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
TAX, ECONOMY, COST OF LIVING, MONEY
Chris Trotter (Interest): Tension within the Labour Party over dismantling the neoliberal status quo
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Guesswork and slogans: the wealth tax debate (paywalled)
Rob Campbell (Newsroom): Social equity needn’t be a taxing issue
Damien Venuto (Herald): Tax conundrum: Whether you like it or not, NZ will have to choose a poison sooner or later (paywalled)
Susan Edmunds (Post): ‘Astounding’ if tax thresholds not addressed in Budget, tax experts say (paywalled)
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Chris Hipkins says Cabinet considered ‘range of issues around tax’ after National claims capital gains tax discussed
RNZ: The Detail: Tax: Weighing up what’s fair and what’s next
Herald Editorial: Parties get down to brass tax (paywalled)
ODT Editorial: Taxation and timidity (paywalled)
Matt Nolan (TVHE): What is income for tax?
Mark Lister (Bay of Plenty Times): Tax changes – why I am worried the Government will get it wrong (paywalled)
Mike Yardley (Press): Working voters deserve real choices at this year’s general election (paywalled)
Rob Stock (Post): Cash in public hands falls as Covid ‘mattress money’ gets spent (paywalled)
Brian Easton (Pundit): Fans For Forecasts
Julia Gabel and Alka Prasad (Herald): Cost of living: Inflation rates underestimate New Zealanders’ true pain, data shows (paywalled)
Brianna Mcilraith (Stuff): Cost of living for the average household up 7.7% in 12 months
RNZ: New cost of living figures show who it’s hitting hardest
1News: Cost of living rises 7.7% in 12 months, figures show
Brianna Mcilraith (Post): Higher-earning households hit hard by cost-of-living increases (paywalled)
Jo Moir (Newsroom): PM dodges questions over elderly living in poverty
Felix Desmarais (1News): Hipkins rules out means-testing Winter Energy Payment
Tina Morrison (Post): Will Budget spending stoke inflation and risk further interest rate increases? (paywalled)
Susan Edmunds (Post): OCR increases not only way to tackle inflation, economists say (paywalled)
Gordon Campbell: On the politics of “greedflation”
Liam Dann (Herald): Unemployment preview: Has the job market turned? New data will hold clues to inflation fight (paywalled)
David Hargreaves (Interest): The jobs slowdown is coming…but economists don’t reckon it is here yet
Tim Hurdle (Press): Time to take notice of those flashing red lights on the economy’s dashboard (paywalled)
RNZ: Call for ‘bolder efforts’ to ‘shift the productivity dial’ in NZ
Brent Edwards (NBR): How can business lift productivity rates? (paywalled)
Jem Traylen (BusinessDesk): Radical change is needed – Productivity Commission (paywalled)
Rob Stock (Stuff): Consumer debt crisis: Buy now, pay later loan arrears hit record level
Eric Frykberg (Interest): Buy now pay later arrears on the rise
Rob Stock (Stuff): Losses have stunned KiwiSavers into doing nothing
Rob Stock (Stuff): Mr KiwiSaver: The man behind the largest New Zealand-owned KiwiSaver business
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Sole parents: Benefit rules make it ‘terrifying’ to get into a relationship
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): All lost at the supermarket (paywalled)
PARLIAMENT
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Is It “Game Over” For The Greens?
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Left wing Greens endorse Elizabeth Kerekere, despite investigation
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): The true madness of the Green woke clique exposed
Damien Venuto (Herald): The Front Page: Why has the Government spent so much money on consultants?
