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, YEAR IN REVIEW
Henry Cooke: 23 predictions for 2023
Morgan Godfery (Stuff): Top-performing minister, but you wouldn’t know it
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): The way the NZ Political Left must reframe the 2023 Election
Russell Palmer (RNZ): A dozen quirky soon-to-be laws flying under the radar in 2022
RNZ: The year in photos: From violent protests to joyous Matariki
HEALTH
RNZ: Govt announces $4m boost to drug checking at festivals, events
Mohammad Alafeshat (RNZ): ‘Say hello to ciggie houses’ – Dairies say smoking bill will backfire
Abbey Wakefield (1News): GPs concerned over elderly struggling with cost of food
Lucy Xia (RNZ): Age Concern in need of government funding to increase services for Asian seniors
Michael Fallow (Stuff): Student nursing leader calls for more representative workforce
Gabrielle McCulloch (Stuff): The fight for gender-affirming surgeries: ‘I want to crawl out of my skin’
COVID-19
Rachel Moore (Stuff): Covid sick leave squeeze on top of almost 10% vacancy rate at Te Whatu Ora Waikato
RNZ: No plans to have visitors test for Covid-19 as China relaxes travel rules, Ministry of Health says
Nadine Roberts (Stuff): Covid-19 brings a miserable festive season for some, but optimism virus wave has peaked
Sophie Harris (Stuff): Covid-19: Child among 78 deaths and 32,010 new cases before Christmas
RNZ: Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations drop, new data shows
HOUSING
Michael Neilson (Herald): Has social housing demand peaked? Ballooning waitlist now trending down
RNZ: House prices tipped to fall further in 2023
EDUCATION
RNZ: School enrolments forecast to steadily decline from 2024
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Free software programs a risk to students’ privacy – EdTech industry body
Katie Todd (RNZ): Kindies expect busier days as parents eye childcare savings
ENVIRONMENT, CONSERVATION
Herald Editorial: Taking time over farm emissions pricing (paywalled)
Brendon McMahon (Local Democracy Reporting): Pricing farm emissions can’t lead to cuts in production – West Coast council
RNZ: New fishing rules for Northland to have ‘significant implications’
Robin Martin (RNZ): Hefty fines for collecting Taranaki shellfish now Fisheries Act ban in effect
Brendon McMahon (Local Democracy Reporting): West Coast kelp beds disappearing
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): On the 4th day of Christmas, what’s so special about four big water corporations?
John Weekes (Herald): Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown tells Ports of Auckland: Council will decide waterfront land’s future, not you (paywalled)
Maia Hart (Local Democracy Reporting): Marlburians less satisfied with their council but they are not alone
Diane McCarthy (Local Democracy Reporting): Ōpōtiki harbour masterplan on hold after new council overturns earlier decision
501 DEPORTEES
Caroline Williams (Stuff): High Court halts legal proceedings which could alter management of 501 deportees
RNZ: High Court reserves its decision on 501 deportee case
OTHER
George Block (Heald): Exclusive: The MPI staff fired for bad behaviour, policy breaches
Taxypayers’ Union: Revealed: Taxpayers Spending At Least $75 Million Per Year On Additional Days Off For Public Servants
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Concern over moves to tighten NZ’s data privacy regulations
RNZ: Government rolls out water safety funding but urges people ‘to know their limits’
Wena Harawira (Whakaata Māori): Hut case could cost Tūhoe $200k
Richard Wagstaff (Herald): New Zealand has a woeful record on workplace health and safety (paywalled)
Brendon McMahon (Local Democracy Reporting): Authority for new Pike River bore holes delegated to DOC
1News: Green MPs sponsor Iran protesters at risk of execution
Rachel Thomas (Stuff): Jacinda Ardern congratulates Fiji’s incoming prime minister after tense election
Newsroom: Oranga Tamariki, from the inside
Zoe Madden-Smith *Re: News): Homophobia is driving queer people out of small towns in NZ
Shaneel Lal (Herald): LGBTQIA+ acronym is anti-indigenous, majoritarian, and tedious (paywalled)
Angela Woods (Northern Advocate): New funding for Northland youth crime programmes provokes mixed reaction (paywalled)
James Halpin (Stuff): How Immigration NZ called in ‘favours’ to make a Silver Ferns series happen
Ankur Sabharwal (Stuff): 2023 – The Year of the Well-Paid Migrant
Rayssa Almeida (RNZ): Rhythm and Vines: Mixed views on Vodafone decision over Dizzee Rascal performance
Bruce Kohn (Stuff): Private secretary’s decades of service to political leaders marked by discreet silence
