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

MEKA WHAITIRI DEFECTION, ELIZABETH KEREKERE RESIGNATION
1News: Exclusive: Meka Whaitiri breaks her silence after defection
Chris Trotter (Interest): Is New Zealand about to experience storm-force winds from a radicalised Māori electorate?
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Why Te Pāti Māori will struggle to be kingmaker at this election (paywalled)
Michael Neilson (Herald): Nanaia Mahuta rules out Māori Party as Meka Whaitiri prepares for big return to Parliament
Glenn McConnell (Post): It’s time for Parliament’s indie MPs to front up
Jacqui Van Der Kaay (Democracy Project): Political integrity lost in resignation
Jo Moir (Newsroom): Meka Whaitiri to break silence on defection
RNZ: Hipkins reallocates Meka Whaitiri’s portfolios
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announces Meka Whaitiri’s replacements in ministerial roles
Anna Whyte (Stuff): MP Jo Luxton promoted in wake of Meka Whaitiri’s Labour exit
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Gordon Campbell: On the wilting of the Greens
1News: Swarbrick reacts to Kerekere resignation after ‘crybaby’ text
Newshub: ‘Crybaby’ scandal: Chlöe Swarbrick tight-lipped on whether there were other incidents with Dr Elizabeth Kerekere

POLITICAL DONATIONS, ELECTION
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): National raises record $5 million in 2022, ten times Labour’s total
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): National Party banks record $5 million in donations in a single year
David Farrar: 2022 donation returns
Damien Venuto (Herald): The Front Page: Is Labour facing ‘coalition of chaos’ amid developments at Te Pāti Māori and the Greens?
Claire Trevett (Herald): A return to reality for PM Chris Hipkins – National reaches for the attack ads as Labour hits turbulence (paywalled)
Herald Editorial: MP ructions rattle the left (paywalled)
Karl du Fresne: Hipkins goes the full sausage roll
Anna Whyte (Post): Speculation grows around former Federated Farmers president’s political intentions (paywalled)

KIRI ALLEN SPEECH TO RNZ
Herald: National and Act hit out at RNZ over refusal to release a full copy of Cabinet minister Kiri Allan’s speech
Katie Harris (Herald): Kiri Allan RNZ speech revealed: ‘Something wrong’ at state broadcaster
Stuff: RNZ releases comments from controversial Kiri Allan speech
RNZ: RNZ releases comments from Kiri Allan speech
Rachel Sadler (Newshub): Kiri Allan alleged Radio New Zealand ‘unable to keep Māori talent’, ‘some deep reflection’ needed

OIA ABUSE
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Chris Hipkins says he expects ministers to comply with official information requests after Willie Jackson scolded by watchdog
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Willie Jackson called out over ‘trend of human error’ in office, Ombudsman considered referring case to Solicitor-General
RNZ: Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson’s OIA failures ‘unacceptable’ – Ombudsman
No Right Turn: Total contempt for the OIA
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Proactive release used to circumvent OIA

TAX, ECONOMY, COST OF LIVING
Simon Wilson (Herald): Tax avoidance is the ram-raiding of the uber-rich (paywalled)
Tim Hazledine (NBR): How to reform our hump-shaped tax system (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): Politics of TOP’s tax switch policy (paywalled)
Duncan Garner (NBR): Is Labour about to ram raid National’s policy vault on tax?
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Budget plea to Grant Robertson to return NZ economy’s focus to wellbeing
Jamie Gray (Herald): Westpac NZ’s Catherine McGrath sees risks of hard landing for NZ economy (paywalled)
1News: Supermarket supplier costs 10% higher than a year ago

DEFENCE
Richard Harman (Politik): Defence spending on the march (paywalled)
Amelia Wade (Newshub): Defence boost to stop personnel leaving as ‘geostrategic competition in our region’ intensifies
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Chris Hipkins announces $400m for defence personnel wages, after returning from King’s coronation
Russell Palmer (RNZ): New Zealand increases Defence Force pay rates, funding
1News: NZDF personnel to receive pay rise from July 1
Tim Fish (Australian Defence): Australian DSR poses challenges for New Zealand

FOREIGN AFFAIRS, TRADE
Thomas Manch (Post): Power list: Who is leading New Zealand on the world stage?
Jane Patterson (RNZ): Power Play: Hipkins’ fraught coronation trip buoyed by sausage rolls
RNZ: Hipkins tells BBC: Treaty settlement process ‘very powerful … but it isn’t easy’
Simon Shepherd and Gray Gibson: Newshub Nation: O’Connor refuses to make dairy concessions on trade deal with India despite huge trade losses
Brent Edwards (NBR): Business pleased as UK doors open for exporters from May 31 (paywalled)
Nicholas Ross Smith (South China Morning Post): No reason to think New Zealand is shifting its position on China and Aukus
Paul Buchanan: NZ and AUKUS PIllar 2
Nevil Gibson (NBR): Noose or lifeline? China’s role in New Zealand

BANKS
Rob Stock (Post): ‘New Zealanders need to understand how much they are missing out on’ (paywalled)
Rob Stock (Stuff): Westpac announces big fall in profits
Gareth Vaughan (Interest): Westpac NZ interim profit falls 33%, bank takes $154m loan impairment charge
Jonathan Mitchell (NBR): Westpac’s profit falls amid gloomy economic outlook (paywalled)
Jonathan Mitchell (NBR): ANZ’s call for caution after $1b half-year profit (paywalled)
Eric Freykberg (Interest): Reserve Bank moves to bolster its understanding of cyber resilience in the financial sector