Hamish McNicol and Kate McVicar (NBR): Bookkeepers 2023: Soaking the public purse? (paywalled)
Duncan Garner (NBR): John Key, Helen Clark-style politics the order of the day (paywalled)
AAP: Everyman Hipkins giving Labour an election shot
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): From rich list to big knit: The year’s chunky party donations, at a glance
Georgina Stylianou (Post): How the intolerance for difference threatens our political stability (paywalled)
Charlie Mitchel (Post): Three ways the so-called ‘freedom community’ can impact the election (paywalled)
Thomas Cranmer: Act’s Libertarianism Comes Under Scrutiny with Van Velden’s Bid for Auckland’s Tāmaki Seat
Eddie Clark (Post): Keeping check on the power of government (paywalled)
Doug Laing (Hawke’s Bay Today): Labour ponders new candidate for Napier after Stuart Nash
K Gurunathan (Post): Karpal Singh and me, and my visit to death row (paywalled)
Shaneel Lal (Herald): Politicians need to lighten up
TRANSPORT
Jonathan Killick (Stuff): The detail on Auckland’s new toll road – and how some residents can avoid paying
1News: Find out how much drivers will pay to use new $830m Auckland road
Anna Whyte (Stuff): Government shakes up Clean Car Discount scheme
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Fees go up, rebates go down as Government rejigs feebate EV scheme
Dan Brunskill (Interest): Government tightens Clean Car Discount rules as fund runs out of money
Oliver Lewis (BusinessDesk): Government gives clean-car discount an extra $100m (paywalled)
Rachel Sadler (Newshub): Clean Car Discount changes revealed: ‘High-emitting’ vehicles like utes hit with increased fees
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): The ‘big question marks’ around the Clean Car Discount
William Hewett (Newshub): Transport Minister Michael Wood reveals KiwiRail staffing, rostering issues to blame for disruptions to Wellingtonians
Nick James and Georgina Campbell (Herald): Wellington region mayors blast KiwiRail’s ‘third world’ train disruptions
Finlay Dunseath and Conor Knell (Stuff): Staff give out free lollies at Wellington train station as disruption to last two more days
1News: ‘Rapid review’ announced into KiwiRail amid disruptions in capital
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Government launches review into ’embarrassing’ KiwiRail train disruption in Wellington
Anna Whyte (post): Rapid review into KiwiRail launched after Wellington travel chaos (paywalled)
Leighton Heikell (Newshub): Infuriated Wellington commuters blast travel troubles as Transport Minister Michael Wood lashes KiwiRail ‘failure’
Luke Malpass and Anna Whyte (Post): New lower North Island trains look locked in with National’s support (paywalled)
Stuff: Judge’s warning to rail protesters: Someone is going to get hurt
1News: Watch: Furious Wellingtonians unleash on rail protester
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): More than $300m in Auckland Fuel tax unspent
Bernard Orsman (Herald): New $346,000 pedestrian crossing in Auckland dug up for repairs months after being built
Emma Hatton (Newsroom): Mobility fears as taxi industry signals worker shortage
FOREIGN AFFAIRS, CORONATION
Thomas Manch (Post): Ukraine gives up asking New Zealand for armoured vehicles (paywalled)
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Prime Minister Chris Hipkins speaks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
1News: Hipkins has ‘warm, insightful’ phone call with Ukraine’s Zelensky
Michael Neilson and Adam Pearse (Herald): Chris Hipkins outlines travel plans – UK for King Charles’ coronation and possible meeting Joe Biden in Papua New Guinea
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Republican PM Chris Hipkins to meet King Charles, pledge allegiance
Tess McClure (Guardian): New Zealand will ‘ideally’ become a republic one day, says Chris Hipkins
Felix Desmarais (1News): New Zealand should be independent of monarchy – Hipkins
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Why PM Chris Hipkins is taking Christopher Luxon to the King’s coronation
1News: Hipkins appears to ‘let the cat out of the bag’ over UK trip
Peter Hamilton (NBR): Time for a Head of State that reflects who we are as a nation (paywalled)
No Right Turn: Hipkins’ Augustinian republicanism
Ripu Bhatia (Stuff): Pledge of allegiance to King Charles in NZ citizenship ceremony questioned
Robert G Patman (Newsroom): Sudan war threatens Red Sea shipping lanes that supply oil for NZ
Andrew Macfarlane (1News): We want you! – Calls for Kiwis to join Aussie defence force
Reuben Steff (Interpreter): Aukus + NZ = win-win
Christine Rovoi (Stuff): Papua New Guinea to host US President Joe Biden in ‘historic’ Pacific visit
Jimmy Ellingham (RNZ): ‘New Zealand should say sorry’ – sailors posted to watch nuclear tests
George Heagney (Manawatū Standard): Next generation steps up to keep knowledge alive of nuclear testing veterans
BUSINESS
Janine Stark (Post): Why we need to say sorry to the retirement village residents of New Zealand (paywalled)
Hamish McNicol and Kate McVicar (NBR): Bookkeepers 2023: NZ’s $2b accountants thriving on change (paywalled)
RNZ: Median wage ‘too high’ to ease worker shortage with migrant labour – DairyNZ
Dileepa Fonseka (BusinessDesk): Thinktank’s ideas could kill video game industry (paywalled)
Rob Stock (Post): Reserve Bank confident risk-taking that killed Silicon Valley Bank not happening in NZ (paywalled)
