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
Audrey Young (Herald): Pressure on Judith Collins to make recall of Parliament worth it (paywalled)
Richard Harman (Politik): Ardern calls Collins’ bluff (paywalled)
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Ardern vs Collins on the convening of Parliament
Herald Editorial: Parliament back in the flesh?
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Judith Collins on Govt’s virus response, Parliament’s return
Barry Soper (Herald): Virus cleans out grizzlies in Parliament’s bear pit
Russell Palmer (RNZ): Resumption of Parliament: Parties take a stand over sitting
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Māori Party boycott in-person Parliament under lockdown, express fury at National and ACT for rejecting virtual option
Zane Small (Newshub): ‘Reeks of white privilege’: Māori Party unleashes on National, ACT for opposing virtual Parliament
1 News: Full video: National’s Judith Collins speaks with media
Newstalk ZB: ACT leader: Continuing Parliament suspension lacks consistency
Henry Cooke (Stuff): How Parliament will run while country is in lockdown
No Right Turn: The action of a sociopathic narcissist
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Gordon Campbell: On why Judith Collins should consider the Canada model
Zane Small (Newshub): Judith Collins denies rumblings in National Party caucus, going ‘ballistic’ at Chris Bishop
Waatea News: Hipango shoulders workload in reshuffle
Liz Wylie (Whanganui Chronicle): New responsibilities for Harete Hipango in National Party reshuffle

Government management of outbreak, expert advice
Tess McClure (Guardian): Even as New Zealand battles Covid, trust in government bucks global trend
Siouxsie Wiles (Spinoff): Covid is different this time. Level four lockdown needs to be, too
Chris Trotter (Interest): Discordant realities
Karl du Fresne: Testing the limits of spin
Mike Yardley (Stuff): ScoMo is right. We can’t stay hidden forever
Marine Lourens (Stuff): Second outbreak amid level change could see NZ ‘stretched to the limit’
Eva Corlett (Guardian): New Zealand Covid update: outbreak at critical juncture as cases drop to 53
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Has Delta peaked? A 53-case day only comes with caution
William Hewett (Newshub): Covid-19 modeller Shaun Hendy warns it’s too early to celebrate despite case numbers dropping
1 News: Shaun Hendy warns of potential further Delta spread outside Auckland
Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Auckland bearing brunt of lockdown and restrictions on some businesses could get tougher
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Auckland could remain in Covid-19 alert level 4 lockdown as rest of country drops to level 2
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Fears Auckland may be heading for longest level 4 lockdown as alert levels lift elsewhere
Anna Leask (Herald): The countdown to alert level 3 – travel restrictions to stay tight as country readies to divide
Matt Burrows (Newshub): Covid-19 graph predicts New Zealand would have had 550 daily cases if not for lockdown
Sam Olley (RNZ): Northland mayors hoping for Cabinet to lower Covid-19 alert level
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Government slammed for 1pm press conferences, ‘spin’ reporting of vaccine rollout
Koenraad Kuiper (Stuff): Let’s cut Chris Hipkins slack for ‘spread their legs’ gaffe
RNZ: Covid-19 lockdown day 13: How it unfolded

Vaccine rollout
Newstalk ZB: Revealed: Government running out of vaccines, asked for shipment to be delayed
Newstalk ZB: Grant Robertson denies that the Government delayed vaccine shipment
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Government closing in on a ScoMo-style deal for extra vaccine supply
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Labour is putting its political reputation ahead of protecting us from Covid
Claire Trevett (Herald): To Auckland should go the Covid-19 vaccines while the rest feast at level 3 (paywalled)
RNZ: ‘Throw the vaccine textbook’ at Covid-19 right now – top immunologist
Danielle Clent (Stuff): Vaccine roll-out could be scaled back from last week’s surge in jabs
Herald: Vaccination rollout may need to slow to planned levels after ‘lockdown surge’
RNZ: NZ should aim for more than 90% vaccinated – epidemiologist Rod Jackson
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Chris Hipkins admits misinterpreting vaccine delivery schedule by a month
Matthew Scott (Newsroom): Goff calls for Auckland to move up vaccine list
Jamie Tahana (RNZ): Māori health providers push for accelerated vaccination
ODT Editorial: Better vaccination news
Charlie Dreaver (RNZ): Couple struggling to find answers after vaccine mistake
Zane Small (Newshub): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern accused of ‘telling half the truth’ in COVID-19 vaccine graph
Adam Pearse (Stuff): Better against Delta? New vaccine trial in NZ set to start
Hamish McNeilly (Stuff): Hundreds of ‘scarfies’ turn out for mass vaccination in Dunedin
Andrew Marshall (ODT): Students face the music at walk-in vax clinic
Tim Brown (RNZ): Major push to get young Māori and Pasifika vaccinated in Dunedin
Brianna Mcilraith (Stuff): District councillor not stepping down from council, community roles following backlash to vaccine video
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Wellington’s rough sleepers vaccinated at special clinic
Herald: Expert says rare death from Pfizer jab no reason to avoid vaccination
Nikki MacDonald (Stuff): Covid-19 is more likely to cause myocarditis than the vaccine is
RNZ: New Zealand woman’s death may be linked to rare vaccine side effect – report
1 News: NZ woman dies after suffering rare side effect of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Woman with medical issues dies from myocarditis, rare side-effect of Pfizer vaccine

