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

Health reforms: Analysis
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Labour’s health reforms: Boldly going where it might not be wise to venture
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Government’s DHB overhaul is the latest salvo in the Wellington vs local control war
Stuff: Editorial – Healthcare change needed but crucial staff shortages need to be addressed
Audrey Young (Herald): Little’s Cabinet paper shows how Heather Simpson was rolled (paywalled)
Herald: Editorial: One health department is not so radical, but overdue (paywalled)
Peter Dunne: Back to the future and heavy centralisation
Luke Malpass (Stuff): The public health overhaul that had to happen
Ian Powell: Bureaucratic centralism rules supreme in New Zealand health
Peter Davis (Newsroom): Everything to play for in new health reforms
David Farrar: A bold and positive health reform from Labour
Gordon Campbell: On welcoming the major health reforms
Alex Braae (Spinoff): Massive health sector overhaul explained
Liz Gordon (Daily Blog): Superman Little strikes again
1News: Dramatic health changes are a ‘bold move’ that leaves National in a tricky spot, says 1News political reporter
No Right Turn: Ending the DHB scam

Health reforms: Details
Tess McClure (The Guardian): New Zealand announces radical shake-up of health system
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Major health sector shake-up: DHBs scrapped and new Māori Health Authority announced
Thomas Manch and Bridie Witton (Stuff): Government announces radical plan to centralise healthcare, will abolish DHBs
Emma Russell (Herald): Health shake-up: What will it mean for mental health patients?
Tova O’Brien (Newshub): New Zealand’s under-stress health system all too real for some Kiwis
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Public Health Agency ‘the legacy of the pandemic’
Jason Walls (Herald): Government unveils plans for New Zealand’s first ‘truly national public health service’
Newstalk ZB: Little: DHB overhaul should mean more cash for healthcare

Health reforms: Reaction in health sector
The Spinoff: ‘All my dreams have come true’: Doctors and experts react to the end of DHBs
RNZ: Experts optimistic but want assurances over health sector reform
Cate Broughton (Stuff): Single mum who fought health board and won says health reform ‘phenomenal’
Julie Iles (NBR): Transparency and consistency key opportunities of health system overhaul (paywalled)
Jo Lines-MacKenzie (Stuff): DHB member who fought for change from the inside calls health shake-up ‘brave’
Hannah Martin (Stuff): Health system shake-up: Vulnerable communities ‘might get lost in the shuffle’
Emma Russell (Herald): Health system reforms: Grieving families speak out on end of ‘postcode lottery’ care

Health reforms: Māori Health
Barry Soper (Herald): It’s doubtful whether Māori Health Authority will achieve its goals
Gabrielle Baker (Spinoff): Health reforms for Māori: ‘I’m not ready to celebrate just yet’
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): DHBs won’t be missed – but Māori health authority a tough sell
Florence Kerr (Stuff): Self-determination at the heart of new Māori Health Authority
Florence Kerr (Stuff): Māori Health made a priority in a raft of radical changes to the sector
Zane Small (Newshub): How New Zealand’s revamped health system will look with new Māori Health Authority
Anna Whyte (1News): DHBs to be scrapped, new Māori Health Authority to be created in major health system shake up
Mike Yardley (Newstalk ZB): More bureaucracy won’t help Māori quit smoking
Te Rina Triponel (RNZ): Major health sector shake-up: What this means for Māori
Sharnae Hope (Stuff): Waikato GP believes centralised health agency will remove ‘red tape’ for all

Health reforms: Regions
Kaysha Brownlie (RNZ): Government’s new health system gives ‘bigger voice’ to rural communities
Natalie Akoorie (RNZ): Health reforms: ‘Loss to local democracy but what we had clearly wasn’t working’
Louisa Steyl (Stuff): New health reforms ‘level the playing field for rural patients’
Jennifer Eder, Cherie Sivignon and Katy Jones (Stuff): Scrapping DHBs prompts mixed views on impact for top of the south
Catherine Groenestein (Stuff): Taranaki leaders react with congratulations and scepticism over radical health reforms
Cate Broughton (Stuff): Canterbury Māori provider says health overhaul ‘needed to happen’, board member says ‘deeply worrying’
Bridie Witton, Marty Sharpe and Mandy Te (Stuff): Wellington region medical sector welcomes “drastic” changes to health system
Herald: Wellington health bosses react to overhaul that will see DHBs abolished
Alice Angeloni (RNZ): Health reforms: What does it mean for Tairāwhiti?
Libby Wilson (Stuff): Just what the doctor ordered: health system shakeup gets positive response in Waikato
Janine Rankin (Stuff): Health groups poised to launch into reforms
Lois Williams (RNZ): Health reforms: Cautious support from West Coast leaders
Liam Rātana (Herald): Resourcing key in improving health of Northlanders: Health reforms reaction

