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

PM pulls out of weekly Mike Hosking interviews
Mike Hosking (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern doesn’t answer the tough questions
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): PM turning her back on voters by abandoning interview slot
Barry Soper (Herald): Jacinda Ardern is treading water, the master of soft, flattering interviews
Elle Hunt (The Guardian): New Zealand: Ardern’s decision to drop regular interview gives fuel to political foes
Justin Giovannetti (Spinoff): Mike Hosking lashes out at Jacinda Ardern as she quits weekly Newstalk ZB slot
Herald: Decision to scrap Jacinda Ardern’s weekly Mike Hosking slot made ‘weeks ago’
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): ACT’s David Seymour lashes out at ‘escalating arrogance’ of Jacinda Ardern dumping weekly talk with Mike Hosking
Zane Small (Newshub): National’s Judith Collins in disbelief at Jacinda Ardern dropping weekly interview with Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking
Zane Small (Newshub): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern defends dropping weekly interview slot with Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking
Rebecca Moore (1News): Jacinda Ardern pulls out of weekly interview slot with Mike Hosking
Herald: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern cancels regular interview slot with Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB
Ireland Hendry-Tennent (Newshub): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern cancels weekly interview with Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Media Watch: Jacinda loses the Hosking War to win the 2023 Election
Crystal Wu (Newshub): John Key’s former press secretary says it’s Jacinda Ardern’s duty to front to media

Police, justice, corrections
RNZ: Police using app to photograph innocent youth: ‘It’s so wrong’
Lane Nichols (Herald): Police accused of racism over tactical use of pain on Māori (paywalled)
Martyn Bradbury (Waatea News): NZ Penal Reform League now calls on Government to halt new law that will persecute Maori
Karanina Sumeo (Herald): Women in prisons deserve human rights (paywalled)

Covid
Chris Trotter (Interest): Get in the people who get the job done
Richard Harman: An end to the Covid lockdowns in sight
TVNZ: ‘A real weakness’ — Expert calls for overhaul in Covid-19 precautions for aircrew after new case
Jamie Morton (Herald): The curious questions surrounding NZ’s latest case (paywalled)
Stuff: New flight attendant case ‘most likely’ had Covid-19 before being vaccinated
Herald: Infected Air New Zealand staffer had first jab last week
RNZ: New case of Covid-19 found in airline crew member
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Zane Small (Newshub): National’s Judith Collins likens COVID-19 restrictions to ‘cult’ as Jacinda Ardern promises to ‘reflect’ on response
Audrey Young (Herald): National leader Judith Collins wants inquiry into latest cluster
David Farrar: Unions and businesses support Nat policy
Rawiri Taonui (Waatea News): The Bungled Covid Communications to the Papatoetoe Community
Daniel Fraser (1News): Localised lockdowns could help avoid alert level yo-yoing but they have significant limitations, experts say
Editorial (Stuff): When we were on the cusp of Covid
Guy Williams (Otago Daily Times): MP calls for timetable on border reopening
Serena Solomon (Stuff): Child tells Jacinda Ardern that dad isn’t washing his hands properly
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Aimee Shaw (Herald): Auckland cafe owner slams change in wage subsidy criteria (paywalled)
Liz Kendall (Business Desk): The covid gender gap (paywalled)
Whatitiri Te Wake (Māori TV): Covid-19 disproportionately impacts Māori women – Minister for Women

Covid: MIQ
Herald: Unite Union’s open letter to Jacinda Ardern over wages paid to MIQ cleaners
Crystal Wu (Newshub): Union’s open letter to Jacinda Ardern over MIQ workers’ pay
Katie Todd (RNZ): NZ seafarers working overseas plead for priority MIQ spots

Covid: Vaccine
Stuff: PM Jacinda Ardern will be publicly vaccinated prior to general population
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Pfizer vaccine purchase order made for 8.5 million doses, enough for every New Zealander
Amelia Wade (Herald): Jacinda Ardern says more expensive Pfizer vaccine ‘worth it’
Newstalk ZB: Vaccinologist confident most Kiwis will get the Covid-19 vaccine
Zane Small (Newshub): Government buys extra 8.5 million Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine doses bringing total to 10 million
Herald: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reveals enough Pfizer vaccines for every New Zealander
Jagadish Thaker (The Conversation): More than 1 in 3 New Zealanders remain hesitant or sceptical about COVID-19 vaccines. Here’s how to reach them
Waatea News: Message, messenger and media key to Maori Covid vax campaign
Stuff Editorial: Covid-19 vaccine passports will be hotly desired – and contested
Dave Perry (NZ Herald): Vaccination passport by digital tools
Mike Yardley (Stuff): Far more robust tracing and vaccine disclosure needed now
Amanda Cropp (Stuff): Transport industry lobbies for vaccinations to protect drivers

