Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. You can sign up to NZ Politics Daily as well as New Zealand Political Roundup columns for free here.
Today’s content
Govt Covid strategy, expert warnings, Auckland
Derek Cheng (Herald): Auckland hits point of no return; ‘Super Saturday followed by Hundy Sunday’ (paywalled)
Kristin Hall (1 News): Covid advisory group members shocked not to be consulted on Auckland plan
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Govt shrugs off expert pleas for Level 4, expects cases to spike
Matthew Hooton (Patreon): Podium of Truth now Podium of Bullshit (paywalled)
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Virus will ‘sweep’ through Auckland after level 3 loosening, modeller warns
1 News: NZ ‘may not have very long to act’ as Covid cases trend upward – modeller
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): 100-plus daily Covid cases on the cards for Auckland within two weeks
Science Media Centre: What do the latest Covid trends mean? – Expert Q&A (paywalled)
Zane Small (Newshub): Chris Hipkins denies border can be crossed without proof of negative COVID-19 test, contradicting official websites
Hannah Martin (Stuff): Govt not looking at ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown as Auckland outbreak grows
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Pressure mounts on Government to consider alert level 4 ‘circuit-breaker’ lockdown in Auckland as cases rise
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Government not considering alert level 4 ‘circuit-breaker lockdown’ despite calls from health experts
Jane Patterson (RNZ): Covid-19 spreading in Auckland and vaccination now ‘absolutely important’ – Hipkins
Zane Small (Newshub): Chris Hipkins confirms ‘home-isolation for positive cases’ in the works, ‘no question’ Delta outbreak will grow
Herald: Virus is ‘spreading in Auckland’ – Chris Hipkins
Irra Lee (1 News): ‘Elimination strategy’ remains; outbreak to grow, says Hipkins
Shannon Redstall (Newshub): Counties Manukau DHB modelling shows tens of thousands of COVID cases next year, hundreds of deaths
Mariner Fagaiava-Muller (RNZ): Leading wāhine Māori and Pasifika in health sector encourage elimination strategy
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Is it time to ditch the 1pm livestreamed updates?
Ben Thomas (Stuff): Covid has shown the limits of big government
Brigitte Morten (NBR): The politics of targets (paywalled)
RNZ: Collins wants more information released about Auckland alert level 3 move
Stuff: Alert level calls for Auckland, Northland and Waikato depend on spread
Vaccine certificate, mandatory vaccination, incentives
Katie Bradford (1 News): NZ’s biggest construction bosses want mandatory jabs for industry’s workers
Amelia Wade (Newshub): Education sector in chaos after COVID-19 vaccine mandate
ODT Editorial: Vaccination mandate pressure
Helen Nickisson (Stuff): Rural schools facing nervous times ahead of vaccine mandate
Adam Pearse (Herald): DHB staff vaccination level rises but clear gaps persist
Amber Allott (Stuff): Ninety per cent of all district health board staff have at least one jab
Arena Williams & Stuart Smith (Stuff): The Government can help businesses to incentivise staff to get vaccinated
Luke Malpass and Sam Sherwood (Stuff): Police warned people may be getting vaccinated on behalf of others
Vaccine rollout, anti-vaxxers
Jody O’Callaghan (Stuff): Children aged 5 to 11 could be in line for Covid-19 vaccine, politicians say
1 News: Less than 100 Kiwis ‘genuinely’ exempt from getting Covid-19 jab
Steve Kilgallon (Stuff): Indian migrant says he only got his vaccine after showing a visa
John Weekes (Herald): Thames-Coromandel Mayor’s vaccine remarks ‘appalling stuff’, councillor says
Sharnae Hope (Stuff): Vaccination expert disgusted by Waikato mayor’s no-Pfizer stance
Sam Olley (RNZ): Thames-Coromandel mayor refuses to get Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine
Sahiban Hyde (Hawkes Bay Today/ Herald): Wairoa mayor wants Covid jab system pranksters punished – ‘hold them down and give them the vaccine’ (paywalled)
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Why Judith Collins got vaccinated
Dylan Reeve (Spinoff): Who are the New Zealanders holding out on getting vaxxed?
