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
National Party
Luke Malpass (Stuff): National Party leadership: Now Christopher Luxon’s big job of rebuilding begins
Jo Moir (Newsroom): ‘Your mission, should you choose to accept it…’
Richard Shaw (The Conversation): Luxon takes the controls – can the former Air NZ CEO make National straighten up and fly right?
Tim Watkin (Pundit): A Strong Start – But Can Luxon Last?
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Newly appointed Opposition leader Chris Luxon signals little change to National Party’s direction
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Christopher Luxon’s plan to lead a moderate National Party
Claire Trevett (Herald): Chris Luxon’s first job was reassuring National voters – next is the fetid mess in caucus (paywalled)
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Quick to rise Luxon (paywalled)
Richard Harman (Politik): What’s the Luxon-Bridges deal?
Barry Soper (Herald): National gets what it wanted
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): New National leader Christopher Luxon’s biggest challenge – and the questions he didn’t want to answer
RNZ: Checkpoint: National’s new leader Christopher Luxon talks to Checkpoint
1 News: Luxon outlines game plan to turn National around
Jennifer Lees (Newsroom): The rebrand challenge for National’s new chief
Stuff Editorial: Christopher Luxon takes on more than just the worst job in politics
John Anthony (Stuff): Former Air NZ CEO Christopher Luxon showed ‘enormous’ intellectual capability but rarely met with ‘ordinary workers’
Grant Bradley (Herald): Will Christopher Luxon’s political timing be as sweet as at Air NZ? (paywalled)
Newstalk ZB: Christopher Luxon on decision to run, what now for Bridges, Collins
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): ‘We are the reset’: Chris Luxon and Nicola Willis take the National Party helm
Tess McClure (Guardian): New Zealand’s National party anoints ex-airline boss Chris Luxon as leader
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Chris Luxon on housing deal, He Puapua and conversion therapy (paywalled)
Tess McClure (Guardian): Who is New Zealand’s new opposition leader Christopher Luxon?
Russell Palmer (RNZ): Who is the new National Party leader Christopher Luxon?
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Nicola Willis’ rapid rise to the top
Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Christopher Luxon’s opening gambit as would-be-Prime Minister: Hiring a black Mercedes to drop him across the road
ODT Editorial: National cleared for take-off
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Luxon – National’s best option
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Christopher Luxon has mammoth task of uniting broken National Party caucus
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Christopher Luxon rules out changing abortion laws if he becomes Prime Minister
Irra Lee (1 News): My faith has been misrepresented, says new National leader
RNZ: The Detail: Is Luxon’s face the one that will stick?
1 News: ‘National is back’ – New Party leader Christopher Luxon
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Meet Chris Luxon – the new National leader
Anna Whyte (1 News): Luxon: Country music, water skiing and ‘not John Key’
Amelia Wade (Newshub): Who is the new National Party leader Christopher Luxon?
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Christopher Luxon says ‘National is back’ as he pitches to voters the party lost in 2020
Michael Neilson (Herald): National Party’s new leader Christopher Luxon: Former leaders Don Brash and Jim Bolger share their views
Brent Edwards (NBR): Christopher Luxon’s big job: unify National Party (paywalled)
Katie Scotcher (RNZ): National gambles on political novice to reunite caucus
1 News: ‘Good PR’ Labour Govt leaves NZ at crossroads, says Luxon
1 News: Luxon jokingly apologises to NZ for loving country music
William Hewett (Newshub): New National Party leader Christopher Luxon lists his strengths and weaknesses
RNZ: Watch: National Party’s new leader Chris Luxon and deputy Nicola Willis speak after vote
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Why Dr Shane Reti wasn’t a contender for National Party leader
Dileepa Fonseka (Stuff): Five economic issues for the new National leader Chris Luxon to tackle
1 News: Full video: Luxon promises to improve lives of all Kiwis
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog):Luxon the Christian Lex Luthor is National Leader! Winners & Losers
Henry Cooke (Stuff): New deputy Nicola Willis says she will focus on stopping party infighting
Magic: ‘We are back’: Nicola Willis signals change in her first interview as Nats deputy leader
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Nicola Willis elected deputy leader of the National Party
Herald: Chris Luxon elected leader, Nicola Willis deputy
Adam Jacobson and Lucy Xia (Stuff): Botany reacts to local MP Luxon becoming new National Party leader
Traffic light system, Auckland border