BUSINESS, EMPLOYMENT
Greg Hurrell (BusinessDesk): Govt’s covid subsidy fraud efforts face court challenge (paywalled)
Brianna Mcilraith (Post): Wendy’s back before authority after refusing staff holiday pay (paywalled)
Samantha Gee (RNZ): Sunshine wages: Average income for people in Nelson-Tasman lowest in NZ
Stuff: Newsable: The Kiwi clothing brands scoring poor on transparency, according to Oxfam
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Transpower fined $150,000 over August 2021 power cuts
Rob Stock (Stuff): Commerce Commission ‘prioritising’ probe into Go Car Finance as Consumer NZ criticises lender

HOUSING
Glenn McConnell (Post): Families in ‘crammed’ motels for months, or even years (paywalled)
Jenée Tibshraeny (Herald): Govt sends $159m lifeline to affordable housing projects (paywalled)
Geraden Cann (Stuff): $85b in home loans owed by pandemic peak borrowers
Miriam Bell (Stuff): Property market correction ‘not over yet’
Greg Ninness (Interest): The average dwelling value is continuing to decline by more than $1000 a week
Rachel Sadler (Newshub): National house prices nearing $900,000 after more value declines – QV
RNZ: National average house prices 13% down on a year ago – QV
Gareth Vaughan (Interest): ANZ NZ boss runs through a range of options for struggling home loan borrowers before the ‘last resort’ of a mortgagee sale

TRANSPORT
Sharon Brettkelly (RNZ): The Detail: How KiwiRail got off track
Finn Hogan and Gray Gibson: Newshub Nation: Disabled Kiwis bearing the brunt of public transport crisis
Stewart Sowman-Lund (Spinoff): When Auckland buses are late, commuters are paying more for the privilege

IMMIGRATION
Amy Williams (RNZ): Pasifika overstayer detained after dawn raid granted temporary visa
William Hewett (Newshub): Green Party MP Chlöe Swarbrick slams dawn-raid style tactics, says there should be pathway to residency for overstayers

EDUCATION
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Has sexism suppressed teachers’ pay? Education ministry launches investigation
Gabrielle McCulloch (Stuff): Everything you need to know about the teachers’ strike
Gabrielle McCulloch (Stuff): Schools set to shut as teacher strike confirmed, despite last minute Government offer
Jane Nixon (1News): MoE urges teachers to halt strike action as 11th hour offer made
RNZ: ‘It’s about time’ – Kōhanga reo teachers welcome pay rise

HEALTH
Rachel Smalley (NBR): Dismantle Pharmac to make medicine procurement better run (paywalled)
Ruth Hill (RNZ): Hospitals discharging some very ill disabled people too early, care provider says
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Surgeons frustrated still no national criteria for who gets planned surgery and how quickly
Stephen Forbes (Local Democracy Reporting): Auckland measles cases should be a warning, expert says
Rob Campbell (Newsroom): Imposing health fixes without asking what’s working in the community

LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Lane Nichols (Herald): Auckland Council signals it won’t compensate flood-hit homeowners affected by natural disasters, calls for govt buy-outs
1News: Wayne Brown opposes council compensating flood-hit homeowners
Tom Dillane (Herald): Mayor Wayne Brown hits out at cuts to emergency response budget, as Auckland Council considers 1% rates increase to fund $20m boost (paywalled)
Ruwani Perera (Newshub): Whānau impacted by race-based separatism in Pukekohe to receive formal apology
Brendon McMahon (Local Democracy Reporting): Altercation alleged at West Coast Regional Council

ENVIRONMENT
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Government struggles to spend climate money thanks to tight labour market, and disruption of climate change (paywalled)
Olivia Wannan (Stuff): Why the heat is on carbon offsets claiming to protect forest
Olivia Wannan (Stuff): Southland carbon offset project may have overestimated the effect of logging

MEDIA
Gavin Ellis: World Press freedom Index: Did well but could do better
Spinoff: Mediaworks launches DJ-less music radio station following Today FM demise
1News: MediaWorks replaces Today FM with new station in multiple markets

JUSTICE, CORRECTIONS
Benedict Collins (1News): ‘A world of lawlessness’ – Seymour wants thousands more offenders behind bars
RNZ: ‘No free ride’ says Seymour as ACT proposes to build youth detention centres

REPUBLIC DEBATE
1News: Republic debate: ‘Charles is nice, but he shouldn’t rule NZ’
William Hewett (Newshub): ACT’s David Seymour: Why now isn’t the right time for NZ republic debate
360info: Are Aussies, Canadians and Kiwis still loyal to the British crown?

OTHER
Newstalk ZB: New Zealand’s core public service reportedly spending three times more on advertising than 2017
Caroline Williams (Stuff): What is co-governance? Panellists at community discussion don’t seem to know
Verity Johnson (Stuff): We’re sick of Jacinda bashing
RNZ: Oranga Tamariki cuts funding for 130 trusts working with youth
Laura James (1News): NZSL board to ‘monitor and report’ on Government
Dita De Boni (NBR): Supreme Court finds Auckland free to tighten its own liquor laws (paywalled)
Steve Goodlass (Spinoff): While the inquiry drags on, there’s no justice for abuse in care survivors