Jess Berentson-Shaw (Newsroom): Vaccine message requires calm
Andrew Marshall (ODT): Vax support born of ordeal
Bernie Hewson (ODT): Vaccination choice about weighing risks
Te Aorewa Rolleston (RNZ): Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival used to help boost Gisborne’s vaccination rates
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Charting New Zealand’s vaccine rollout
RNZ: West Coast vaccination drive: ‘We sit down with them and have a cup of tea’
Northland, Waikato
Karina Cooper (Northern Advocate): Northland borders like a prison with open windows, former MP Hone Harawira says
Te Karere: Winston Peters hits out at ‘weak, soft’ Northland border
Karina Cooper (Northern Advocate): Security missed Whangārei Airport’s alleged border breach by minutes
NIta Blake-Persen (RNZ): MP and GP, Dr Shane Reti helps vaccinate locals in Northland
Denise Piper (Stuff): Northland ‘held to ransom’ as level 3 is extended over case’s ongoing silence
Barry Soper (Herald): Little information forthcoming on Northland Covid cases
Rachel Sadler (Newshub): Why Northland and Waikato aren’t moving out of alert level 3 yet
1 News: ‘Idiots of the highest order’ – National MP blasts Govt’s Waikato lockdown extension
Health
1 News: ICU capacity under spotlight with Delta cases on the rise
Stewart Sowman-Lund (Spinoff): What is Molnupiravir? And when will it be available in NZ?
Belinda Feek (Herald): NZ and its hospitals – overwhelmed or adequately staffed?
Herald Editorial: Hospitals are holding fast and credit is due
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Government to unveil preparedness of health system for Delta
Emma Russell (Herald): Missing women – 133 don’t know they have potentially deadly breast cancer
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Substandard sunscreens could be on shelves for more summers as product safety Bill remains in transition period
Hamish McNeilly (Stuff): Ministry warns councillor’s unproven Covid-19 treatment could cause ‘serious harm’
Joseph Mooney (Stuff): South wrestles with ill-fitting Govt policies and bureaucratic brick walls
Marta Rychert, Chris Wilkins, Vinuli Withanarachchie (The Conversation): Why it’s time to treat medicinal cannabis as an alternative therapy, not a pharmaceutical
Alert level compliance, rules
Bernard Orsman and Zoe Holland (Herald) ‘Time to go hard’ on rule-breakers says epidemiologist Rod Jackson
Anna Leask (Herald): Police hunting Covid-positive South Auckland woman ‘refusing to engage’ with authorities
Paul Brooks (Whanganui Midweek): Mixed messages muffle mask mandate
Melanie Earley (Stuff): Police searching for Auckland woman who tested positive for virus
Catrin Owen (Stuff): Woman charged after allegedly fleeing lockdown to Levin in back of truck
Bernard Orsman (Northern Advocate): Auckland councillor Richard Hills has travelled to Northland for the birth of his baby
Cases, demographics, contact tracing
Michael Morrah (Newshub): Family of Māngere church cluster victim pay tribute to ‘very respectful’ and ‘loving’ man
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Labour isolated against push for contact tracing data protection
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Infected person isolating at home goes missing, police search underway
Adam Pearse (Herald): Covid-positive person isolating in Kāinga Ora housing complex
MIQ, immigration, border
Ben Strang (RNZ): Move towards home isolation model as significant growth in cases expected
Mitchell Alexander (Newshub): Government urged to expand residency criteria to MIQ security staff
Cecile Meier (Stuff): Health workers forced to leave as they don’t qualify for fast-tracked residency visa
Gill Bonnett (RNZ): ‘I don’t exist’: Government silence hurts migrant parents
Jessica Roden (1 News): Bay Dreams music festival cancelled over border restrictions
Lorna Thornber (Stuff): ‘A national disgrace’: Kiwi expats and travellers won’t forget how they’ve been treated
David Farrar (Patreon): Exclusive poll results: When do NZers think the borders will open (paywalled)
