Political Roundup: 26 April 2022
Political Roundup is entirely subscriber-funded. The ethos behind this public service is to help foster a robust and informed public debate, with a great diversity of perspectives. If you appreciate what we are doing in providing non-partisan analysis and information about politics, economy, and society, please consider helping us keep going, by donating via Victoria University of Wellington’s fundraising page here: https://bit.ly/VUWDemocracyProject
Items of interest and importance today
PARTNERSHIP POLITICS (CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM, CO-GOVERNANCE, THREE WATERS; MĀORI WARDS)
Morgan Godfery (Guardian): In New Zealand, Māori co-governance is already underway – referendum or not
Damien Grant (Stuff): The shaky claims and untested ideology underpinning Three Waters
John Weekes (Herald): Willie Jackson says democracy has changed, co-governance is good, Act leader is a ‘hypocrite’
1News: Willie Jackson: Co-governance a chance at equity for Māori
RNZ: Labour called to clarify its position on Rotorua electoral rules
Anne Salmond (Newsroom): Te Tiriti and democracy Part 4 – Unite and Rule
Richard Harman: Equity v human rights. What the Rotorua battle is all about (paywalled)
Mike Butler: ‘Co-governance’ coup confirmed
PARLIAMENT AND GOVERNMENT
Kevin Norquay (Stuff): Are our friends in the Beehive fickle spinners of tall tales, and mythical slogans?
Luke Malpass (Stuff): The Budget season is about to begin and with it a classic left-right fight
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Grant Robertson on the economy, cost of living and the thing that keeps him up at night
Peter Dunne (Newsroom): There’s more ministerial brain fade but at least they are accountable
Kate MacNamara (Herald): The lockdown decision that taught Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to love caution (paywalled)
Dave Armstrong (Stuff): Captain Luxon encounters unexpected turbulence
Duncan Garner (NBR): Christopher Luxon’s ‘thinking out loud’ moments need to be kept internal (paywalled)
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Nats polling higher than Labour among female voters shows ‘women going to vote for best ideas’, former Deputy PM Paula Bennett says
Paula Bennett (Herald): What women want from Labour, National in election (paywalled)
Hayden Munro (Herald): Labour has reasons for optimism after National takes lead in poll (paywalled)
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Q+A – Chris Luxon train-wreck while Willie Jackson shines
Curwen Ares Rolinson (Daily Blog): On the alleged Tame-ing of Luxon
INFLATION
Damien Venuto (Herald): Will the inflation monster devour Labour’s re-election hopes?
Sam Stubbs (Stuff): Here’s the real surprise with inflation
Roger J Kerr (Interest): Inflation: NZ caught with its pants down?
John MacDonald (Newstalk): Do our politicians really know how tough things are?
Riley Kennedy (ODT): Inflation: What is it and what is causing it?
David Hargreaves (Interest): Inflation: Still bound for the sky? Or reaching its limit?