Local government
Dave Armstrong (Stuff): A how-to guide to jumping on the anti-Wellington bandwagon
Tom Hunt (Stuff): ‘I hope you can sleep’: Bullying accusations at Hutt council revealed
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Wellington Water in ‘dangerous spiral’
RNZ: The Detail: The passion and pain over Māori wards
Rachael Kelly (Stuff): Council investigates selling surplus property to offset new library budget increases
Bernadette Basagre (Stuff): Free period products available in some Auckland Council facilities in pilot scheme
Kiri Gillespie (Herald): Tauranga city has reached ‘crisis’ point in ‘legacy of underinvestment’, meeting told (paywalled)

Terrorism
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Will the much-criticised SIS have the last laugh?
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Why aren’t police on the lookout for extremism?
Katie Scotcher (RNZ): Group that alerted police of Christchurch mosque threat question security agencies
No Right Turn: Still ignoring white supremacy

International Women’s Day, gender
1News: Gender bias and inequality being called out on International Women’s Day
Peter Williams (Magic): What is it like to be a woman today?
Priscilla Dickinson (Newshub): ‘Women view money differently’: New money course caters to womens’ financial needs
Hannah Kronast (Newshub): Advocate warns it’s important to not rush equality overhaul
Susan Watson (Newsroom): No good governance without diversity
Linda Burgess (Spinoff): Review: Six Angry Women doesn’t tell you what to think – it demands that you think
Jan Jordan (Newsroom): Why are women still angry?

Women’s sport
Zoë George (Stuff): $950k boost for Women in Sport Aotearoa on International Women’s Day
Jamie Wall (RNZ): How about Super Rugby Wāhine Toa?
Hamish Bidwell (RNZ): Women’s rugby let down once again
Zoë George (Stuff): Latest data: men’s rugby gets more news coverage than every women’s sport combined

Parliamentary parties
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): National election report delivered tomorrow, but the party’s MPs might be barred from seeing it
Waatea News: Tamihere welcomed to Maori Party executive
Waatea News: Compulsory reo next step for policy push

Health
Lana Andelane (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern responds to heartfelt plea from Pharmac funding advocate Malcolm Mulholland
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Gender gap: Health strategy urgently needed as ‘women are dying’ – experts say
Waatea News: Wahine Maori voices absent in health decisions
David Farrar: Where are the articles on men’s health?

Education
Laura Wiltshire (Stuff): Wellington teacher celebrated for pay parity advocacy for early childhood sector ‘in crisis’
Josephine Franks (Stuff): Auckland Uni $5m house purchase ‘regrettable’, VC says, as reviews call for change
Herald: University of Canterbury establishes indigenous centre in partnership with Ngāi Tahu
Jody O’Callaghan (Stuff): Canterbury University to launch academy to help young Māori prosper

Housing
Bernard Hickey: For owners, houses are actually cheap
Jade Kake (Stuff): The ‘elephant in the room’ in New Zealand’s housing crisis
Miriam Bell (Stuff): Tenancy exit costs: How much is too much?

Environment and climate change
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Another 75,000 tonnes of toxic waste revealed to be stored near beach at Tiwai Point
Rachael Kelly (Stuff): NZAS looks to export toxic waste stockpiled at Tiwai Point
David Williams  (Newsroom): Last piece in puzzle for Mackenzie protection
David Williams (Newsroom): Hiking cost of getting to NZ ‘good’ thing, says Air NZ adviser
Ian Llewellyn (BusinessDesk): MPs tell govt to prioritise container deposit scheme (paywalled)

Cannabis
RNZ: Most New Zealanders support decriminalising cannabis, poll suggests
1News: Cannabis decriminalisation favoured by majority of National, ACT, Labour and Greens supporters, poll finds

Other
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Revealed: Government to review multi-billion dollar Working For Families scheme
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Government urged to move fast on modern slavery law
David Winsborough (Stuff): Remote work could kill office culture, which is probably a relief for many
Caleb Hulme-Moir (Stuff): Matariki concerns a tunnel-visioned productivity trap
Gavin Ellis: Let’s find the sources of Small Democracy
Daniel Mackisack and Tristan O’Hanlon (Stuff): Aotearoa’s unique role in the new space race
1News: Ardern says NZ unlikely to become a republic anytime soon after Harry and Meghan’s Oprah interview
Terry Bellamak (Spinoff): Why we need safe areas outside abortion clinics
Cate Broughton (Stuff): ‘Puberty blockers’ improve mental health of trans teens, study finds
Maria Slade (NBR): Harbinger of a housing downturn? We rank the indicators (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): National questions taxpayer value from KiwiRail investment (paywalled)
Terry Baucher (Interest): The Week in Tax: Help for startups
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): 10 point left wing economic justice plan for Aotearoa New Zealand