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

National Party: “Separatism” and He Puapua
Matthew Hooton (Herald): Judith Collins’ speech raises important issues for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (paywalled)
Graham Adams (Democracy Project): Ardern in the gun over He Puapua
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Judith Collins issues race relations warning, says Labour planning ‘two systems by stealth’
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Echoes of the past in Judith Collins’ speech
Lara Greaves and Ella Morgan (Spinoff): National won’t find its brighter future through divisive Ōrewa-style rhetoric
Richard Harman: Collins and National make a right turn (paywalled)
David Farrar: Collins attacks separatist agenda
Giles Dexter (Newshub): Kelvin Davis attacks Judith Collins’ ‘desperate’ Māori governance speech
RNZ: Judith Collins’ campaign against Māori systems won’t win votes – commentator
Newstalk ZB: Judith Collins defends speech suggesting Labour are planning a ‘separatist’ Māori Government
Curwen Ares Rolinson (Daily Blog): The Properties of tino rangatiratanga – On Judith Collins’ convention speech
RNZ: Government plans may lead to Māori systems for education, justice – Collins
Cathy Odgers: “One Country Two Systems” – Would it work in New Zealand as it does for China?

National Party: leadership and diversity
Claire Trevett (Herald): Does National need to change the way it elects its leader? (paywalled)
Damien Grant (Stuff): Here’s your problem, National: You need to take your leader seriously
Shane Te Pou (Herald): National currently have no vision for their party. Worse, they have no vision for New Zealand (paywalled)
Jack Tame (Newstalk ZB): My run for National party leadership
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Simon Bridges blames National’s lack of diversity on being ‘decimated’ at election
Crystal Wu and Giles Dexter (Newshub): National MPs admit ‘we’ve got some work to do’ on diversity
Victor Billot (Newsroom): An ode for Judith Collins

Housing crisis
Chris McDowall and Ben Leahy (Herald): Interactive: 40 years of sky-high house prices – how your region compares
Liam Dann (Herald): After last month’s big policy announcement, what’s left for the Government to do on housing affordability? (paywalled)
Michael Neilson (Herald): Housing crisis ‘tragedy for the future’ of children’s education, welfare (paywalled)
Jane Bowron (Stuff): House hogs needed reining in
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Green Party starts new push for ‘reasonable’ rent controls to fix ‘very sick market’
RNZ: Rent controls needed alongside increased housing supply – renters group
Kim Knight (Herald): What’s it like when you don’t own your home? The housing crisis and renters aged 8-82 (paywalled)
Cherie Howie (Herald): Home Truths: First home buyers profiled in 2016 tell their stories (paywalled)
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): Rent controls should remain an option – Swarbrick
RNZ: Rent controls needed alongside increased housing supply – renters group
Carmen Hall (Herald): Landlords face rhetoric of abuse as rents continue to soar
Nadine Porter (Stuff): Frightened tenants tell of worsening community housing horrors
Kerre McIvor (Herald): Government leaving taxpayers in the cold over emergency housing (paywalled)
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): People don’t expect housing market to turn in year ahead, ANZ survey finds
Amanda Clinton-Gohdes (Stuff): The crisis of rental, public, and emergency housing facing Taranaki
Jane Matthews (Stuff): ‘Best off’ status doesn’t solve Taranaki’s public housing crisis
Shannon Johnstone (Stuff): Hawke’s Bay rent increases are now the highest in NZ. Here’s the impact that’s having
Steve Stannard (Stuff): Character of old houses can’t be found in ‘souless’ suburban builds

