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
Parliamentary Grounds occupation
Former VUWSA student (Democracy Project): “Once were radicals”
John Minto (Stuff): The Government must engage the protesters, and help to regulate social media
Sophie Cornish and Ellen O’Dwyer (Stuff): Watch: A walk through the Parliamentary occupation site
Bryce Edwards (Democracy Project): Videos of the parliamentary grounds occupation
Ben Strang (Stuff): Parliamentary protest likely to ‘fizzle out’, but Wellington must be patient
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Prime Minister says Parliament’s approach to protests will likely be reviewed following occupation
Nick Bollinger (RNZ): Parliament protests: Tragedy or farce?
Steven Cowan: The Liberal left has lost its mind
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): A revolution came to Parliament & it was middle class woke activists who were revolted
Audrey Young (Herald): Getting inside the mind of Parliament’s unique Speaker Trevor Mallard (paywalled)
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Who is who at the Convoy 2022 occupation of Parliament’s grounds
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Who’s paying for the portaloos, where are the tow trucks? All your questions answered (paywalled)
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Top cop’s towing ultimatum with no tow trucks is laughable
Richard Harman: Splits and threats at Camp Freedom (paywalled)
Martyn Bradbury (Waatea News): A protest at Parliament without mana
1News: Parliament protest ‘symptomatic of immense frustration’ – Luxon
1News: Parliament protest should be stopped ‘at some point’ – law expert
Dylan Reeve (Spinoff): Why we can expect more aggressive quasi-legal action from Covid protesters
Sophie Cornish (Stuff): Defence Force considering providing military recovery vehicles, discussions ongoing
Matthew Theunissen (Herald): Towies ‘sympathetic’ to Parliament protesters, tow truck operator says
RNZ: Police concede tow truck operators unwilling to help with clearing roads near Parliament
Sophie Cornish and Ellen O’Dwyer (Stuff): Protest vehicle towing to begin ‘shortly’ but could have started days ago – police
Herald: Towing operation could take days, involve Defence Force
RNZ: Police Commissioner gives ultimatum to protesters outside Parliament
Herald (Herald): Pregnant MP says anti-mandate protesters threatened to lynch or kidnap her and staff
Ellen O’Dwyer (Stuff): Thousands of students may have to learn from home if protest continues
Tom Hunt and Erin Gourley (Stuff): ‘They are not allowing us any freedom to trade’: Protest neighbours speak
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Parliament Protest Meltdown: On negotiating with lunatics & the Woke Left calling in the military
Molly Swift (Newshub): Ex-Labour President Mike Williams says anti-mandate protest will ‘solve itself’ because crowds are unvaxxed, not wearing masks
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Parliament protest absolutely positively not my Wellington (paywalled)
ODT: Editorial – Respect our House
Herald: Police Commissioner warns protest ‘no longer tenable’ as sit-in enters second week
RNZ: Anti-vaccine mandate protests: Victoria University of Wellington supports police tactics
Naomii Seah (Spinoff): A requiem for the parliament lawn
Greg Presland (The Standard): The difference between Black Lives Matter and the Anti Mandate protest
Devon Bolger (Herald): Anti-mandate protesters set up in Chch, council working ‘closely’ with police
1News: Full video: Day 8 of anti-mandate protest at Parliament
James Hall (Daily Telegraph UK/Herald): Barry Manilow as a weapon: A short history of sonic warfare (paywalled)
Omicron
Jamie Morton (Herald): Experts predict three trends to watch for over coming weeks (paywalled)
Amanda Cropp (Stuff): Businesses rush to buy rapid antigen tests as Omicron spreads, with some test kits selling for more than $10 each
Damien Venuto (Herald): Government’s RAT policy will punish small businesses – Auckland Business Chamber chief Michael Barnett (paywalled)
Herald: Editorial: Phase two of Omicron is on, but are people ready? (paywalled)
Bryan Betty (Herald): Dealing with Covid requires a change in mindset (paywalled)
Oscar Francis (ODT): Some students plan to party on in face of virus
Stuff: Rights of Kiwis overseas not forgotten, Crown’s lawyer tells High Court
Conversion therapy banned
Andrew Macfarlane (1News): Good riddance to conversion therapy
RNZ: Bill to ban conversion practices passes third reading
1News: ‘Validated’ – Activist welcomes conversion practices ban
Irra Lee (1News): Deputy PM delivers impassioned speech on conversion therapy
No Right Turn: 122-8
Housing
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Salvation Army: It’s a housing catastrophe, not crisis
Brooke van Velden (Herald): New Zealand’s home ownership dream has become a nightmare
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Housing crisis: Poll shows vast majority of homeowners don’t want house prices to really fall
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Grant Robertson to face select committee grilling as house prices outpace Government forecasts
Liam Dann (Herald): Is the housing slump finally here? (paywalled)
RNZ: House prices expected to fall further than previously forecast – ASB
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): REINZ: Big slump in turnover, Auckland house sales down by a third
Economy, Business
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Bring back subsidy, Boult says
Rebecca Macfie (Newsroom): Workers willing to strike while inflation’s hot
Amy Williams (RNZ): Government says ‘one-off’ support on the way as hospitality firms appeal for lifeline
Jo Moir (Newsroom): Robertson’s plea for workers to come into work
Damien Venuto (Herald): New Zealand about find out the real value of ‘low-skilled’ workers (paywalled)
Dileepa Fonseka (Stuff): Scars of the Covid-19 ‘rekovery’ haunt the social insurance debate
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): The Big Quit hits construction industry
Eric Crampton (Herald): Monetary policy requires expertise (paywalled)
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): We’re experiencing the economic ‘sugar crash’
Dan Brunskill (BusinessDesk): The Cayman Island Kiwis worth $20b (paywalled)
Troels Sommerville (Stuff): Six hit with corruption charges after alleged bribery for roadwork contracts
RNZ: Serious Fraud Office charges six people over alleged corruption with subcontracts
Foreign affairs and trade
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Nanaia Mahuta heads to Paris for Indo-Pacific conference, with United States and China off invite list
Jamie Ensor (Newshub) NZ-China Free Trade Agreement upgrade coming into effect in April
Herald: Wood and dairy export paths to China eased in FTA developments
RNZ: New Zealand ratifies upgrade to 2008 free trade agreement with China
Environment, Climate Change
Eloise Gibson (Stuff): All-of-government climate planning “lumpy”, admits James Shaw
Pat Baskett (Newsroom): Buying our way out of a big problem
1News: ‘Tough conversations’ needed on climate adaptation in NZ
Jane Clifton (Listener): Weed it and weep: The ‘silent invasion’ threatening NZ’s native species (paywalled)
David Williams (Newsroom): Legal threat over planned hydro scheme
Transport
Richard Prebble (Herald): Forget slogans and put real money into road safety engineering (paywalled)
No Right Turn: The police aren’t doing their job on traffic safety
Laurel Stowell (Herald): Online petitioners want continued rail passenger services (paywalled)
Other
Oliver Lewis (BusinessDesk): Yes, minister: Lianne Dalziel on the ‘terrible’ central-local govt relationship
Hamish Rutherford (Herald): Reports warns $55m journalism fund risks protecting established players from new entrants
Daniel Dunkley (BusinessDesk): No strong case for public journalism funding: MCH report
Eric Crampton: Statistics NZ’s data pipes have broken, and it’s as dire as any burst sewer
Naomi Arnold (RNZ): My rapist was found not guilty – Young woman horrified and revictimised during trial
Sapeer Mayron (Stuff): Destiny Church charities removed from register for failure to file annual returns
Phil Smith (RNZ): A Parliament with no MPs
