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

Protests, anti vaccination, mandates
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): Signs of a schism as anti-mandate protesters turn on each other
Luke Malpass (Stuff): The protest that the MPs deliberately ignored
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Parliament’s MPs appear united against protesters camped outside 
Michael Neilson (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Parliament protesters, ‘it’s a part of New Zealand’
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern confirms she will remove COVID-19 vaccine mandates when they are no longer needed
RNZ: National leader Christopher Luxon calls for vaccine mandate timeline, doesn’t support protesters
Russell Palmer (RNZ): Politicians decry protest disruption, say restrictions will end eventually
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Vaccine mandates ‘may have already past their use by date’ – David Seymour
André Chumko (Stuff): What should authorities do about the anti-vaccine mandate protesters?
Eva Corlett (Guardian):  ‘Let’s remember why we are here’: New Zealand anti-vax protest splinters into jibes and jabs
Justin Giovannetti (Spinoff): The global movement fuelling anti-mandate protests
Democracy Project: Photos of Anti-vaccination protests at Parliament
1News: Anti-mandate protesters camp outside Parliament for second night
Stuff:  Anti-vaccine mandate protest: Campers wake to third day of occupation
Erin Gourley, Tom Hunt, Matthew Tso and Sophie Cornish (Stuff): Three anti-vaccine mandate protesters arrested, charged with obstruction
Michael Neilson (Herald): Three arrested amid heated day of protests at Parliament
1 News: Parliament protest arrests ‘extremely disappointing’, police say
Sophie Trigger (Herald): Protesters arrested after trying to breach gates of Parliament
Herald: Mask-wearing 17-year-old egged by aggressive convoy protesters
Erin Gourley and Matthew Tso (Stuff): Protest forces businesses around Parliament to close

David Clarkson (Herald): Chief Judge to consider judge’s anti-vaxxer comments
Marine Lourens (Stuff): ‘Nutcase views’: Judge’s comments to unvaccinated defendant referred to chief district court judge
Conor Knell (Stuff): Kiwibank customer claims he was trespassed for calling out manager’s improper face mask wearing
Cherie Sivignon (Stuff): Concern over ‘noticeable’ division in Golden Bay over Covid-19 rules 
Kate Newton (Stuff): How boosted is your neighbourhood?
Yashas Srinivasa (Stuff): ACC confirms 1708 Covid vaccination injury claims in 11 months

Polls, Parliament, parties, MPs
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Next election shapes up as battle for Labour’s soul (paywalled)
David Farrar: Roy Morgan poll January 2022
Mike Hosking (Herald): Even Labour voters feel shunned, disillusioned
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Christopher Luxon keen on Act policy to curb public sector growth, won’t rule out Act Treaty of Waitangi policy
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Christopher Luxon changes National’s direction on Māori issues
Michael Neilson (Herald): PM Jacinda Ardern and National leader Christopher Luxon face off in first Question Time of 2022
Claire Trevett (Herald): PM Jacinda Ardern v Christopher Luxon: Ignoring Covid pays in first Parliament Question Time for 2022 (paywalled)
NZ Herald: Labour MP Stuart Nash quits Mike Hosking’s radio show live on-air
Molly Swift (Newshub): Labour MP Stuart Nash quits Mike Hosking’s radio show live on air
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): TOP leader: ‘The time for incrementalism isn’t now’
Sela Jane Hopgood (Spinoff): This social media-friendly Pasifika MP is doing it for her community

Treaty of Waitangi
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Proceeding Without The People: Labour’s Gift To The Right
Jade Kake (Stuff): A credible pathway to return the land to tangata whenua
Morgan Godfery (Stuff): An egalitarian country tied to an undemocratic hierarchy
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Māori Party votes against congratulating Queen on 70-year reign, James Shaw says debate over ‘constitutional arrangements’ overdue
Merepeka Raukawa-Tait (Herald):  When Queen Elizabeth II’s reign ends, New Zealand’s republic question will be back on agenda (paywalled)
Stuff: Supreme Court hears appeal over how tikanga is assessed by the Waitangi Tribunal 

