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
LABOUR PARTY CONGRESS
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Labour congress lays bare Chris Hipkins’ and Labour’s election strategy
Claire Trevett (Herald): Labour Party Congress: Energy for Chris Hipkins in election year but where were the new ideas? (paywalled)
Newshub: Labour leader Chris Hipkins challenges National-ACT in speech setting forth plan for future
Dan Brunskill (Interest): Chris Hipkins’ Labour Party readies for an election
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub Nation): Carmel Sepuloni lets loose on National, ACT, refuses to be drawn on soon-to-be-announced policy
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Labour goes negative on National-ACT ‘cuts’
Felix Desmarais (1News): ‘Everything is at stake’: Kelvin Davis opens Labour Congress
ELECTION
Luke Malpass (Post): Professionals, true believers and mad men: the teams behind the election campaigns (paywalled)
Jane Patterson (RNZ): ‘Coalition of chaos’ versus ‘coalition of cuts’ – the voters will decide
Janet Wilson (Stuff): National should be doing better in the polls, but it’s not happening
Luke Malpass (Stuff): National figures now quietly admit they’ve got a Luxon challenge – can he improve?
Mike Munro (Herald): National Party worried as Christopher Luxon fails to fire with voters (paywalled)
Claire Trevett (Herald): Chris Hipkins report card: What sort of a Prime Minister has he turned out to be? The weak spots, disaster management, courting Auckland and business (paywalled)
Damien Grant (Stuff): Chris Hipkins fails the moral and competence tests to be PM
Eddie Clark (Post): What if the minor parties don’t want to play ball? (paywalled)
Whena Owen (1News): Q+A: TOP bets its future on Ilam – can it win?
POLLS
Felix Desmarais (1News): Poll: More than half of voters say it’s time for tax cuts
Felix Desmarais (1News): Poll: Most people unconvinced Budget will help cost of living
Michael Neilson and Chris Knox (Herald): Election 2023: Herald’s poll of polls shows growing possibility of hung Parliament after National rules out Māori Party (paywalled)
Andy Fyers (BusinessDesk): Election 2023: National nose in front (paywalled)
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): Five very similar polls, three very different results
NATIONAL’S AI ATTACK ADS
Andrea Vance (Stuff): National doesn’t care about AI. Wait ’til it starts mocking them
Paul Duignan (Stuff): What National’s AI advertising image ruckus actually points to
RNZ: AI in politics: Law expert urges transparency from political parties, more regulation
Duncan Greive (Spinoff): Ranked: the grotesque images and bleak prompts behind National’s AI ads
Shaneel Lal (Herald): National’s AI ads create impression it is looking out for Pacific peoples
LABOUR’S SUPERANNUATION AND APPRENTICESHIP SUPPORT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Claire Trevett (Herald): Labour’s superannuation war with National exactly what it wanted (paywalled)
Molly Swift and Rebecca Wright (Newshub Nation): Former Labour president says superannuation used as battleground for attacks on National
Felix Desmarais (1News): ‘Labour announces first election policy: Keeping Super age at 65
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Labour draws ‘line in the sand’, promises to keep Super age at 65
Anna Whyte (Stuff): Labour re-commits to not raising retirement age
Katie Scotcher (RNZ): Labour promises not to change superannuation age if re-elected
Adam Pearse (Herald): PM Chris Hipkins facing flak over Super age decision ahead of Labour Congress address
Adam Pearse (Herald): ‘Scaremongering’: National slams Labour’s commitment to Super age, winter energy payment
Felix Desmarais (1News): ‘Taxpayers can’t afford it’: ACT, Nats hit back on Super age
Scott Palmer (Newshub: Labour ‘can’t be trusted’ on superannuation: National, ACT fire back over Super age furore
Tracy Watkin (Post): Let’s talk about the pension – even if it is a political football (paywalled)
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Adam Pearse (Herald): PM Chris Hipkins reveals Labour’s $420m investment to make apprenticeship support permanent
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Chris Hipkins announces apprenticeship boost scheme to be permanent if re-elected
Anna Whyte (Stuff): Chris Hipkins promises to keep apprenticeship scheme
HOUSING
Dileepa Fonseka (BusinessDesk): Why Luxon needs to stay the course on housing intensification (paywalled)
Richard Harman (Politik): Luxon’s audacity (paywalled)
Malcolm McCracken: National launches their new housing plan – Going for Housing Growth. It’s a mixed bag.
Herald Editorial: Nats part ways on housing (paywalled)
Jo Moir (Newsroom): Bipartisan politics up in smoke as election looms
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Hipkins makes big pitch to party faithful, but has National’s housing U-turn backed Labour into tricky corner?