Ireland Hendry-Tennent (Newshub): Fully vaccinated Kiwis welcome in Te Tai Tokerau, unvaxxed should stay away- Hone Harawira
Helen Castles (1 News): Iwi looking to block holidaymakers from Bay of Islands
Karina Cooper (Northern Advocate): Bay of Islands iwi plans border control measures to shut out summer visitors
Dion O’Neale, Andrew Sporle, Emily Harvey and Steven Turnbull (The Conversation): As Aucklanders anticipate holiday trips, Māori leaders ask people to stay away from regions with lower vaccination rates
Maxine Jacob (Stuff): ‘Don’t come if you’re not vaccinated’ — Whakatū iwi urge holidaymakers to be responsible
Northern Advocate: Popular Maitai Bay closed for Christmas
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern asks iwi proposing to block people from Bay of Islands to ‘work closely with police’
Magic: ‘I won’t be listening to any roadblocks’: Shane Jones says Northlanders need to take responsibility for low vax rates
Josephine Franks (Stuff): Waiheke and Great Barrier Island braced for visitors at red light
Maddisyn Jeffares (Hawkes Bay Today/Herald): Wairoa’s red light: Balancing a push for the vaccine with respect for the unvaccinated (paywalled)
RNZ: Government taking ‘cautious’ approach to traffic light system – Andrew Little
Brent Edwards (NBR): Act leader sees red at new traffic light framework (paywalled)
Jennifer Eder (Stuff): Golden Sounds: Rhythm and Vines founder turns attention to festivals ‘where we can run events’
Lawrence Gullery (Stuff): Cancellation of summer events at Lake Karapiro a major blow to nearby towns
Mina Kerr-Lazenby (Stuff): Event organisers hopeful for a normal summer, despite ongoing restrictions
Jane Matthews (Stuff): New Plymouth nightlife lovers expected to ‘flood’ back into bars under traffic light system
Mike Tweed (Whanganui Chronicle/Herald): Whanganui events cancelled following traffic light announcement (paywalled)
Mike Tweed (Whanganui Chronicle/Herald): Rangitīkei and Ruapehu mayors prepared for traffic light system (paywalled)
Govt management of Delta outbreak
Herald: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern visits Waikato as regions prepare for traffic light system
RNZ: Jacinda Ardern in Hamilton to boost vaccination efforts, meet with business leaders
Wilson Longhurst (1 News): Protesters gather in Hamilton as Ardern visits
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer (Herald): Learning to live with Covid in NZ – let’s leave no one behind
Zane Small (Newshub): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern tells COVID-19 unvaccinated ‘we are still a team’
Mandatory vaccination, vaccine pass, rules
Cate Broughton (Stuff): Black market sales of vaccination passes reported to police
Herald: Lone Star New Lynn ignores vaccine mandate, invites unvaccinated to apply for work
Emily Writes (Spinoff): Playcentre wants ‘recognition of our unique nature’ on controversial vaccination mandate
Charlie Gates (Stuff): Vaccine certificates needed at libraries and pools in Christchurch
Lincoln Tan (Herald): Unvaccinated people barred from Auckland Council facilities and offices
Nick Truebridge (RNZ): Hundreds of unvaccinated young learner drivers barred from practical test
Olivia Caldwell (Stuff): Tarras Country Cafe to close because owners and most staff aren’t vaccinated
Daniel Smith (Stuff): McDonald’s requires vaccine pass to dine in under traffic light system
Jake McKee (RNZ): Fire and Emergency calls on the double vaccinated to fill volunteer firefighter void
Mike Mather (Stuff): City councillor votes against use of vaccine pass to enter council facilities
Yashas Srinivasa (Stuff): Award-winning Riverstone Kitchen shuns vaccine passport, will operate as takeaway only
Chris Tobin (Stuff): Timaru children’s store owner will not enforce mask rules
Logan Savory (Stuff): ILT set to lose staff as vaccine mandate introduced for all employees
Moana Ellis (Local Democracy Reporting): Ruapehu District Council flags risk of losing ‘pro-choice’ staff
Susan Hornsby-Geluk (Stuff): Employers need to take a sensitive and nuanced approach to vaccination
Katie Townshend, Cherie Sivignon and Skara Bohny (Stuff): Going orange: where you’ll need your vaccine pass in Nelson-Tasman
MIQ, home isolation
Jamie Tahana (RNZ): People still waiting up to two weeks for contact during Covid-19 home isolation, say providers
RNZ: MIQ slashes 1000 rooms due to Omicron variant
Joel MacManus (Stuff): Concerns about Omicron variant of Covid-19 cut number of MIQ rooms in latest lobby
RNZ: Tenth try for MIQ room goes to waste for woman after reduced release
Vaccine rollout
Jamie Morton (Herald): Unvaccinated people nine times more likely to seed outbreaks – model
Robin Martin (RNZ): Taranaki vaccination events moving indoors after physical and verbal attacks
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Auckland DHB vaccination rates sets ‘new national benchmark’ – epidemiologist
Sinead Gill (Stuff): Urban-rural divide realised in vaccination numbers, says Federated Farmers
Māori TV: Māori finding higher protection with double vaccination – Dr Rawiri Taonui
