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
ROB CAMPBELL
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Labour happy to show Rob Campbell the door as he lashes out at crabwalk away from ‘co-governance’
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): Sacking of Health New Zealand chair leads to claims government overreacted
Rachel Smalley (Today FM): Rob Campbell v Sarah Fitt – the Government picks and chooses who it critiques
Richard Harman (Politik): Campbell can blame Hipkins’ reforms for his fate (paywalled)
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Rob Campbell had to be sacked
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Rob Campbell is 100% right and 100% wrong
David Farrar: Campbell sacked
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): National needs to say they’d sack Rob Campbell
Kate Hawkesby (Newstalk ZB): Hipkins needs to show strong leadership and stub this banana republic vibe out
Spinoff: Ex-Act leader Richard Prebble defends Rob Campbell against ‘censorship’
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Sacked Health NZ boss Rob Campbell says he has ‘no regret’ over political comments
Thomas Manch and Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Te Whatu Ora chair Rob Campbell sacked, minister says political comments went too far
RNZ: Health NZ chairperson Rob Campbell fired over politicised comments, Health Minister says
1News: Health NZ chair sacked by Government after social media post
Jamie Ensor and Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Health NZ chair Rob Campbell sacked
Herald: Health boss Rob Campbell sacked after ‘inappropriate’ comments
Brent Edwards (NBR): Government sacks Rob Campbell over National Party criticism (paywalled)
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Health NZ boss Rob Campbell’s conversation with minister about political comments second in a year – Chris Hipkins
Matt Nippert (Herald): Rob Campbell on Zen and the art of business cycle maintenance (2022 interview – paywalled)
EXTREME WEATHER, INFRASTRUCTURE, CIVIL DEFENCE
Grant Duncan: The worst that can happen and why we’re failing to prevent it
Brigitte Morten (NBR): Managed retreat: homes, people, infrastructure, climate change… (paywalled)
RNZ: ‘Let’s not penny pinch’: Large scale investment in roading needed, Bridges says
Felix Desmarais (1News): Government cyclone response not an ‘open cheque’ – Willie Jackson
Wayne Brown (Hearld): How did homes get built in such risk-prone places? (paywalled)
Herald Editorial: Cyclone Gabrielle editorial: Borrowing from past recoveries (paywalled)
Stuff: PM Chris Hipkins apologises to road workers threatened with guns
Hawke’s Bay Today: Cyclone Gabrielle: Police minister Stuart Nash told Hawke’s Bay residents are arming themselves during post-cyclone crime outbreak
Fliss Butcher (Newsroom): The case for an Environmental Defence Force
Susan Botting (Local Democracy Reporting): Cyclone spurs govt to support marae better for disaster recovery work
RNZ: Cyclone Gabrielle: Government announces $15 million for aid at marae and clean-up support
Joseph Los’e (Herald): Cyclone Gabrielle: Māori given $15 million to support a Māori-led recovery of flood-hit communities
Eric Cramptom (Newsroom): Risk-based insurance premiums would keep our homes safer
Hamish McNicol (NBR): Managed retreat debate needed now, Tower chair Stiassny says (paywalled)
Jem Traylen (BusinessDesk): Build back better – insurers call on government to seize the day (paywalled)
PARLIAMENT
Peter Dunne: Hipkins can only hope for the best
Felix Desmarais (1News): Hipkins’ practical politics on Lotto draw a gamble for votes
Jenna Lynch (Newstalk ZB): A month of Prime Minister Chris Hipkins from the Hutt
Amelia Wade (Newshub): Newshub-Reid Research poll: Do Kiwis want a snap election?
Stuff: More trust National’s leaders on the economy – Taxpayers’ Union Curia Poll
Kris Faafoi (Stuff): Politicians living in the real world will be in demand this year
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Threats against politicians, Jacinda Ardern jump massively over past year, peaked during Parliament protest
Maria Slade (NBR): Labour may need to show sodden Mt Albert the love (paywalled)
Spinoff: Hopeful Labour candidate accused of email ‘data leak’
Shannon Redstall (Press): National candidate talks crime and safety with party faithful
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Simon Wilson (Herald): Auckland Council budget: Where’s the money coming from? (paywalled)
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland Council’s books improve but storm clouds remain
Todd Niall (Stuff): Mayor Wayne Brown’s 30 minutes of top tips for Auckland Transport
Troels Sommerville (Stuff): Auckland Transport appoints new chief executive after long, expensive search
Sam Brooks (Spinoff):
Hayden Connell (Spinoff): AT cycling seminar derailed by AT employees hating on cyclists
Oliver Lewis (BusinessDesk): Auckland council ‘deplores’ aspect of RMA reforms (paywalled)
Laura Smith (Local Democracy Reporting): ‘Done and dusted’ – controversial Rotorua representation bill formally scrapped
Craig Ashworth (Local Democracy Reporting): Taranaki council wants Royal Commission on local government reform
RNZ: Wellington rates to rise, Christchurch council proposes increase
Stephen Ward (Waikato Times): Spending cuts and higher rates considered as Hamilton councillors try to shrink 2023-24 deficit
RNZ: Christchurch water use decreases by 10 percent after excess charges introduced
Michael Fallow (Stuff): Hadley chose swift departure from city council, mayor says
THREE WATERS, CO-GOVERNANCE
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): National’s Christopher Luxon admits rates could rise under party’s alternative plan to Three Waters
RNZ: Prime Minister Chris Hipkins doubts councils can fix water under National’s plan
Jamie Gray (Herald): S&P sees winners and losers from Three Waters reform (paywalled)
Nikki Mandow (Newsroom): Co-governance means rubbing out your line in the sand
HEALTH
Ian Powell (BusinessDesk): We have a healthcare worker crisis and we’re not fixing it
Jason Gurney and Jonathan Koea (Newsroom): Breaking the inequity loop
Nathan Consedine and Alina Pavlova (Newsroom): Our health system’s compassion fatigue
Kristie Boland (Stuff): Pharmac will fund meningococcal B vaccine for babies, teens and young people
Maddy Lloyd (1News): Offer from 2 medical schools to train more students ignored by Govt
Kristie Boland (Stuff): Christchurch Hospital short by 100 nurses for a single day
Hannah Martin (Stuff): Covid-19: Why did reported cases rise 10% in the last week?
