New Zealand Politics Daily is a collation of the most prominent issues being discussed in New Zealand. It is edited by Dr Bryce Edwards of The Democracy Project.
Items of interest and importance today
PARLIAMENT
Spinoff: The champs and flops of NZ politics in 2022
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): 2022 – A year of competing cults & wounds
Anneke Smith (RNZ): David Seymour questions Christopher Luxon’s loyalty to conservatism ahead of election year
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Christopher Luxon’s end-of-year interview: Why politicians need to be upfront about New Zealand’s problems
Bernard Hickey: The year that was and the year ahead
Duncan Garner (NBR): My politician of the year is unconvincing (paywalled)
Katie Scotcher (RNZ): ‘We’re not left or right’ – Te Pāti Māori committed to holding other parties to account on a ‘Te Tiriti-centric Aotearoa’
Spinoff: Our wildest political predictions for 2023
1News: Ardern-Seymour ‘arrogant prick’ fundraiser hits $100k milestone
Newshub: ‘Arrogant prick’ transcript signed by Jacinda Ardern, David Seymour hits $100,000 on TradeMe
Jamie Mackay (Herald): Farming, footy and politics – the 2022 rural award winners (paywalled)
ECONOMY
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Holding your nerve: a guide to 2023 (paywalled)
Herald Editorial: Government will need to be creative in election year (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): Finance Minister’s plan to ward off recession (paywalled)
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): ASB issues warning about economy in 2023
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Kiwis warned to ‘prepare’ as new grim picture of ‘challenging’ 2023 emerges
1News: ASB predicts 2023 recession, unemployment rise
RNZ: With inflation staying ‘stubbornly high’, 2023 will be challenging – ASB
Liam Dann (Herald): Economy ‘going nowhere’ in 2023 – ASB forecast (paywalled)
Jonathan Mitchell (NBR): Brutal 2023 ahead for NZ economy, says ASB (paywalled)
David Chaston (Interest): The first of four end of year sentiment surveys reports record low confidence as rising financial pressures bite
Jamie Gray (Herald): NZ consumer confidence falls to lowest point on record – Westpac
RNZ: Westpac Consumer confidence index at record low after sharp drop
Jonathan Mitchell (NBR): Consumers show Christmas pessimism: Westpac (paywalled)
RNZ: Service industry feeling pinch but remains powerhouse for economy
Brian Easton: Where Does Modern Monetary Theory Fit Into Macroeconomics?
COST OF LIVING, COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): ‘It’s not enough to get by’: Beneficiaries say that support has not kept up with rising cost of living
Mare Haimona-Riki (Whakaata Māori): It’s simply not enough for people to live on – Auckland Mission CEO calls for benefit raise
Joseph Los’e (Herald): It takes a village and an army to make Christmas merry for 6000 kids and 600 families
Lois Williams (Newsroom): Who cares? In Reefton they do
MIGRANT WORKERS
Dileepa Fonseka (Stuff): Immigration Minister Michael Wood agrees to meet RSE workers after endemic ‘slavery’ allegations
Evan Harding (Stuff): Hospitality boss: Immigration NZ ‘needs to get arse into gear’
Jayden Holmes (Today FM): Internal Affairs Minister Jan Tinetti ‘absolutely delighted’ at FENZ deal
BUSINESS
Brianna MciLraith (Stuff): MBIE investigating error that suspended hundreds of builder licences
RNZ: MBIE investigates after system erroneously notifies thousands of builders about suspension
Jenny Ruth (BusinessDesk): What the Commerce Commission’s building supplies study told us (paywalled)
David Williams (Newsroom): Beef with Macca’s over ‘mud-farming’
Jacqueline Rowarth (Stuff): Mood of farmers subdued, but public support holds strong
Gerhard Uys (Stuff): Farm debt and mortgages pushing up cost to grow food
Gerhard Uys (Stuff): ‘The city-dwellers do not understand the mental and physical strength it takes’
Sinead Gill (Stuff): Accessibility card scheme connects businesses with thousands of ‘forgotten’ customers
Nicholas Pointon (NBR): Napier Port not concerned about ‘current woke hysteria’ (paywalled)
COVID-19
Matthew Scott (Newsroom): ‘Have a safe as summer’: Public health measures replaced by advice
1News: NZ’s Covid settings won’t change over summer – Verrall
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Covid-19 hospital cases in Christmas wave have potential to be worst yet, modelling shows
Hanna McCallum (Stuff): School teachers most at risk with highest rates of Covid-19 infection, data shows
RNZ: As hospitals fill with Covid-19 patients, surgeon warns against driving stupid