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newsroom): There is no reason Kiwis stuck overseas shouldn’t be able to come home for Christmas
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): The MIQ system only leads to unnecessary heartbreak
Torika Tokalau (Stuff): ‘Travel at your own risk’ as Fiji plans to reopen for tourists from December 1
Environment, climate change, conservation
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Politics has won over principle with Emission Reduction Plan
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Govt climate document sees no role for agriculture
Olivia Wannan (Stuff):‘Hodgepodge’ climate proposals could hang over climate minister’s trip – activists
Stuff Editorial: Climate: Government wants more ideas, nation wants greater momentum
No Right Turn: Climate Change: Abandoning ambition
Richard Wagstaff (Spinoff): A just transition for workers requires more than what’s in this climate plan
RNZ: Government’s plan to outsource emissions ‘makes no sense’ – union
Richard Harman (Politik): Why James Shaw thinks the ETS fails (paywalled)
Nick Perry (AP) James Shaw: Humans are ‘terribly bad’ at dealing with climate change
Anna Whyte (1 News): Feedback sought on climate policies, campaigners call it ‘meaningless waffle’
Zane Small (Newshub): Emissions Reduction Plan ideas dubbed ‘wacky’, ‘hot air’ and ‘hodgepodge’
Hamish Cardwell (RNZ): Government releases consultation document ahead of Emissions Reduction Plan
Zane Small and Alexa Cook (Newshub): New Zealand Emissions Reduction Plan discussion document released to public
Eloise Gibson and Olivia Wannan (Stuff): Govt puts ideas to slash emissions out for feedback – asks people, business to fill gaps
Brent Edwards ((NBR)): Government’s emissions reduction plan labelled ‘a disgrace’ by some (paywalled)
Ian Llewellyn (BusinessDesk): Carbon hill gets steeper to climb (paywalled)
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Government releases draft emissions plan, including scheme to scrap dirty cars
BusinessDesk: Blah, blah, blah: climate change plan reactions pour in (paywalled)
John Berry (Stuff): Why big businesses need to step up when it comes to climate change action
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland Climate Festival: NZ urged to play broker role at global summit
Hamish MacLean (ODT): Carbon accounting approach questioned
Joanna Santa Barbara (Stuff): Are we doing a good job teaching the younger generation about climate change?
André Chumko (Stuff): Labour MP Kieran McAnulty ’emotional’ after selling trusty ute
Matthew Rosenberg (Local Democracy Reporting): Concerned about road erosion, Colac Bay residents seek legal advice
Business, economy, wage subsidy
Liam Dann (Herald): Holding on to hope: Business confidence stays solid despite lockdowns (paywalled)
Anne Gibson (Herald): Covid exacerbates problems for Māori and their businesses: new Westpac report
Daniel Dunkley (Stuff): Global tax crackdown a sign of progress, but NZ can clean up its act
Rob Stock (Stuff): Businesses wrong not to trust work-from-home staff: Report
Chris Keall (Herald): Employers warned that ‘the great resignation’ is hitting NZ (paywalled)
Bethany Reitsma (Herald): How the Covid-19 pandemic led to a ‘Zoom boom’ in beauty treatments (paywalled)
RNZ: More businesses optimistic about outlook – survey
Jenny Ruth (BusinessDesk): Govt has about $12b to spend on delta relief: economist (paywalled)
25 years since NZ’s first MMP election, Electoral law review
Peter Dunne (Dunne Speaks): 25 years of MMP – and the government wants to make it harder for small parties
Jamie Tahana (RNZ): More Māori in Parliament: Sandra Lee reflects on introduction of MMP
Kate McMillan (Asia Media Centre): Asian political representation in MMP history
Liz Gordon (Daily Blog): MMP, the Alliance and me
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Hamish Rutherford (Herald): New political poll: Act six points behind National, while David Seymour’s popularity climbs – Talbot Mills Research
Bob Jones (No Punches Pulled): Winston’s back
Crime and Justice