Deena Coster (Stuff): New Plymouth MP intervenes to find remedy after GP practice’s move to drop rest home residents
ECONOMY, COST OF LIVING
Rob Stock (Stuff): By the numbers: How 430,000 people got behind on their loans
RNZ: Data shows 430,000 New Zealanders behind in credit repayments in January
David Hargreaves (Interest): Arrears is the word – with about 430,000 Kiwis behind on consumer debt repayments
Cameron Smith (Herald): Mortgage arrears climbing as interest rate pressure builds (paywalled)
Maria Slade (NBR): Arrears on mortgages at highest level since start of Covid (paywalled)
RNZ: KiwiSaver queries expected to rise amid severe weather rebuild
RNZ: NZ’s economic resilience a leading concern – Productivity Commission
Brent Edwards (NBR): Productivity Commission expects more supply chain disruptions (paywalled)
BUSINESS, EMPLOYMENT, COST OF LIVING
David Burton (Stuff): We need to protect all workers’ rights, not just employees
Amanda Cropp (Stuff): Over 90% of engineered stone businesses put bench top workers at risk of fatal lung disease
Nicholas Pointon (NBR): Molloy-GSH resolve dispute; Kiri Allan denies helping (paywalled)
Tina Morrison (Stuff): Finding labour ‘the hardest it has ever been’, and it’s about to get worse, report says
Liam Dann (Herald): Business confidence on mend as inflation fears start to ease
David Hargreaves (Interest): Latest ANZ Business Outlook Survey shows some further improvement in activity indicators – but inflation expectations ‘remain stuck around 6%’
Jonathan Mitchell (NBR): Cyclone rebuild set to stretch country’s resources (paywalled)
Geraden Cann (Stuff): It may be worth considering fixing home loan a little longer than usual, ANZ says
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Survey suggests those who haven’t negotiated big pay rises may have missed the boat
Rob Stock (Stuff): NZ Post posts $115 million half-year profit, but says parcel revenue has dropped as households rein in spending
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): TAB believed to be close to outsourcing deal that could cost hundreds of jobs
BANKS
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Reserve Bank would back a Commerce Commission probe into bank profits
Eric Crampton: Tilting at bank profits
HOUSING
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Renting v owning your home: Here’s how it really stacks up now
Rob Stock (Stuff): Reverse mortgage interest rate hits 8.5% as house prices fall
Geraden Cann (Stuff): House price falls gather pace again in February quashing hope of stabilisation – CoreLogic
RNZ: Downturn in housing market continues to gather steam
Greg Ninness (Interest): Average value of NZ homes down $99k from March 2022 peak, Auckland values down $186k, Wellington values down $215k
Sinead Gill (Stuff): Years spent living in mould, but tenant still waiting for repairs
Jonathan Killick (Stuff): ‘Future slums’ coming to your neighbourhood, residents’ petition warns
Janine Rankin (Manawatū Standard): Kāinga Ora seeks Palmerston North views on building plans
MEDIA
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): The RNZ-TVNZ merger is over. Will the Government’s other media reform work out?
Poppy Clark (Stuff): Newstalk ZB host Heather du Plessis-Allan ‘ridiculed’ teen during interview – BSA
Herald: Newstalk ZB’s Heather du Plessis-Allan ‘ridiculed’ teenage climate activist, BSA finds
FOREIGN AFFAIRS, TRADE
1News: Japan, NZ to speed up intel sharing pact amid China concerns
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Government expands Ukraine war visa, extends until 2024
RNZ: Criteria widened for Ukrainians fleeing war who want to settle in Aotearoa
Gerhard Uus (Stuff): The dragon wakes, as China opens its borders it will need more food from New Zealand
CENSUS
RNZ: Census data important for helping in Cyclone Gabrielle rebuild – Stats NZ
Frances Chin (Stuff): Confusion as households receive two census letters
EDUCATION
Richard Prebble (Herald): For a better education, how about actually going to school? (paywalled)
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Universities want more students back in lectures as attendance remains low
OTHER
Graham Adams (The Platform): It’s open season on white men
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Patriarchy, Identity Politics and The Will To Power
Stuff: Aaron Gilmore and parents close to settling debt that risked bankrupting him