Herewini Waikato (Māori TV): Māori Health Providers receive crumbs from the Crown funding pie
Taroi Black (Māori TV): ‘Get a shot if you want to stay alive’ – kuia worried for her mokopuna
1 News: Bay of Plenty hits 90% first dose jab rate
(Stuff): Bay of Plenty DHB hits 90 per cent vaccination milestone, but no celebrations yet
Omicron variant
Jamie Morton (Herald): Why we can’t yet count on a milder, Delta-beating Omicron
Herald Editorial: Omicron variant is on the heads of world leaders (paywalled)
Housing
Bernard Hickey (The Kākā): Luxon’s National set to walk back ‘Townhouse Nation’ accord
Eric Crampton (Offsetting Behaviour): Enabling housing and the longer term
Eugenie Sage (Stuff): Enabling density is a start but more needs to be done to rein in the runaway housing market
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Ethan Te Ora (Stuff): ‘Millionaire’s paradise’: Wellington home valuations jump 60.4 per cent
Sophie Trigger (Herald): Wellington house prices: Singles driven out of the property market, as values jump 60 per cent
Herald: New RVs for Wellington’s most expensive homes – a jump of 41pc
Sophie Trigger (Herald): Wellington house values jump 60 per cent, average land value more than doubles
Steven Walton (Stuff): Record growth pushes average house value in Christchurch past $700,000
Miriam Bell (Stuff): New house listings soar to highest level in seven years
RNZ: House price growth edges down for first time in more than a year
Priscilla Dickinson (Newshub): Jump in new property listings an early sign the housing market could be turning
Stephen Benson (Stuff): Is there more to life than buying a property? The constant dilemma for Auckland first-home-buyers
Jade Kake (Stuff): How do we achieve good housing design at scale?
Miriam Bell (Stuff): House price increases slow for first time in 15 months
Ben Leahy (Herald): Auckland Council again delays CV revaluation due to Covid
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): The new housing crisis: Banks won’t lend against coastal properties
Teuila Fuatai (Herald): Government Kainga Ora state house policy not solving unruly neighbour issue (paywalled)
Economy, business, government subsidies
Andy Fyers (BusinessDesk): Wage subsidy data reveals scale of tourism hurt (paywalled)
Rahul Bhattarai (Herald): Mixed reactions from businesses on Government’s new financial support
Nicholas Pointon (RNZ): Business closures outnumber new firms for first time in nearly a decade
RNZ: Businesses not confident to maintain profit margins amid Covid-19 restrictions – ANZ economist
Rob Stock (Stuff): Plan to save cash: Should we force banks and shops to accept and provide cash?
Liam Dann (Herald): As cash use declines, should banks pay more to keep it available? (paywalled)
RNZ: Reserve Bank still consulting on the future of cash
David Hargreaves (Interest): Cash Crunch: RBNZ sees ‘significant issues’ for the cash system
Daniel Smith (Stuff): D-Day: The big KiwiSaver default fund shift starts on Wednesday
RNZ: Fibre internet wholesalers must publicise pricing, performance – Commerce Commission
Jo Lines-MacKenzie (Stuff): Orange light means go – from empty and silent to 1600 nightclubbers
Jimmy Ellingham (RNZ): Bulls chews over changes under red light setting rules
RNZ: Checkpoint: Buy it if you see it – Food & Grocery Council CEO’s Christmas warning
Andrew Barnes (Herald): The business of lies is becoming a dangerous norm (paywalled)
Health
RNZ: ACC workers who shared clients details on Snapchat breached code of conduct
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Auckland hospital projects delayed by fire concerns
Julia Gabel (Herald): Childhood vaccines: Report calls for urgent changes to protect Māori children from ‘lethal’ diseases
Ian Powell (BusinessDesk): Indicators of the government’s new health system (paywalled)
Ian Powell (Second Opinion): Commissioning and contracting: indicative language for New Zealand’s public health system
Louisa Steyl (Stuff): Unions, home care providers and workers ask for PPE
Matthew Parry (Newsroom): Covid-19: Modelling for the future
Shea Turner (Spinoff): Concussions don’t just happen on TV
Environment, conservation, Climate Change
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland’s progress on climate change ‘insufficient’, big changes needed – report
Jamie Morton (Herald): Another NZ ‘marine heatwave’ is unfolding: here’s what that means for you
William Hewett and Alice Wilkins (Newshub): Coastal sea temperatures around New Zealand well above average for time of year
RNZ: Marine heatwave occurring in waters around New Zealand, NIWA says
Te Aorewa Rolleston (RNZ): Waiheke Island rāhui over concern for kaimoana officially recognised
RNZ: Rāhui on pāua fishing around Waiheke Island starts 1 December
Joanne Naish (Stuff): Mana whenua panel will advocate for important traditional sites on stewardship land
Keith Woodford (Interest): NZ must quickly come to grips with how agricultural-sourced methane and nitrous oxide are going to be managed within the Zero Carbon Act