Health reforms: National Party reaction
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Judith Collins lashes DHB overhaul as too much Wellington bureaucracy, and a ‘separatist model’
Jason Walls (Herald): ‘Reckless’ health shake-up could create two-tier health system – says the National Party
Zane Small (Newshub): Judith Collins endorses view Māori Health Authority is ‘separatist’, pledges to scrap restructure

Health reforms: Other
Emma Russell (Herald): Health shake-up: What could this mean for diabetes patients?
Mariné Lourens (Stuff): Healthcare overhaul must include increase in resources, cancer care advocate says
Chris Keall (Herald): Death of the DHBs a chance to give health tech a new life (paywalled)
Peter Griffin (BusinessDesk): Fixing our broken health IT systems (paywalled)

NZ-China relations: Mahuta Speech
Con Coughlin (Daily Telegraph/Herald): Jacinda Ardern’s pro-China stance undermines Western allies – and puts NZ’s Five Eyes membership at risk
Audrey Young (Herald): NZ-China relations: Jacinda Ardern faces bitter attack by UK writer over Five Eyes commitment
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Five Powers – the forgotten pact featuring NZ
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): China heaps praise on Nanaia Mahuta’s ‘remarkable’ Five Eyes comments
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Praise for Nanaia Mahuta from ‘communist dictatorship’ China ‘deeply concerning’, speech ‘damaged international reputation’ – ACT
Straits Times: New Zealand says ‘uncomfortable’ with expanding Five Eyes
Binoy Kampmark: Mixed sight: New Zealand, The Five Eyes and China

Economy  and work
Daniel Dunkley (Stuff): Does our Amazon deal set a dangerous precedent?
RNZ: Data points to unequal recovery and entrenchment of poverty – Unions
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Lower-income earners face too big a tax jump, experts say
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Large growth in older and female trade apprentices during pandemic
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Moody’s affirms NZ credit rating and expects economy to ‘remain resilient’
John Barnett (BusinessDesk): Amazon’s LOTR: One NZ film grant to rule them all (paywalled)
Jamie Gray (Herald): Why NZ interest rates will not follow inflation higher (paywalled)
Mike Hosking (Herald): On danger of Kiwis moving to Australia (paywalled)

Housing crisis
Eleanor Black (Newsroom): Housing crisis is the ‘canary in the coal mine’
Sandra Conchie (Herald): Homeless crisis: Tauranga’s top 10 emergency housing earners revealed
Greg Ninness (Interest): Residential real estate industry’s commission revenues soared in the first quarter

International relations
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): NZ releases belated criticism of WHO Covid report
Jordan Small (Herald): Time for New Zealand to take centre stage in US (paywalled)
1News: Australia’s foreign minister visiting NZ for first visit since pandemic began

Local government
Joel MacManus (Stuff): Monorail pitched as option for Let’s Get Wellington Moving project
Georgia-May Gilbertson (Stuff): ‘Time for our voice to come to the table’, strong support to introduce Māori wards at Hastings District Council

Other
Claire Trevett (Herald): Why is Labour set on keeping waka jumpers law? Insurance (paywalled)
Leighton Smith (Herald): Where art thou, alternative point of view? (paywalled)
Guyon Espiner (RNZ): Only 10 percent of health workers ‘definitely willing’ to carry out euthanasia – survey
Harry Lock (RNZ): Census data on gender, sexual identity to be gathered in ‘inclusive way’ – Stats NZ
Newstalk ZB: Unlawful Ihumatao deal to be tidied up by Parliament
Jacqui Dean (Stuff): Pastoral Land Reform Bill has the potential to destroy farming in the high country as we know it