Susan Hornsby-Geluk (Post): When is positive discrimination lawful? (paywalled)
Amy Wiggins (Herald): Rising daycare costs keeping New Zealand mums out of work (paywalled)
Aimee Shaw (Stuff): Simon Bridges named new chairperson of Crewcut parent group
HOUSING
Miriam Bell (Post): How our politicians plan to tackle the big housing issues (paywalled)
RNZ: More homeowners falling behind on mortgage payments
Rebecca Howard (BusinessDesk): RBNZ likely to remain sanguine about arrears (paywalled)
RNZ: House prices continue to fall, April property listings well down
Greg Ninness (Interest): Housing market headed for a hard winter with stock levels up, sales down and new listings at a record low
Miriam Bell (Stuff): New listings tumble as housing market moves at snail’s pace
Ireland Hendry-Tennent (Newshub): Cost of living: Amount Kiwis are borrowing to buy a house drops amid tumbling prices
Miriam Bell (Post): How remote working has affected Auckland rents
Eric Trump (North & South): Come Together (preview)
EXTREME WEATHER, NATURAL DISASTERS
Adam Pearse (Herald): Cyclone Recovery Minister Grant Robertson reveals confirmed categories for future of cyclone-impacted homes
Marty Sharpe (Stuff): Government announces categories to apply to cyclone-affected properties
RNZ: Flood and cyclone damaged properties will be placed within category system – Robertson
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Ombudsman makes late Budget bid following cyclone devastation
Marty Sharpe (Stuff): Orchard wiped-out in cyclone denied financial support, then offered just $15K
Tom Hunt (Post): Dire warning of ‘insurance retreat’ as disaster risk increases (paywalled)
Tom Hunt (Post): Capital power base ready to shift to north when disaster strikes (paywalled)
HEALTH
Barbara Dreaver (1News): Alarm bells ringing over rise in rheumatic fever cases
Stephen Forbes (Local Democracy Reporting): Rheumatic heart disease rates in south Auckland ‘as high as Africa’
RNZ: Nurses sceptical National’s bonding scheme will fix shortage
1News: Nurses say National’s health policy ‘doesn’t go far enough’
Amelia Wade (Newshub): National’s Christopher Luxon won’t back down over nursing claim the Health Minister is calling out
1News: ‘Desperate tactic’ – Govt hits back over National’s health policy
Esther Woodbury (Spinoff): The essential numbers showing how disabled people experienced the pandemic
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Simon Wilson (Herald): The deepest cuts in the Auckland Council budget aren’t even being talked about (paywalled)
Todd Niall (Stuff): The Auckland Council Budget is (slightly) dead, long live the Budget
Michael Fallow (Stuff): ‘You’d be keen to do that naked’ – complaint against Invercargill councillor revealed
John Lewis (ODT): Teen’s ‘jelly wrestling’ allegations
Steven Walton (Press): ChristchurchNZ warns its buying power has weakened as Government funding dries up
Frances Chin (Post): Light the size of an armchair falls near popular walkway (paywalled)
Dave Armstrong (Post): Turf wars breaking out over sports facility fees (paywalled)
EDUCATION
Hamish McNeilly (Stuff): Bananas and ‘woke nonsense’ – ex-students show their concern about University of Otago rebrand
Gianina Schwanecke (Stuff): Teacher union launches Fair Pay Agreement on behalf of early childhood
Gianina Schwanecke (Stuff): Covid-19 disruptions likely cause behind drop in NCEA results last year
Lee Kenny (Press): Student families move house after ballot closes to secure place at top Christchurch school
Michael Johnston (Common Room): How can education help our democracy?
ENVIRONMENT
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Labour and Greens may take agricultural emissions deal to election (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): Certainty on climate change policy crucial for businesses: Shaw (paywalled)
Rebecca Howard (BusinessDesk): The agriculture emissions pricing system is out of time (paywalled)
David Williams (Newsroom): ECan moves over ‘explicit and continuous breaches’
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Green Party wants Government to crack on with Jacinda Ardern-era promise to ban new mines on conservation land
CENSUS
1News: Warriors tickets offered in attempts to get late Census replies
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): 2023 Census heading for failure, forecasts National
MEDIA
Gavin Ellis: Stuff’s new paywalls send the right message to users
Shane Te Pou (Herald): Access to reliable local news in New Zealand under serious threat (paywalled)
OTHER
Graham Adams (The Platform): Is Kiri Allan fit to be Justice Minister?
Alison Mau (Post): The justice system, creaky and inefficient, is now crawling on its knees
Alex Penk: Who’s a fascist?
Jenée Tibshraeny (Herald): National commits to continuing Super Fund contributions
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Brooking’s fishing gig far from easy
Tom Peters (World Socialist Website): Lessons of the Treaty of Waitangi in New Zealand for the Australian working class
Michael Belgrave (The Conversation): Australians should be wary of scare stories comparing the Voice with New Zealand’s Waitangi Tribunal
RNZ: Researchers found sole parents treated with stigma by agencies
Hanna McCallum (Post): Stigma and discrimination faced by single parents in Aotearoa (paywalled)
Toby Morris (Spinoff): The Side Eye: The trans tipping point
André Chumko (Post): First queer history landmark in Aotearoa given heritage protection by officials (paywalled)