Health
Kathy Spencer (Herald): Has Andrew Little been sold a pup on health reforms? (paywalled)
Will Harvie (Stuff): Most dentists think a publicly-funded dentistry system won’t work
Bridie Witton (Stuff): ‘We are worried’ — doctors fear patients will die waiting in ambulances this winter, unable to access overcrowded emergency departments
Stephen Forbes (Stuff): Poverty and high health needs ‘driving GP shortage’ in south Auckland
Steven Joyce (Herald): Health reforms – what’s in it for patients? (paywalled)
Brian Easton (Pundit): Centralising the public health system
Virginia Fallon (Stuff): Type 2 diabetes: ‘A tidal wave that will devastate the NZ health system’
Michelle Duff (Stuff): Maternity safety officers to be appointed to DHBs – Ayesha Verrall
Cate Broughton (Stuff): New Zealand criticised for ‘missed opportunities’ on cervical cancer screening
1News: ‘When they refused me, they sentenced me to death’ – Bowel cancer sufferer slams Southern DHB
Nicholas Jones (Herald): ‘Functionally obsolete’ IT system at Auckland Hospital to be scrapped
Kirsty Wynn (Herald): Mum of sick 2-year-old writes open letter begging for kids’ hospital beds (paywalled)

Health: Pharmacy
Guyon Espiner (RNZ): Pharmac likely to end blanket funding for kids’ cancer drugs
Michael Neilson (Herald): Pharmac drug-buying wish list needs extra $400m; calls for review to include funding
Ian Powell: Pharmac’s welcome transparency highlights need for real bold Government action
Robbie Nicol (Stuff): The comically large catch in the Government’s review into Pharmac

Economy and work
Luke Malpass (Stuff): A ‘balanced’ Budget is on the way, but not in the traditional sense
Michael Andrew (Spinoff): Hold on! Did the NBR just kill the Rich List?
Janine Starks (Stuff): Our ‘only hope’ in creating financial stability in New Zealand
Liam Dann (Herald): Is central bank independence under attack? (paywalled)
Tina Morrison (Stuff): Reserve Bank, Treasury working to improve Māori access to capital
John Roughan (Herald): NZ’s tourism industry needs the rest of the world (paywalled)
Jane Clifton (Listener/Herald): The Government’s silence on immigration is deafening (paywalled)
Bonnie Flaws (Stuff): Scheme that offered $1000 to relocate to pick fruit attracts just 339 people
Matt McCarten (Daily Blog): May Day – Utu For Workers Union – Fight for Justice
Tom Hunt (Stuff): Hollywood blockbuster director James Cameron pledges to repay Covid-19 wage subsidy

Oranga Tamariki
Stuff: Editorial – Oranga Tamariki’s failings exposed
Meriana Johnsen (RNZ): Oranga Tamariki: Waitangi Tribunal recommends Māori authority to reform system
Andrew Dickens (Newstalk ZB): Are Māori breaking the Treaty?
Sam Sachdeva (Newroom): Tribunal reaction: End ‘horrible addiction to assimilation’
Tim Murphy (Newsroom): Tribunal to politicians: Watch Newsroom’s video
Rosie Gordon (Newshub): Mum whose child was uplifted backs calls for Māori-led overhaul of Oranga Tamariki
Matt Burrows (Newshub): Allow Māori to fix Oranga Tamariki, Crown told, after Waitangi Tribunal inquiry finds multiple Treaty breaches
RNZ: ‘Status quo cannot continue’ – Children’s Minister responds to Waitangi Tribunal finding on Oranga Tamariki
Newstalk ZB: Waitangi Tribunal doesn’t recommend disbanding Oranga Tamariki
Tim Murphy (Newsroom): Removal of Māori children breached Treaty – Tribunal

China and New Zealand
Rodney Jones (Stuff): The China Challenge: Why China’s disingenuity matters to New Zealand
Fran O’Sullivan (Herald): National tries to find right stance on China (paywalled)
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Gerry Brownlee ‘more concerned now’ about Xinjiang after orchestrated China ‘propaganda’ presentation
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Chinese Embassy rolls out ‘propaganda’ briefing on Xinjiang for New Zealand audience

Local government
ODT: Editorial – A revolution in local government?
Karl du Fresne: Joyous hugs and kisses as democracy takes another hit
Eric Crampton (Stuff): Is local government fit for purpose?
Damian George (Stuff): City councillor Tamatha Paul ruffling feathers as bold moves cause controversy
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Complaint against Wellington city councillor Simon Woolf revealed after Ombudsman investigation
Gwynn Compton (Stuff): Local government review offers chance to transform Wellington’s fortunes
Sinead Gill (Stuff): Māori wards introduced in Rangitīkei ahead of next year’s election
Sinead Gill (Stuff): District mayors feel left in the dark over water reform