Cases, demographics, Pacific communities, Māori communities
Torika Tokalau and Scott Yeoman (Stuff): Ardern and Bloomfield clear up confusion surrounding passport request incident in Tauranga
Andrew McRae (RNZ): Pasifika community ‘disappointed and angry’ after passport requests
1 News: Verrall ‘very sorry’ Pasifika asked to show passports for Covid jab
RNZ: Ayesha Verrall: Requesting passports at vaccine appointments ‘unnacceptable’
Samson Samasoni (Stuff): Pasifika community feels ‘battered and bruised’ by communication blunders
Fa’anana Efeso Collins (Guardian): Pasifika are on the frontline in New Zealand’s Covid battle – and are copping racist abuse for it
Robin Martin (RNZ): Parihaka prepared for lockdown – Zoom meetings not so much

Contact tracing, testing
Brittany Keogh (Stuff): Why it took the Government a year to make QR code scanning compulsory
Catrin Owen (Stuff): Mystery remains as to how Delta got out into the community
David Williams (Newsroom): As alert levels drop, our testing is falling
Rahul Bhattarai (Herald): Which supermarket chain dominates virus hotspots (paywalled)
Emma Houpt (Herald): Covid-19 swabbing tent stolen in Tauranga
Michelle Duff (Stuff):‘It’s weird that I can’t touch another human’: The rugby stadium worth of close contacts going it alon

Health
Stephen Forbes (Local Democracy Reporting): Middlemore Hospital ED ‘under pressure’ with staff stood down due to Covid-19
Gill Bonnett (RNZ): ‘Zero response’ from govt after visa delay concerns raised – doctor’s union
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Auckland’s delayed surgeries could be moved to other DHBs including Waikato 
Kate Hawkesby (Newstalk ZB): My response to the Public Services Commissioner
John Tamihere (Waatea News): Working on the Vaccination and Covid testing lines
Mike Houlahan (ODT): ‘It is so frustrating’: doctors sound warning about staff projections
Cate Broughton (Stuff): Public’s help sought for nasal spray to save lives of overdose victims
Māori TV: ACC taking Treaty seriously, opening up to rongoā Māori and technology

Lockdown inequality, charities
Gill Bonnett (RNZ): Benefits for migrants to end today – ‘What happened to our fabled kindness?’
RNZ: Sudden lockdown puts financial pressure on struggling families
Miriam Burrell (Herald): Auckland foodbank shelves almost bare
Vandhna Bhan (1 News): Food parcel demand tripled from previous lockdowns
Newstalk ZB: ANZ: Increase in people calling for financial help
Katie Harris (Herald): Wellington sexual violence charity forced to scrap street appeal due to Covid-19 for second year

Alert Level rules
Jake Kenny (Stuff): In level 4, what can businesses do to prepare for re-opening?
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): How are the alert level three rules different from alert level four?
Brook Sabin (Stuff): New rules for who can cross alert level borders during lockdown
Nathan Morton (Stuff): Dairy farmers nervous about prospect of Auckland lockdown border 
RNZ: Lack of chips no reason to leave neighbourhood in lockdown, Dunedin police say

Lockdown compliance, enforcement, checkpoints
Matt Burrows and Rebecca Watson (Newshub): NZ Covid conspiracy group in disarray after almost nobody turns up to anti-lockdown protest
No Right Turn: The danger of over-zealous enforcement
John Weekes (Stuff): ‘Thousands’ of drivers ready for border crossing
Bernadette Basagre (Stuff): Reports of ‘appalling’ abuse towards transport staff during level 4
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): The scams you need to watch out for during lockdown
Herald: Thieves target supermarket grocery deliveries left on customers’ doorsteps
Alice Angeloni (Local Democracy Reporting): East Coast hapū set up checkpoint after authorities refuse
Zoe George (Stuff): Sports stars Du’Plessis Kirifi and Mila Reuelu-Buchanan in hot water for Level 4 partying

Wage subsidy, business, economy
Kristin Hall (1 News): Some employers underpaying staff during lockdown
Rosie Collins (BusinessDesk): Lockdowns are still the best economic response (paywalled)
Rob Stock (Stuff): Most hospitality businesses in Auckland will not be financially viable after another week in lockdown
Anne Gibson (Herald): Auckland’s Friedlander family cuts shop, hospitality rents by 80 per cent (paywalled)
Rahul Bhattarai (Herald): Business groups ask the Government for ongoing financial support during level 3
Andrea Fox (Herald): Big response to petition calling for business Covid support parity with employees (paywalled)
Jake Kenny, Hanna McCallum and Liz McDonald (Stuff):Businesses hungry for customers again after level 4 lockdown 
Liam Dann (Herald): Is it all over for economic boom or will we see V-shaped recovery? (paywalled)
Jem Traylen (BusinessDesk): Unemployment: how low can we go? (paywalled)
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): We’re paying a huge economic price for smugness
Rachel Sadler and Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Kaikōura cafe won’t display QR code claiming ‘breach of my rights’
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Shortages: Keep calm and carry on shopping, urge supermarkets
Bonnie Flaw (Stuff): NZ Post prepares for increase in online shopping, some delays expected 
RNZ: Businesses warned to be vigilant of scams, hacking during lockdown
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): IR extends hassle-free, tax-free option for reimbursing home working expenses
Sam Hurley (Herald): Accountants call for permanent legislative fix to work from home tax extension
Debbie Jamieson (Stuff): Domestic tourists not expected before Christmas, Queenstown mayor says
Jamie Mackay (Stuff): Covid-19 and a tale of two cities

