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

Parliament’s Speaker Trevor Mallard
Henry Cooke (Stuff): National v Mallard: That atrocious late-night debate is the reason people hate politicians
Barry Soper (Herald): Trevor Mallard’s outburst this week questions whether he understands what a serious sexual assault is
Claire Trevett (Herald): The unedifying spectacle of the Speaker v National in Parliament (paywalled)
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Mallard using his power to attack individuals – he needs to go
Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stops short of sacking House Speaker Trevor Mallard
Richard Harman: The Parliamentary sexual assault saga continues (paywalled)
Jo Moir (Newsroom): PM’s failed bid to rein-in Trevor Mallard
Justin Giovannetti (Spinoff): Mallard’s expensive allegation and an extraordinary night in parliament
Derek Cheng (Herald): Explainer: Trevor Mallard’s false rape claim and how we got to last night’s messy debate (paywalled)
Kerre McIvor (Newstalk ZB): If Mallard believes what he’s saying, he should say it outside Parliament
Newstalk ZB: Peter Dunne: PM has gone as close as she can to firing Mallard
Henry Cooke and Brittney Deguara (Stuff): Debate over Trevor Mallard’s defamation case ‘poorly managed and inappropriately politicised’: Jacinda Ardern
Zane Small (Stuff): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gives Speaker Trevor Mallard grilling over behaviour in Parliament
Herald: Parliament sex assault claims: Jacinda Ardern ticks off Speaker Trevor Mallard over debate comments
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Nobody came out well from debate over Trevor Mallard’s defamation case, Chris Hipkins says
Lana Andelane (Newshub): Trevor Mallard: Parliament an ‘absolute powder keg’ with National to go full throttle in bid to axe Mallard – Tova O’Brien
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): Labour’s Chris Hipkins calls on all MPs to ‘step back’ after unruly scenes in Parliament
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Trevor Mallard’s ‘utu’ in Parliament an ‘abhorrence’ – Judith Collins
Duncan Garner (Newshub): I’ve never seen a Speaker stoop this low – and only Jacinda Ardern can control it
David Farrar: Mallard makes allegations under parliamentary privilege
Zane Small (Newshub): House Leader Chris Hipkins to meet with Speaker Trevor Mallard after Parliament stoush
Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern expected to break silence after Trevor Mallard’s explosive night in Parliament
Newshub: Barry Soper; Mallard should answer questions outside parliament
Meriana Johnsen (RNZ): National Party repeats call for Speaker Trevor Mallard’s removal after fiery debate
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Speaker Trevor Mallard uses parliamentary privilege to defend himself
1News: Collins: Mallard’s ‘unfit’ to be Speaker after ‘shocking display’ accusing man of sexual assault
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): National’s Chris Bishop urges Jacinda Ardern to ‘ask herself an honest question’ about Trevor Mallard’s behaviour
Newstalk ZB: Judith Collins; PM needs to tell Mallard to step down
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Mallard’s woke justice is the reactionary rage the right are looking for
Newstalk ZB: Former Speaker: Parliamentary privilege should not be abused
Peter Williams (Magic Talk): Jacinda Ardern has insulted all of us

Public sector pay freeze
Bernard Hickey: The brilliant and perverse absurdity of Labour’s austerity Budget of 2021
Rob Mitchell (Stuff): Hundreds of public sector workers angry at Govt’s ‘appalling’ three-year extension to pay freeze
Jordan Bond (RNZ): Fears Kiwi nurses and doctors will leave NZ due to salary freeze
Stuff: Public sector pay freeze a kick in the teeth for health workers
George Block (Stuff): Cops, prison officers slam public sector pay freeze ‘bombshell’
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Public Service Association outraged at Government’s pay freeze for workers
Michael Neilson (Herald): Police slam Government’s public sector pay freeze over next three years as ‘unacceptable bombshell’
Stuff: Public sector pay freeze extended for next three years for those earning more than $60,000
Zane Small (Newshub): Government freezes pay of public servants earning over $100,000 for next three years
ODT: Editorial – Public pay

He Puapua document and Māori self-determination
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Developing separately – or together?
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Don’t be so scared of a little self-determination when it comes to Māori
RNZ: He Puapua report: Māori Development Minister wants public buy-in
Dita De Boni (NBR): Change the record (paywalled)
John Tamihere (Herald): We already have a separatist health-care system (paywalled)
Liam Rātana (Herald): Oranga Tamariki shifts power to Māori in Northland (paywalled)
Alan Kenyon (1News): Rawiri Waititi wonders ‘why two Pākehā women talking about Māori issues’ during freshwater debate in House
Waatea News: Iwi companies consider Maori bank

