Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. Click here to subscribe to Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup and New Zealand Politics Daily.
Today’s content
Maori Party referred to Police over donations
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Māori Party referred to police over $328,000 in undeclared donations
Rachel Sadler (Newshub): Māori Party undeclared donations: Electoral Commission notified as soon as error was noticed – party president Che Wilson
David Farrar: Who are the mystery Maori Party funders?
No Right Turn: The Māori Party’s hidden donations
Claire Trevett (Herald): Election donations: Māori Party referred to police over $320,000 in undeclared donations
RNZ: Māori Party undeclared donations referred to police
Anna Whyte (1News): Māori Party referred to police over delay in declaring more than $300,000 of donations
Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Billy Te Kahika outs himself as second Electoral Commission referral to police over donations
Covid: Vaccinations programme and border
Luke Malpass (Stuff): New Zealand’s vaccine roll out might be slow, but it’s looking a lot better than Australia’s
Justin Giovannetti (Spinoff): Five pressing questions about the state of New Zealand’s vaccination programme
Derek Cheng (Herald): Left in the dark on so many aspects of the Covid response (paywalled)
Esther Taunton (Stuff): Job losses, legal action possible as deadline for MIQ vaccinations looms
Melanie Sharma-Barrow (Spinoff): The India travel ban reminds me I’ll always be second-class in your eyes
1News: Michael Baker says there’s chance of Covid-19 outbreak in Auckland due to missing case linking border workers
Adam Jacobson (RNZ): Union urges no penalty for unvaccinated MIQ workers
Herald: What new NZ case means for transtasman travel bubble
Herald: Editorial: New stage in our fight against Covid (paywalled)
Newstalk ZB: Vaccinologist questions the current rate of the vaccine rollout
Meriana Johnsen (RNZ): ‘Unregulated’ Covid-19 vaccinators a stop-gap for underinvestment in nurses – union
Amelia Wade (Newshub): Unclear how many border workers will move off frontline once new vaccine rule takes effect
Andre Chumko (Stuff): Harcourt-McKenzie play goes inside minds of leaders during lockdown
Economy and work
Shai Navot (Stuff): How Grant Robertson got our economic recovery wrong
Kerre McIvor (Newstalk ZB): Would increasing the benefit make more economic sense?
Shane Te Pou (Herald): It’s time for Ports of Auckland CEO Tony Gibson to go (paywalled)
Andrea Fox (Herald): Transport Minister Michael Wood speaks out on Auckland port safety issues (paywalled)
Mike Yardley (Stuff): Tomorrow’s tourism cannot be business as usual
Chris Keall (Herald): PC sales hit record thanks to Covid-driven work-from-home boom (paywalled)
International relations and defence
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Principled, pragmatic and expedient? You betcha! A reply to Paul Buchanan
Simon Draper (Stuff): Navigating our complex relationship with China
John Braddock (World socialist website): New Zealand accused of “backstabbing” allies over China
Mackenzie Smith (RNZ): New Zealand military export control review to be led by former MBIE head David Smol
1News: Human rights advocates concerned after MFAT gave green light to military exports to countries on UN blacklist
Climate change
Nile Bijoux (Stuff): Jacinda Ardern is top of the list when it comes to transport emissions
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): National won’t vote for Climate Change Commission proposals in current form
Richard Harman: Government calling National’s bluff (paywalled)
Zane Small (Newshub): Todd Muller’s endorsement of School Strike 4 Climate in stark contrast to National leader Judith Collins
Jamie Morton (Herald): Is NZ getting forestry right?
Simon Wilson (Herald): Cycling the Auckland Harbour Bridge is a climate issue (paywalled)
Jamie Morton (Herald): Can eating greener make a difference to emissions?
India Logan-Riley (Stuff): A just transition is more than just retraining workers
Elle KIngsbury and Serah Allison (International socialists): Political attempts to redirect protest energy
Housing crisis
Norman Gemmell (The Conversation): New Zealand’s new housing policy is really just a new tax package — and it’s a shambles
RNZ: Abolition of property investor tax break a blunt tool – tax expert
Jeremy Sutton (One Roof): Could the new housing rules put the shackles on divorcing couples?
National Party leadership
Duncan Garner (Newshub): National leader Judith Collins is a dead woman walking
Zane Small (Newshub): Could National merge with ACT? Judith Collins and David Seymour weigh in
Newstalk ZB: ‘I’m not in trouble’: Judith Collins denies leadership coup rumours
Local Government
Kiri Gillespie (Herald): Tauranga council commissioners vote to establish Māori ward
Matthew Scott (Newsroom): Free Six60 tickets for councillors ruffle feathers
Brittany Keogh and Andre Chumko (Stuff): Let’s Get Wellington Moving ‘spending millions on nothing’: City councillor
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland’s water crisis was a good thing
Drug reform
Stuff: Editorial – Drug reform has a timing problem
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): Misuse of Drugs Act overhaul off the cards for now, Andrew Little says
Mental health crisis
ODT: Editorial – Excuses over report don’t wash
Rebecca Moore (1News): Suicide prevention group pleads for Govt funding for ‘vulnerable workforce’
Health
Nicholas Jones (Herald): Exclusive: Secret review of cardiac surgery at Waikato Hospital warned of under-staffing, bullying ‘at all levels’ (paywalled)
Amy Wiggins (Herald): St John failing to meet response time targets: 90yo waits three hours after cat attack (paywalled)
Other
Chris Trotter (Interest): A break in the wave
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Police, Defence Force and Transport Agency contractor spending up by at least 15%
Daniel Dunkley (BusinessDesk): PR industry seeks to stamp out its dark side
Michael Wood (Herald): Transport Minister Michael Wood explains why Govt has taken track it has with Auckland rail (paywalled)
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Waka Kotahi-NZTA board member slams new train as ‘worst of both worlds’
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Officials track NZ’s alt right after Capitol riot
Bonnie Flaws (Stuff): Concerns raised over inadequate shade and water in stockyards
Emma Russell and Nikki Preston (Herald): 12yo league player ordered off field because she’s a girl: NZ Rugby League says rule applies
Gavin Ellis: A rare Hosking U-turn