Kushlan Sugathapala (Herald): We know how to reduce violent crime so why don’t we? (paywalled)
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Time for age of criminal responsibility to be raised, more ‘by Māori, for Māori’ initiatives, Children’s Commissioner Andrew Becroft says
Katie Doyle (RNZ): Children’s Commissioner on youth justice reforms: ‘It could work better’
Katie Harris (Herald): Outgoing Children’s Commissioner calls for end of spit hood use, restraint chairs and police remand
Moana Ellis (Local Democracy Reporting): New $50m courthouse and police hub for Whanganui
Water reforms, Local government
Jane Matthews (Stuff): Māori to have just two votes in Stratford council election
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Another Wellington City Council senior staffer resigns
Kelly Makiha (Herald): Call for public apology from Rotorua Lakes Council over dump discharge (paywalled)
Luisa Girao (ODT): Two councils reject helicopter funding plea
Logan Savory (Stuff): Declining helicopter trust funding doesn’t value people
Paul McBeth (BusinessDesk): Jim Boult doesn’t care if you hate his guts (paywalled)
Tim Matthews (Whanganui Chronicle): Whanganui Feds say rural water schemes have fallen through the cracks
Housing
Bernard Hickey (The Kākā): Dawn Chorus: Govt biggest winner from housing boom (paywalled)
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Wellington City Council releases plan to address shortfall of 12,000 homes
Esther Taunton (Stuff): Number of new real estate agents jumps 54 per cent
Education and training
Chris Beard (Newsroom): International education’s hidden taonga
Nick Brook (ODT): Training scheme in funding straits
Infrastructure
RNZ: Infrastructure Commission puts forward new approach in 30-year draft plan
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): A supply chain strategy for a remote island nation of 7.4m
Daniel Riordan (NBR): Infrastructure fix would cost $31b a year, says report
Media
Graham Adams (Democracy Project): The debate over the $55 million media fund erupts again
Damien Venuto (Herald): Media rumour mill: Duncan Garner to return to MediaWorks, Air NZ exec linked to top TVNZ job (paywalled)
Transport
Rob Stock (Stuff): Petrol prices: ‘Fuel has never been so expensive’ and prices could rise higher
Gianina Schwanecke (Herald): Hawke’s Bay nears record petrol prices: Fuel costs ‘hurting’ but continued increases tipped (paywalled)
NIkki Mandown (Newsroom): From Z to Ampol – moving in the wrong direction
Amber Allott (Stuff): Canterbury bus driver strike called off as living wage agreement reached
Other
Thomas Manch (Stuff): New Zealand white supremacist group on Facebook’s ‘dangerous organisations’ list
Katie Harris (Herald): NZ right-wing nationalist group on internal Facebook blacklist of terror and hate groups
Jessica Mutch McKay (1 News): Nats launch petition to help Afghans who supported Kiwi troops
George Heagney (Stuff): Iwi’s rangatiratanga undermined by actions of the Crown
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Shelly Bay developer says land occupation will come to end soon: opponent not so sure
Hannah Kronast (Newshub): Central Wellington area officially named Paekākā, recognising Taranaki Whānui and Māori heritage
Kevin Norquay (Stuff): Moana Pasifika, Drua and now Matatū … Aotearoa here we come?
Shane Te Pou (Herald): Battling wokeness will maintain divide (paywalled)
Bess Manson (Stuff): King Charles III as NZ head of state? What an odd thing, says ex-diplomat
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Scientists in NZ and overseas reveal the abuse they get for talking about COVID-19, including ‘death threats and endless hatred’
Jamie Morton (Herald): Sir Peter Gluckman’s influential new role in global science
Danyl McLauchlan (Listener/Herald): Logic: Why it matters and how to be better at it (paywalled)
New Zealand’s invisible people
Rajorshi Chakrabort (Newsroom): New Zealand’s invisible people: A review of a history of racism against Kiwi-Indians
Point of Order: NZ forces take part in Five Power exercise in S.E.Asia – Henare may head for Malaysia soon, too
