business leaders told
Tess Brunton (RNZ): Nash visits Franz Josef and Fox Glacier: ‘He’s left and we’re empty handed’
Julie Iles (NBR): Businesses again eligible for wage subsidy (paywalled)

Housing
Anne Gibson (Herald): Housing boom ‘past peak’, prices to fall, interest rates to rise: Westpac chief economist
RNZ:  House prices continue to surge, but easing market predicted later in year
Brent Melville (Business Desk): House prices will slow and start falling in next three years — Westpac (paywalled)
Bernard Hickey: Dawn chorus: Housing inflation raging in provinces
Benn Bathgate (Stuff): Hamilton house prices continue to climb
Catherine Harris (Stuff): Building boom continues to charge ahead
Michael Andrew (Spinoff): A wish list for all that capital gains tax revenue, which doesn’t exist
Geraden Cann (Stuff): Pensioner reliant on temporary support to make rent as housing market shuts out retirees
Editorial (Stuff): ICC housing rentals: who had the tenants’ backs?
TVNZ: Could two Auckland developments serve as blueprints to solve NZ’s housing crisis?

Parliament
Jo Moir (Newsroom): Willie Jackson unleashes on Māori MPs
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): ‘Wokester’, cancel culture issue a winner for National, says party pollster
Steven Cowan: The woke madness of Marama Davidson
Bob Jones: The True Parliamentary Opposition

Media
Myles Thomas (The Spinoff): The TVNZ merger could improve RNZ, or destroy it. Let’s ensure it’s not the latter
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): RNZ warmer than TVNZ on merger in front of MPs
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Faafoi hopeful Google and Facebook will negotiate with NZ media
Audrey Young (Herald): Kris Faafoi hopeful meaningful talk will occur between Facebook, Google and local media
Melissa Lee (Kiwiblog) Fourth Estate for a price?

Dirty Politics – Carrick Graham defamation case
David Fisher (Herald): ‘Hit’ jobs case: PR consultant apologises and promises cash to settle defamation case that came from Dirty Politics
Tim Murphy (Newsroom): Payment, apology in Dirty Politics case
Alex Braae (Spinoff): Crushing defeat for Dirty Politics PR man with apology to defamed academics
Guyon Espiner (RNZ): Dirty Politics: Saga ends with Carrick Graham apology in court
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): The final chapter of Dirty Politics closes – what did we learn?

Health, Pharmac review
Kate Nicol-Williams (1News): Health Minister says it’s ‘deeply worrying’ not everyone has access to secondary mastectomy
Waatea News: Pharmac review lacking patient voice
Newstalk ZB: Cancer Society says Pharmac review doesn’t go far enough
Martyn Bradbury (The Daily Blog): Pharmac review pointless
Dita De Boni (NBR): Fast food sector sees Covid-19 as marketing opportunity, says report (paywalled)

Local government
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Government cut $239m from proposed $1 billion water bailout fund for councils
Harry Lock (RNZ): Auditor-General rejects request for investigation into Wellington City Council
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Wellington Library stoush: Auditor-General won’t investigate councillor’s concerns
Tom Hunt (Stuff): Hutt City Mayor Campbell Barry and eight colleagues call for resignation of fellow councillor, having ‘completely lost confidence
David Farrar: Trying to bully a Cr off Council
Chloe Blommerde (Stuff): ‘It’s a start’ – first steps made to establishing Māori Wards in Matamata-Piako
Todd Niall (Stuff): Climate Change: Aucklanders urged to put heat on council compromise
Marcus Anselm (RNZ): Bank closures: Mayors deliver plea for more bank branches to Beehive
Steven Walton (Stuff): Christchurch City Council-owned Vbase changes its name to Venues Ōtautahi
Skara Bohn (Stuff): Council must shake off ‘deep-seated belief’ that it is ‘incredibly hard to deal with’

Economy and work
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Treasury has it wrong on film subsidies
Brittany Keogh (Stuff): Teenage beneficiaries forced to choose between going hungry or paying rent
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Covid reality bites: Business closures spike 130pc
Michael Andrew (Spinoff): A wish list for all that capital gains tax revenue, which doesn’t exist
Donal Curtin: What if they threw a party… and nobody came?
Transport
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Let’s Get Wellington Moving in shake-up, officials signal budget blowout
Hamish Cardwell (RNZ): Let’s Get Wellington Moving to be overhauled with new independent chair
Harry Lock (RNZ):  Council wants to make sure Wellington Airport expansion won’t undermine transport goals
Andrea Fox (Herald): MoT hands off on Auckland port productivity and auto project – but not eyes off (paywalled)

Child welfare
1News: Children’s Commissioner pleads for more funding to better monitor Oranga Tamariki
Joel Maxwell (Stuff): Former Oranga Tamariki boss Grainne Moss makes final appearance, laying out achievements

Chief Ombudsman
Audrey Young (Herald): Court quashes decision by Chief Ombudsman on basis of ‘unfiltered’ emails to Speaker Mallard
No Right Turn: Time for a new Ombudsman

Other
George Ritchie: Love You: Public Policy For Intergenerational Wellbeing by Girol Karacaoglu
Aaron Stallard Olivia Hyatt (Stuff): Have your say on Climate Change Commission’s historic report
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): James Shaw accidentally reminds us all why being carbon Neutral by 2050 is meaningless
Stuff Editorial: Bullies in blue an indictment on police culture
Peter Hughes (Herald): Can our public service be trusted? Yes (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): NZ Super Fund now re-considering Chinese investments linked to Uyghurs (paywalled)
RNZ: New Zealand’s first drug saliva test offered in Canterbury
Stuart Smith and Arena Williams (Stuff): Christchurch was not always given the support needed to rebuild and cope
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): People unlikely to oppose push to turn away violent kids at school
Sarah Nealon (Stuff): The generational trauma stemming from war in the Waikato
Critic Editorial: Students Were Exploited In Orchard Work
Rachel Brown (Herald): Plastic piles up in our world of confusion (paywalled)
Stuff: More work needed to tackle our ‘make-take-waste’ culture
Moana Maniapoto (E-Tangata): Jemaine Clement: ‘They’re tough here’