MIQ, border, immigration
Jamie Morton (Herald): Will ‘vaccine passports’ reopen the world? (paywalled)
1 News: Covid sufferers say they’re having to drink water from bathroom in MIQ
Jo Moir (Newsroom): Crowne Plaza gets Delta-readiness check
Stuff: ‘These are real lives’: Kiwis exhausted and in anguish over MIQ
Anuja Nadkarni (Newsroom): Migrants live in limbo but ‘essential’ during lockdown

Education
Lee Kenny (Stuff): Call for new alert level to better protect students and teachers
Dubby Henry  (Herald): No plans for school holiday change despite lockdowns

Afghanistan
Tess McClure (Guardian): ‘She will die’: Afghans take New Zealand government to court over alleged visa inaction
Kurt Bayer (Herald): Escape from Kabul – Dramatic NZSAS rescue of Afghan grandmother in wheelchair outside airport gates (paywalled)
Caley Callahan (Newshub): NZ Defence Force captain in charge of Afghanistan evacuation speaks about mission for the first time
Stuff: Urgent hearing sought about visa delays for desperate Afghans
Paul Buchanan: 9/11, forever wars and the end of liberal internationalism

Local government
1 News: Is it time for Invercargill’s Sir Tim Shadbolt to leave politics?
Logan Savory (Stuff): Partner: Sir Tim Shadbolt brought to his knees ‘by bewildering lack of support’
Garry Law (Stuff): Three Waters reforms ill-matched to local government
Logan Savory (Stuff): Invercargill deputy mayor Nobby Clark wants council to opt out of water reform now
Brianna Mcilraith (Stuff): Driving region’s waste 180 kilometres will save $7 million over 35 years, New Plymouth council report says
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland should seize chance to shape Māori seat move
Moana Ellis (Local Democracy Reporting): Ruapehu District Council votes against increasing Māori councillors to three
Sinead Gill (Stuff): Public to have their say on two Māori wards for Rangitīkei District Council
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Due date for Wellington City rates extended by one month
Tom Hunt (Stuff): Chaos city: Wellington council takes aim at downtown safety
Hamish MacLean (ODT): Too soon for talk of commissioners: Parker
RNZ: Environment law delays: Councillor ready to resign if commissioners aren’t appointed
Janine Rankin (Stuff): Rural community wary of land grab for wastewater discharge

Transport
Simon Wilson (Herald): The real problem with congestion charging (paywalled)
Todd Niall (Stuff): Government holds off decision on public transport fare underwrite 
Joel MacManus (Stuff):KiwiRail defends high-emission ferry fuel decision
Brook Sabin (Stuff): Air New Zealand to retire all Boeing 777s – its largest jet

Media
Gavin Ellis (Knightly Views): Where is Maggie Thatcher when you need her?
Tom Frewen (Scoop): RNZ Magna Charter Part 6 – Govt Meddling With RNZ Review

Energy
RNZ: Coal mines remained open through lockdown
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Tiwai Point smelter owner ‘hasn’t read the tea leaves’ in dry lakes – Meridian
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Forestry waste trial offers lifeline to Huntly power plant
RNZ: Mobil, Refining NZ reach deal on switching Marsden Point to import-only terminal

Housing
Ashley Church (One Roof): Would a ‘managed crash’ in house prices help the housing market?
Cameron Bagrie (BusinessDesk): Is housing, the golden goose, no longer laying golden eggs? (paywalled)
Māori TV: Whānau without temporary housing feeling the brunt of lockdown

Cook Islands
RNZ: Cook Islands reinstates wage subsidies and grants
Mihingarangi Forbes (Newshub): Cook Islands’ tourism economy facing blow from New Zealand’s outbreak

Other
Dave Armstrong (Stuff): Community organisations face tough choices over pokie proceeds
Michael Reddell (Croaking Cassandra): Reading Michael Cullen
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Ice-Cream Dreams
Paul Hunt (Herald): Hate speech laws and red lights – ‘anything approaching hate speech is wrong’ (paywalled)
Andrew McRae (RNZ): ‘The Death Ship: A Fateful Voyage’ charts the passage of the Spanish Flu
Shaneel Lal (Spinoff): The conversion therapy bill must be amended if survivors are to get justice
RNZ: Commerce Commission wants better outcomes for complaints about telecommunications industry
Ian Llewellyn (BusinessDesk): Emissions reductions plan close to reveal (paywalled)