RNZ: Covid-19 variant BA.2.75 dominates cases as holidaymakers warned to take precautions
Hannah Martin (Stuff): Covid-19: ‘Good signs’ Aotearoa nearing, or at, the peak in Christmas week
RNZ: Covid-19 update: 42,740 new cases, 64 deaths in past 7 days
HEALTH
Ian Powell (BusinessDesk): A new health system can’t fix what’s broken in society (paywalled)
Hanna McCallum and Rachel Thomas (Stuff): Deal to fund drugs for cause of NZ’s leading cancer deaths
Frances Chin (Stuff): ‘A huge relief’: Pharmac to fund drugs that treat inflammatory bowel disease from February
Olivia Shivas (Stuff): Kiwi family moving to Australia to access treatment for son’s rare disorder
Christine Rovoi (Stuff): Smoking rates for Aotearoa’s Pacific youth at a record low
Edward Gay (Stuff): Imposter doctor kept working for four weeks after alarm raised with Medical Council
Virginia Nicholls (Herald): Targeted measures are better solutions to alcohol harm (paywalled)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Simon Wilson (Herald): The world of Wayne Brown is the greatest show in town (paywalled)
Todd Niall (Stuff): 2022 was the year Auckland got its mojo back, but tougher times are ahead
Tom Hunt (Stuff): Wellington City Council reviewing spending but no rates cap promises
Dave Armstrong (Stuff): Fewer books to feature in latest version of Wellington library saga
Waatea News: Wellington mayor tries persuasion on tiriti deniers
Erin Gourley (Stuff): Playground budget increases, but waterfront construction site remains
Marty Sharpe (Stuff): Residents take council to High Court over proposed Kāinga Ora development
HOUSING
Miriam Bell (Stuff): By the numbers: The rental market at year’s end
Andrew Bevin (Newsroom): Kāinga Ora hits back over anti-competitive behaviour claims
Brodie stone (Northern Advocate): Damning housing inquiry shines bright light on Far North papakainga (paywalled)
CRIME, CORRECTIONS
Tom Kitchin (RNZ): Hastings MP, mayor expressed ‘strong concern’ to police minister over location of proposed remand facility
Jo Lines-MacKenzie (Stuff): Youth criminals ‘out of control’ says top cop as police shot at, homes and shops invaded
Today FM: Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate keen on youth crime crackdown
RNZ: Waipā Mayor wants central government help after crime spree
Muriwai Hei (Whakaata Māori): Concerns are still high on crime rates
RNZ: Hamilton dairy owner on edge days after worker was violently attacked in robbery
EDUCATION
RNZ: Compulsory NCEA reading and writing tests will lead to anxiety for dyslexic students – lobby group
Jonathan Mitchell (Newsroom): The 20 schools hardest-hit by construction crisis
Jamie Morton (Herald): Former health boss Dr Ashley Bloomfield has a new job
RNZ: Ashley Bloomfield to take professor role within a new unit at Auckland University
1News: Dr Ashley Bloomfield to take up new role at University of Auckland
Jennifer Smart (Spinoff): Why I’m leaving teaching
Jenny Ling (Northern Advocate): Abundant Life School in Kaitāia defends decision to close (paywalled)
TRANSPORT, ROADS
Tom Hunt (Stuff): Merry Christmas Wellington: Peka Peka to Ōtaki Expressway opening two years late, $230m over budget
Anna Whyte (Stuff): The Whole Truth: Whose fault are unfixed potholes?
RNZ: Marlborough looks at whether to keep fixing some flood-damaged Sounds roads
OTHER
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Making All Kinds Of Assumptions
Imogen Wells (Newshub): Ministry of Justice looked into automatically releasing first-time prisoners, but Kiri Allan rules out idea
Jem Traylen (BusinessDesk): Auditor general calls for an urgent update of the Public Finance Act (paywalled)
Mitch Harris (Herald): The TVNZ-RNZ merger is a once-in-a-generation opportunity not to be missed
Julia Gabel (Herald): Rebuilding Better: Social division poll highlights optimism of younger New Zealanders (paywalled)
Nikki Chamberlain (Newsroom): The right to be forgotten should be written into law
Jamie Morton (Herald): Extreme heat alerts: MetService-led summer trial to cover 44 centres
Jamie Mackay (Herald): Farming, footy and politics – the 2022 rural award winners (paywalled)
1News: David Seymour wins best quote for Grant Robertson lamington comments
RNZ: David Seymour wins best quote for comments about Grant Robertson and a lamington
Steven Walton (Stuff): Christchurch economy gets $45 million boost from Te Pae events
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Chappie Te Kani named Oranga Tamariki boss, after a year as acting CEO
RNZ: Oranga Tamariki acting CEO appointed to role
RNZ: Museums Aotearoa calls on government to recognise significant value of sector
André Chumko (Stuff): Anyone harmed by Archives NZ health record breach encouraged to complain