Omicron outbreak, cases, public health measures
Herald: Auckland remains epicentre as cases grow across the country
Herald Editorial: How hard has NZ really gone on Covid? (paywalled)
Ian Taylor (Herald): Speed up testing wait times or NZ will grind to a halt
Henry Cooke (Stuff): RAT manufacturer says Government got tests first because it ordered them first, no supplies diverted
Amanda Cropp (Stuff): Push to use ‘game-changer’ testing kit in NZ and Tonga to prevent Omicron spread and avoid mass self-isolation of workers
Adam Pearse (Herald): How marae are becoming vital community resources in Covid fight
Matthew Hooton (Patreon): North Africa, Covid Testing and the Parliament Protest (paywalled)

Herald: Customers asked to wear surgical masks at Auckland beauty store
Evan Harding (Stuff): Customer backlash for grocery store owners on Stewart Island
Joanne Naish (Stuff): Omicron modelling shows up to 2200 active cases on West Coast, but most could be managed at home, DHB says

Health
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Omicron to slam a health system at ‘breaking point’
Cate Broughton (Stuff):  ‘Most dangerous place to be’: Nurses buying own N95 masks as Ministry fails to provide them 
Mark Craig (Herald): MIQ doctor’s frontline view as Omicron outbreak threatens
Jo Lines-MacKenzie (Stuff): Waikato Hospital staff test positive for Covid-19 during Omicron outbreak
Maryana Garcia (Herald): Being immunocompromised during a pandemic (paywalled)
Stuff:  Notorious woman offender makes hospital detention Bill of Rights claim
Lexie O’Shea (Stuff): DHB sets record straight as brief HDU merger highlights challenge of summer staffing
Naomii Seah (Spinoff): Asians aren’t as healthy as you think

Border, MIQ
Herald: ‘Infuriated’ MIQ returnees finally released from Rotorua hotel, all test negative
Germana Nicklin and Dee McDonald (Stuff): The biosecurity implications of opening New Zealand’s borders
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Border-busting boss: ‘Is it selfish to want to come home to be close to family?’

Education
Dubby Henry (Herald): School advertising for ‘classroom supervisors’ in case teachers have to isolate
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Government launches Māori education board, as it faces pressure for a Māori education authority
RNZ: Māori education system to be revamped

Adam Pearse (Herald): South Auckland primary schools consider vaccination clinics onsite
Maxine Jacobs (Stuff): Kura kaupapa urged to host vaccination centres as Omicron rises
Nadine Porter (Stuff): Pay it forward group for parents overwhelmed with donations

Economy, Business
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): ASB bank chief Vittoria Shortt’s warning: ‘We haven’t seen full Covid impact’
Arena Williams and Stuart Smith (Stuff): The last two years have been hell on earth for most of us – inflation will make it worse
Andrew Barnes (Herald): The big risk to New Zealand’s longstanding cash cow industry (paywalled)
Katie Scotcher (RNZ): Auckland hospitality businesses call on Finance Minister for support
Herald: Womad, Homegrown festivals cancelled, Auckland Arts festival axes 51 events
Christopher Reive (Herald): Two teams isolating as Covid-19 hits Super Rugby Pacific
Nadine Porter (Stuff): Mosque survivor forced to close business after turnover fell 75 per cent due to Covid-19 
Adam Burns (Local Democracy Reporting): Self-isolation rules not ‘terribly appealing’ for prospective visitors
Ben Groundwater (Stuff): Sorry New Zealand, no one’s going to take a holiday that requires self-isolating
Make Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Businesses are scared of govt retribution

Employment, Unemployment insurance scheme
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): ACC already recruiting head for Income Insurance Scheme
Craig Renney (Spinoff): The winners and losers in the latest jobs data
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Why has the Government not announced the minimum wage rates that start in seven weeks?