China and New Zealand
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Xinjiang: New Zealand MPs back ‘watered-down’ concern about China’s Uighurs, but three parties believe ‘genocide’ occurring
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Parliament unanimously declares ‘severe human rights abuses’ occurring against Uyghur in China
Mike Smith (The Standard): Uyghur separatists behind call for Parliamentary motion on genocide
Robert MacCulloch (NBR): The China Conundrum: New Zealand at a crossroads (paywalled)
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Xinjiang – we’ve gone about as far as we can go, for now
Phil Smith (RNZ): Parliament: compromising to achieve motion
Newstalk ZB: Former Foreign Affairs Minister; right questions must be asked on Uighur genocide
Newstalk ZB: Parliament can take a stand on Uighurs without upsetting China
The Civilian: Ardern says China differences ‘becoming harder to ignore’; promises to work harder on ignoring them

Housing crisis
Katarina Williams (Stuff): Housing ‘most urgent’ issue facing Porirua, social services tell council
Chloe Ranford (Stuff): Pensioners worried as ‘impossible-to-pay’ rent increases bandied about council
Aaron Hendry (Herald): Our wretched treatment of homeless youth (paywalled)
1News: Wellington shelter for homeless women opens new wing as demand rises
Frances Cook (Herald): Fixing housing won’t be quick, but we have to start (paywalled)
Miriam Bell (Stuff): Property investors ‘take a step back’ from the market
Greg Ninness (Interest): Average value of NZ homes rose by between 6.4% & 43.6% in April year
Tony Alexander (One Roof): Puncturing New Zealand’s big house price delusions
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Reserve Bank ponders what constitutes an unaffordable house
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Housing ‘not a flashing red alert but it’s a concern’, says Reserve Bank
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): Likelihood of ‘significant correction’ in house prices has increased, Reserve Bank says (paywalled)
David Hargreaves (Interest): Investors blow out their debt-to-income ratios buying houses
Hamish Rutherford (Herald): Reserve Bank hints new lending tool might be worthwhile, even if only applied to investors (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): Reserve Bank expects legislation to provide more clarity about its role (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): Financial system in good shape but worries about the housing market (paywalled)

Government
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Labour rejects select committee inquiry into ‘sanitised’ mental health report
David Farrar: This is a job for PMO, not DPMC
Herald: Jacinda Ardern reveals she and Clarke Gayford have finally set a wedding date
Stuff: Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford are planning a summer wedding

Economy, Budget, and work
Thomas Manch (Stuff): NZ-UK Free Trade Agreement negotiations to be ‘accelerated’, as Australia streaks ahead
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Robertson full of spin
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Is more accountability of govt spending something Robertson can deliver?
Liam Dann (Herald): Jobs data shows we’re through the worst of Covid shock (paywalled)
Matthew Scott (Newsroom): Inequality an accident waiting to happen for children

Health
1News: Pharmac asked to fund drug for children with spinal muscular atrophy after it changes four-year-old’s life
Katie Todd (RNZ): ‘Green fairies’ increasingly getting charged, lawyer says
Russell Brown (Public Address): A picture of official callousness and detachment
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Despair in radiation oncology

Covid and border
Derek Cheng (Herald): An over-promise that leaves our borders vulnerable (paywalled)
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Government exceeding nationwide vaccine target with over 300,000 doses now administered
Brittney Deguara (Stuff): Should we be focusing on developing a universal vaccine?
Herald: Editorial: Some NZ Covid 19 transmissions still a mystery (paywalled)
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Charting New Zealand’s vaccine rollout

Other
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk/Spinoff): How Biden’s quiet radicalism may embolden New Zealand’s political left
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Government signals decade of big investment in rail
Hamish Cardwell (RNZ): Government lays out 10-year plan for rail investment
Lawrence Gullery (Stuff): Māori aren’t scary, kaumātua says, as hui hears case in support of Māori wards for councils
Finlay Macdonald (Newsroom): Book of the Week: Helen Kelly, Prime Minister
Mike Hosking (Herald): Newstalk ZB ratings and why it’s important to get the facts right (paywalled)
Derek Cheng (Herald): Attendance numbers: More sick days taken; truancy ‘crisis’ worsening
Elizabeth Bowyer (Newsroom): The poor treatment of sexual violence victims in court runs deep in our history
Michael Neilson (Herald): ‘Simple guy’ National MP Matt Doocey supports abortion safe zones after hearing ‘misogynistic vitriol’
Geoff Simmons (Stuff): Funding new ways of thinking will cut the costs of the low-carbon transition