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.

Today’s content

THREE WATERS
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Government kills Three Waters, welcome, ‘Affordable Water Reform’ (paywalled)
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Say goodbye to Three Waters: Government overhaul of contentious reforms set to be announced
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): Three Waters: Mayors on both sides of debate anxious about government’s reset
Duncan Greive (Spinoff): Three Waters, KiwiBuild and the limits of branding
Tema Hemi (Whakaata Māori): Three Waters changes on way – potentially 10 new bodies

WATER QUALITY, ENVIRONMENT
Tess McClure (Guardian): Only 2% of New Zealand’s large lakes are in good health, bleak report finds
1News: ‘Sobering’ snapshot of NZ’s freshwater decline released
RNZ: Concerns ‘sobering’ freshwater report will fail to trigger needed reforms
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Of course 45% of our rivers are poisoned you silly sleepy hobbits!
Ryan Anderson and Will Harvie (Stuff): Canterbury farmers unsurprised by poor water quality report
Kayla Kingdon-Bebb (Stuff): We are killing our ocean, so why isn’t the Government acting?
Will Trafford (Whakaata Māori): Bottom trawling protest to descend on Mission Bay in Tāmaki Makaurau
Will Trafford (Whakaata Māori): Hapū, Forest & Bird oppose Northland lithium mine

PARLIAMENT
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): April donations bonanza: Parties book nearly $300k in 12 days
Ben Thomas (Stuff): Greens mastering the art of self-inflicted  wounds
Newshub: Political pundit Bryce Edwards says Greens have identity issue following Elizabeth Kerekere, Chlöe Swarbrick ‘crybaby’ message
Tess McClure (Guardian): New Zealand Labour tied with National in latest polls, six months out from election
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): As hung Parliament looms – All eyes on Ilam
Jonah Franke-Bowell and Glenn McConnell (Stuff): ‘Highly unlikely’ Christopher Luxon will partner with Te Pāti Māori or ‘socialist’ Greens
Joseph Los’e (Herald): Willow Jean Prime promotion sets a new record for Māori in Cabinet
Jo Moir (Newsroom): From military combat to Parliament – meet Labour’s ‘working class’ MP

REPORT INTO AUCKLAND COUNCIL’S FLOOD RESPONSE
Simon Wilson: Hey Wayne Brown, fixing dysfunction starts at the top (paywalled)
Todd Niall (Stuff): Mayor Wayne Brown’s odd start to ‘fixing’ Auckland Emergency Management
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): And so we ask again: Where is Wayne Brown?
Bernard Orsman and Tom Dillane (Herald): Auckland floods: Mayor Wayne Brown, council leaders and emergency management systems criticised in report into deadly January 27 disaster
Tom Dillane (Herald): Auckland fatal flood review out today: Mayor Wayne Brown ‘happy’ with it, Council requested release ‘extensions’
Todd Niall and Melanie Earley (Stuff): Mayor Wayne Brown and Auckland Council’s emergency declaration ‘came too late’ – flood report
RNZ: Mike Bush on highly critical review into Auckland Council response to floods

HEALTH
Kate MacNamara (Herald): New Māori Health Authority spending over $1 million a month on consultants and contractors (paywalled)
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Investigation highly critical of wait times to see cancer specialists
Nathan Morton (Herald): Cancer patient forks out $25,000, drives five hours to avoid twelve-week consultation period
RNZ: Te Whatu Ora Southern region apologises to cancer patients for long waits
Ian Powell: Health New Zealand restructuring threatens health localities
George Heagney (Stuff): Calls for clarity over wording in Therapeutic Products Bill
RNZ: New bill adds unnecessary costs to therapeutic and medicinal imports – Export NZ
Rachel Thomas (Stuff): Nurses’ union calls on public to back rally over health crisis
RNZ: Palmerston North Hospital’s new mental health unit gets more funding
Alex Casey (Spinoff): The struggle for access to cervical screening in rural Aotearoa