Conversion therapy
Richard Harman (Politik): The political cynicism of Judith Collins (paywalled)
Stuff Editorial: Conversion therapy ban deserves its broad, not uncritical, support
Zane Small (Newshub): National MP Simon O’Connor receives backlash for voting against conversion therapy ban but activists fear law needs urgent changes
Sapeer Mayron (Stuff): A parent’s suggestion of conversion therapy doubles risk of suicide, self harm
Anna Whyte (1 News): 18K petition calls for stronger conversion practices bill

Housing, Lending rules
Irra Lee (1News): National and Greens grill Government on rising rent
Zane Small (Newshub): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern challenged on ‘eye-watering’ rent increases, ‘skyrocketing price of living’
Herald: Nicola Willis and Andrew Bayly promise bill to fix credit crunch
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Government home ownership scheme has housed just 58 families in 19 months
Stephen Ward (Stuff): New lending rules threaten to scuttle ‘flagship’ sustainable homes scheme
Rob Stock (Stuff): National’s plan to fix home loan crunch caused by new responsible lending rules
Jenny Ruth (BusinessDesk): New lending law the reason ASB said no to 7% of borrowers
Nikitin Sallee (BusinessDesk): Saving Porirua: when treaty rights meet government policy (paywalled)
RNZ: Smaller centres becoming more attractive for homeowners – Westpac report
Lane Nichols (Herald): Kāinga Ora announces new measures to crack down on unruly state housing tenants
Anneke Smith (RNZ): Other agencies discourage Kāinga Ora from evicting misbehaving tenants, select committee told
John Weekes (Herald): Housing chief says Auckland gun violence among reasons thousands of tenants feel unsafe
Kiri Gillespie (Herald): Tauranga’s Parau Farms and Greerton Maarawaewae Study housing plans get ‘little support’ (paywalled)

Local government
Bernard Orsman (Herald): Efeso Collins or Richard Hills. Labour can’t decide who to back for Auckland Mayoralty (paywalled)
Felix Desmarais (Local Democracy Reporting): Code of conduct breaches: Rotorua councillor Reynold Macpherson removed from committees
Marty Sharpe (Stuff): Ratepayers foot $869,000 bill to fix museum’s life-threatening sprinkler system

Environment, Climate Change
Amelia Wade (Newshub): Majority of Kiwis don’t think NZ should reduce livestock numbers to combat climate change
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Govt seeks overseas trees to meet Paris climate pledge
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Does climate change really matter when push comes to shove?
Matthew Scott (Newsroom): Dolphin death reports delayed by DoC

Transport, Fuel prices
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Don’t be fooled. Transmission Gully was not and is not ready to open
Joel MacManus (Stuff): Calls for inquiry into Transmission Gully delay ‘fiasco’
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Auckland Light Rail: Planning will take another four years

Primary and Extractive Industries
Virginia Fallon (Stuff): Dude, where are our cows? NZ’s live export trade must end now
RNZ: Heat concerns for livestock being transported prompt 18 complaints over summer
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Learning to love Rio Tinto – can it be done? (paywalled)
Tom Kitchin (RNZ): Growers fear worst ever season about to be surpassed

Media
RNZ: The Detail: Why the ‘team of $55 million’ is in the public interest
Amberleigh Jack (Stuff): Michael Laws and Martin Devlin join Sean Plunket on The Platform

Other
Herald: Disabled child killed at notorious Catholic school in Christchurch after wrongly being given medicine, Royal Commission witness claims
RNZ: Oranga Tamariki apologises for incorrect information on $4m sexual violence programme underspend
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): New Zealand condemns ‘attacks on freedom of press’ in Hong Kong, China hits back
Northern Advocate: Northland marae to get $64 million of vital renovation work
RNZ: Privacy Commissioner’s office looking into cleaning business’ photos posted online as ‘potential privacy breach’
Sam Olley (RNZ): Existing law could be used to take action against crime scene cleaning company – Jacinda Ardern