Carmen Hall (Herald): Inflation, soaring interest rates could mean $200 in extra costs a week with $600k mortgage
Andrew Dickens (Newstalk): In hindsight, the Reserve Bank should have raised interest rates a year ago
Gordon Campbell: On Ukraine Virtue Signalling, And Our Inflation Spike
Molly Swift (Newshub): National’s Nicola Willis says Government is wrong denying ‘homegrown issue’ behind skyrocketing inflation rates
The Facts: Top 15 food price increases over 15 years
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
John McKinnon (Stuff): It’s no longer enough to view China through a single lens
ODT: Editorial – Alarming development in the Pacific
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Govt backs away from autonomous sanctions timeline
Simon Draper (Stuff): The importance of rebuilding New Zealand’s ‘soft power’ overseas
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): NZ-China debate ‘must go beyond black and white’
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Jacinda Ardern takes concrete step to move New Zealand closer to Japan – and the US
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Japan PM Fumio Kishida announce ‘information sharing agreement’ amid China tensions
Damien Cave (New York Times/Herald): Why a Chinese security deal in the Pacific could ripple through the world (paywalled)
Paul Buchanan: Approaching storm over the horizon
David Fisher (Herald): ‘Cowboys’: Inside the SAS battle that saw Kiwis testify against Australians (paywalled)
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): ‘Dangerous precedent’: Kris Faafoi faces pressure from European, Australian politicians to stop extradition
ANZAC DAY
Lana Hart (Stuff): Anzac Day themes need to be broader to engage more Kiwis
Matthew Hooton (Patreon): Heresy on Anzac Day (paywalled)
Gareth Hughes (Newsroom): A stain on New Zealand’s moral record
Richard Jackson (Newsroom): This Anzac Day let’s honour the dead by ending war
Vincent O’Malley (Guardian): Remembering our past, warts and all, is not about making New Zealanders feel guilty
Herald: Editorial: On Anzac weekend losses of the present felt alongside those of the past (paywalled)
Karanama Ruru (Stuff): Anzac Day: The Māori who refused to fight in World War I
Nevil Gibson (NBR): How Britain’s Imperial citizen-soldiers became heroic victims (paywalled)
EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMY
Jonty Dine (RNZ): Second port worker death reinforces need for inquiry – unions
Dita De Boni (NBR): Is it time for a Minister for Manufacturing? (paywalled)
Jean Bell (Newsroom): Legal profession groups push for employment advocate regulation
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): 11% of working age population receiving a main benefit
Doug Steiner (Herald): Making paradise – why the story of NZ’s economic decline is simply wrong (paywalled)
Brianna Mcilraith (Stuff): Why The Warehouse failed at becoming New Zealand’s own Walmart 16 years ago
RNZ: Wellbeing in NZ: better if you’re older
HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH
Ian Powell: An unresponsive Prime Minister and Health Minister to a best endeavour
Jamie Morton (Herald): Why do Australians live longer than Kiwis? (paywalled)
Keiller MacDuff (Stuff): Anger as rural communities ‘left in wilderness’ in health reforms
RNZ: Plea for rural health to be recognised as priority in health reform legislation
Cameron Leakey (Newsroom): Where is the health strategy for Rainbow New Zealanders?
John Weekes (Herald): Is mental health a ‘shadow pandemic’? What the political parties say, and how they plan to fix it (paywalled)
Tara Shaskey and Miriam Burrell (Herald): ‘Unlawful’ delays in mental health reports throw the health and justice sectors into disarray
MEDIA
Karl du Fresne: Hallucinatory moments of optimism
David Farrar: Labour appoints a politician to run public broadcasting in NZ
Herald: Long-time Newstalk ZB host Bruce Russell dies
Daniel Dunkley (BusinessDesk): TVNZ-RNZ merger establishment board revealed (paywalled)
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): AM Show vs TVNZ Breakfast post John Campbell
CLIMATE
Eric Crampton (Newsroom): Government chips away at emissions trading scheme
Rod Oram (Newsroom): Flowery deals with retrograde Singapore no use to climate
Katy Jones (Stuff): Free bus services needed to help meet emissions reduction deadlines, group says
COVID PROTESTS
Catrin Owen (Stuff): Conspiracy theorist Billy Te Kahika will face trial after lockdown protest
Hazel Osborne (Herald): Parliament occupation: Sentenced protester says no time to think, ‘I just had to go in’
1News: More than 400 Parliament protest parking fines outstanding
HOUSING
Jonathan Killick (Stuff): Map reveals how new housing intensification rules could affect Auckland suburbs
Ethan Te Ora (Stuff): Future of Wellington City Council’s troubled housing arm hangs in the balance
POLICE AND LAW AND ORDER
Josie Pagani (Stuff): I want theft policed ahead of driving in a bus lane
Tom Hunt (Stuff): Broken promise: Wellington central city safety strategy ‘not working’
COVID AND MIQ
Rod Jackson (Herald): Was New Zealand’s response to the pandemic proportionate? (paywalled)
Thomas Mead (1News): Unvaccinated New Zealand residents stuck overseas
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Erin Gourley (Stuff): Wellington Water faces ‘extremely challenging’ two years until reforms kick in
RNZ: Independent commissioners’ term to run Tauranga council extended