Covid: Vaccinations programme and border
Lee Kenny and Kelly Dennett (Stuff): Top epidemiologist calls on government to intervene as Kiwis prepare to travel to Tokyo for Olympics
RNZ: NZ’s MIQ system three times more likely to be breached than Australia’s – report
Lucy Warhurst (Newshub): Major vaccine milestone: New Zealand hits 250,000 Covid-19 jabs
Herald: Customs sacks nine border workers for refusing Covid-19 vaccine
Tom Dillane (Herald): Covid 19 coronavirus: MIQ hotels only two-thirds full after transtasman bubble, taxpayers pay $300m for quarantine in past year
Herald: Editorial: Bubble, border breaches complicate strategy (paywalled)

Act Party
Derek Cheng (Herald): Act leader David Seymour’s embarrassment: ‘Can’t afford to buy’ guy has an interest in three properties
Dan Satherley (Newshub): ACT leader David Seymour admits he’s a beneficiary of property-holding trusts after years of saying he couldn’t afford to buy
Uma Ahmed (Stuff): ACT leader David Seymour visits Invercargill as part of free speech speaking tour
Steve Braunias (Herald): The secret diary of David Seymour (paywalled)

Parliament and political parties
Herald: Press Gallery 150th anniversary: New Zealand prime ministers pose for rare photo
Daniela Maoate-Cox (RNZ): Prepping for Budget 2021 at Parliament
Claire Trevett (Herald): Beehive Diaries: A leadership change and a bouquet for National (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): Fact or Fiction: contested housing advice, electoral law, the pandemic (paywalled)
Andre Chumko (Stuff): Art commemorating Christchurch mosque victims hung in Parliament

Media, communications and information
Steven Cowan: The Mainstream media: ‘Managing’ democracy on behalf of the one percent
RNZ: The news stories making readers dumber
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Points of Order: The Press Gallery turns 151, celebrates its 150th

Education
Andrea Fox (Herald): Dive in regular school attendance rate bodes ill for the future economy (paywalled)
Derek Cheng (Herald): Truancy ‘crisis’: 30,000 chronically absent students out of reach for under-funded services
1News: Teachers feel ‘very unconfident’ teaching maths – Associate Education Minister
Robert Bartholomew (Stuff): Our history of Māori segregation needs to be part of the curriculum
David Farrar: Is there a stage beyond Apoplectic?

Other
Chris Trotter: After four years in office
Jehan Casinader (Stuff): Being ‘stale, pale and male’ doesn’t mean you’re obsolete
Dave Goosselink (Newshub): New Zealand faces blackouts, higher power prices if heavy rain doesn’t arrive in next few months
Matt Nippert (Herald): ‘Stuck in the dark ages’: Men hold 59% of the highest-paid jobs in government (paywalled)
Catrin Owen (Stuff): Review of decision to bar controversial speakers from Auckland Council venue dismissed
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): NZ apology to Indian govt after public oxygen plea
Jon Johansson (Stuff): I’m a republican, but my thoughts are with the Queen
1News: Marlborough’s new aquaculture rules have ‘scent’ of Treaty breach – iwi
1News: Facebook removes page for controversial anti-vax party Advance NZ — again
Newstalk ZB: Facebook takes down Advance New Zealand page for second time over misinformation breach
Alison Mau (Stuff): When will the abuse end for NZ’s servicewomen?
Scarlett Cvitanovich (Herald): Euthanasia: Are we ready for legalised assisted dying in New Zealand? (paywalled)
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Time for climate realism
Rebecca Moore (1News): Kiwis forking out tens of thousands on fertility treatments to start family – ‘There’s not good funding’
Hamish Cardwell (RNZ): Incidents of security guards photographing public ‘probably increasing’