Grant Miller (ODT): Coastline retreat favoured
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Building supply shortage impedes climate targets
Primary industries
James Pocock (Hawkes Bay Today): Central Hawke’s Bay farming companies want 15 million cubic metres of groundwater a year, but can they convince the public? (paywalled)
RNZ: Māori agribusiness crop trials hold hopes for local employment
Bruce Munro (ODT): The days when produce was grown on Dunedin’s doorstep
Three waters, local government
Murray Gibb (Kiwiblog): Guest Post: In support of three waters reforms
Graham Skellern (Herald): Infrastructure: Who takes control of our water services? (paywalled)
Gemma Dioni (Stuff): Reimagining Wellington: Growing up and old in the city
Employment
Chris Tobin (Stuff): Port workers to strike in Timaru in December
RNZ: Rural contractor hires young to fill labour gap, recommends others do the same
Sophie Cornish (Stuff): ‘Someone could die’: Fears over safety and bullying at property maintenance company
Police, crime
RNZ: New call to arm police officers after West Auckland shooting
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Christopher Luxon wants police to listen to frontline officers on general arming
Ashleigh Yates (Newshub): Revealed: More than 16,000 police officers injured on the job in past eight years
RNZ: Police need new approach to quell rising gang violence – expert
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): It’s frustrating that Andrew Coster is pretending there isn’t a rise in gang crime
Newstalk ZB: Andrew Coster: There’s nothing to indicate Glen Eden shooting was gang-related
Justice, corrections
Keiller MacDuff (Stuff): South Canterbury lawyer says legal aid crisis causing ‘massive injustices’
Conan Young (RNZ): Marlborough Sounds killer Scott Watson denied parole for a fourth time
John Weekes (Herald): Royal Commission is a shambles and needs urgent reform, survivors’ group says (paywalled)
Foreign Affairs, trade
George Block (Stuff): Solomon Islands requests support from NZ – troops assembling at Linton
1 News: Solomon Islands asks NZ for assistance amid ongoing unrest
RNZ: Pacific regional response to Solomons crisis takes shape
Herald: Solomon Islands requests NZ support following riots in capital
Mary Wareham (Incline): New Zealand Comes Off the Fence on Autonomous Weapons
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): NZ to push for autonomous weapons treaty
RNZ: Government keen to play lead role in banning and regulating killer robots
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Government to push for international ban of autonomous weapons, or killer robots
Asuntha Charles (Herald): The choices being forced on children of Afghanistan (paywalled)
Immigration
RNZ: Immigration blocks pathway for at-risk Afghans to settle in New Zealand
1 News: First round of applications for new NZ Resident Visa opens
Tina Morrison (Stuff): First round of applications open for fast-tracked resident visas for migrants
Gill Bonnett (RNZ): British family ‘ecstatic’ to finally apply for residency under new one-off residence visa
Transport, Infrastructure
Justin Latif (Local Democracy Reporting): Free public transport could be life-changing for many, say campaigners
Oliver Lewis (BusinessDesk): Minister chastens KiwiRail board (paywalled)
1 News: Grace period for expired WOFs ends, but licences extended
Nick James (Herald): Interislander ferry Aratere won’t be fully operational until next year
Bay of Plenty Times: New deepwater port on East Cape vying for Government funding
Nikki Mandow (BusinessDesk): Crass emissions: Suburban helicopters fly into choppy air
Tim McCready (Herald): Infrastructure: Auckland’s light rail project poised to take a major step (paywalled)
Claire Edmondson (Herald): Infrastructure: Plotting our best path forward
Sean Sweeney (Herald): Infrastructure: Counting the cost: CRL’s battle with the pandemic
Graham Skellern (Herald): Infrastructure: ‘We weren’t expecting that much demand’
Freedom camping
Tess Brunton (RNZ): Stuart Nash backtracks on call for ban on non-self-contained campervans
1 News: Tougher freedom camping rules, higher fines on the way
Debbie Jamieson (Stuff): Strict new freedom camping certification system and $1000 fines coming
Herald: Freedom camper clampdown: Mandatory toilets, $1000 fines to flush out abuse
Media
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Letter from the Editor: NZME buys BusinessDesk to strengthen news offering
RNZ: NZME to buy specialist news website BusinessDesk
Dita De Boni (NBR): NZME buys BusinessDesk (paywalled)
John Anthony (Stuff): NZME enters deal to buy business news website BusinessDesk for up to $5m
Herald: NZME acquires BusinessDesk in premium content push
Other
Matthew Scott (Newsroom): The land of plenty, just not for many
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): The Simple Thing That’s Hard To Do
RNZ: Nine to Noon: Why does government policy sometimes fail to deliver?
RNZ: Season 2 | Episode 4: 30th November 2021 – Party People