COVID
Anna Whyte and Glenn McConnell (Stuff): ‘We are cautious’: the political significance of keeping the week-long Covid isolation
Peter Dunne: The government’s decision to retain existing Covid19 settings continues streak of stubborn arrogance
Brent Edwards (NBR): No political benefit in retaining Covid measures (paywalled)
RNZ: Christopher Luxon only spent week in isolation with Covid-19 because it was mandatory

IMMIGRATION
Bernard Hickey: Accelerating our churn and burn economy
Herald Editorial: Immigration needed but controlled (paywalled)
RNZ: Minister denies govt slow to act over new health sector roles for Straight to Residence pathway

CLIMATE CHANGE
Jenée Tibshraeny (Herald): Carbon price plummet costs taxpayers $500 million (paywalled)
Anita Wreford, John Tobias Saunders and Meike Guenther (The Conversation): NZ farmers worry about ‘carbon leakage’ if they have to pay for emissions, but they could benefit from playing the long game

LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Rachel Moore (Stuff): It took three years for this council to make secret workshops public
Brendon McMahon (Local Democracy Reporting): Sacked West Coast Regional Council chairman returns with ‘watch out’ warning
Laura Smith (Local Democracy Reporting): Millions in funding cuts to Rotorua council services proposed
Ruth Hill (RNZ): 17,000 Wellington street lamps at risk of falling, council admits
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Wellington’s falling street lamps: 17,000 at risk of failure

FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Gordon Campbell: On the reasons for opposing AUKUS
Koroi Hawkins, Kelvin Anthony and Rachael Nath (RNZ): ‘Bringing war much closer to home’: Former Pacific leaders denounce AUKUS deal
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): The growing importance of Nato-NZ ties in ‘less predictable’ world
Thomas Manch (Stuff): ‘It makes me want to yell’: Ukraine military official asks for more support from NZ
Katie Scotcher (RNZ): NATO plans for Chris Hipkins up in the air due to October’s election
Richard Harman (Politik): How much is that warship really worth (paywalled)

EXTREME WEATHER, FORESTRY SLASH
Matthew Rosenberg (Local Democracy Reporting): Ombudsman preparing for increase in complaints following cyclone
Hamish Cardwell (RNZ): Cyclone Gabrielle: Most pine wood debris was from erosion, not slash, Hawke’s Bay council says
Brent Melville (BusinessDesk): ‘Slash’ not the root cause of cyclone debris – forestry sector (paywalled)

ECONOMY
Herald: The Front Page: After Official Cash Rate hike, how long will inflation pain last?
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Biggest bank moves interest rates after OCR hike
RNZ: Health and travel spending on the rise

EMPLOYMENT, SUPERANNUATION
RNZ: Most Kiwis opposed to raising pension age – study
Phil Pennington (RNZ): WorkSafe never investigated two temp workers’ deaths

EDUCATION
James Perry (Whakaata Māori): Principals to welcome term two with more action in pay dispute
Critic Te Ārohi: 7 wonders of Castle Street (video)

HOUSING
Rayssa Almeida (RNZ): ‘We just feel powerless’: Kainga Ora rejects pensioner housing on gifted land
Erin Gourley (Stuff): Fears Wellington’s old villas are an ‘endangered species’
Matthew Martin (Stuff): Tūwharetoa opens its first five affordable homes in Tūrangi
Michael Fallow (Stuff): MPs foresee an average mortgage rise of $267 in Southland

ABUSE IN CARE INQUIRY
Krystal Gibbens (RNZ): Frustration as survivors of abuse in care face further wait for Royal Commission report
Katie Scotcher (RNZ): Royal Commission into Abuse in Care inquiry deadline extended again

OTHER
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Restoring The Narrative: The Political Logic Behind The Campaign Against Disinformation
Ian Llewellyn (BusinessDesk): Auditor general to get $16m bailout and will increase fees (paywalled)
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Microsoft and Amazon sign memorandums of understanding with government
Jared Savage (Herald): Inside the two-horse race for one of New Zealand Police’s top positions
Tim Murphy (Newsroom): The cuts and trust of NZ media
Matthew Rosenberg (Local Democracy Reporting): Census taskforce targets cyclone-hit Tai Rāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay
André Chumko (Stuff): Te Papa museum cuts insurance premiums due to ‘rapidly increasing’ costs