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Government writes to National about finding new bipartisan approach to housing after Chris Bishop’s announcement
Adam Pearse (Herald): Govt open to changing housing density rules after National abandons bipartisan agreement
Anna Whyte (Stuff): Labour extends olive branch to National on housing, open to ‘tweaks’
1News: Political reaction: Can the Nats’ policy fix the housing shortage?
1News: Q+A: National u-turns on bipartisan accord for townhouse zoning
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): National proposes significant change to historic bipartisan housing policy
Anna Whyte (Stuff): National announces housing growth election policy
RNZ: ‘Zone for 30 years of growth’ – National proposes housing growth policy
Michaela Pointon (Herald): National leader Christopher Luxon’s big housing promises – council to face increased pressure
Dan Brunskill (Interest): National will allow local councils to opt out of housing density rules
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Jenée Tibshraeny (Herald): Reserve Bank ‘comfortable’ with where mortgage rates are at (paywalled)
RNZ: Loan-to-value ratio limits to ease from next month, Reserve Bank confirms
Geraden Cann (Stuff): Investor ‘will sell fourth property if Labour wins, and buy another if National does’
Benje Patterson (Interest): Mortgage stress tests are a joke
Rebecca Macfie (Newsroom): Housing: a public policy disaster for 30 years
Justin Wong (Post): Rent-to-buy Upper Hutt home a ‘dream come true’ for mum and son (paywalled)
Robin Martin (RNZ): Heating NZ’s homes: ‘We’re really still lagging way, way behind’
Robin Martin (RNZ): Iwi calls for more funding to retrofit cold, damp homes
RNZ: Queenstown’s reputation takes a hit as housing crisis worsens
ECONOMY, OCR HIKE, COST OF LIVING
Vernon Small (Stuff): Reserve Bank shows it can be the adult in the room, with measured OCR response
Brent Edwards (NBR): Finance Minister stark choice for voters in this year’s election (paywalled)
Grant Duncan: National or Labour: who’s gonna grow your economy?
Brian Easton (Pundit): The Economic Runup To The Election
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Herald): Labour is in a pickle over economy (paywalled)
Mike Williams (Herald): ‘It’s the economy, stupid’ – where the election will be won and lost is the same as always (paywalled)
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): High bar’ on further rate rises, says Reserve Bank deputy governor
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): OCR hits its peak: Where do we go from here?
Michael Neilson (Herald): Cost of living: Debt to MSD balloons to $2.4 billion, Working for Families debt rises 25 per cent in a year (pawyalled)
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): Anti-poverty groups call out Working For Families overhaul delays
Giles Dexter (RNZ): Greens say benefit sanctions on people with children mainly used on women and Māori
Stewart Sowman-Lund (Spinoff): Work and Income staffer took fake ‘meth’ to ‘cultural diversity’ morning tea
RNZ: Nelson budgeting service expands as cost of living crisis deepens
Damien Venuto (Herald): The Front Page: How much tax change could cost the average Kiwi trust
Robin Oliver (NBR): Making sense of the tax debate – what we can learn from research (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): NZ First’s promise to boost regional development funding (paywalled)
PARLIAMENT, WEEK IN POLITICS
Sasha Borissenko (Herald): All but four MPs have property interests (paywalled)
Anna Whyte (Post): Public Service Watch: PM to head south for gaming rebate details (paywalled)
Glenn McConnell (Post): Hang on … What? National and Labour back on the backtracks (paywalled)
Peter Wilson (RNZ): The Week in Politics: Reserve Bank raises OCR, Budget reaction continues
Herald: Beehive Diaries: Inflation hits Chris Hipkins, a roadie for Chris Luxon and a late sprint to win Chris of the Week (paywalled)
Johnny Blades (RNZ): Disability access a work in progress for parliament
Gray Gibson: Newshub Nation Backstory: Rural as they come – ACT MP Mark Cameron shares his love story and experiences with depression
Nicky Pellegrino (Woman’s Day): MP & mum Arena Williams: it’s a labour of love
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Andrea Vance (Post): The rise (and rise) of Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau (paywalled)
Andrea Vance (Stuff): The real reason Tory Whanau missed an important mayors’ meeting
RNZ: Gore District Council exec misled media on councillor’s discussions about mayor Ben Bell
Rachael Kelly (Stuff): Wellington lawyer Linda Clark to carry out Gore District Council’s independent review
Vaneesa Bellew (Spinoff): A Gore-y assignment for Linda Clark
Rachael Kelly (Stuff): Gore’s council to consider petition asking for its chief executive to resign
Jill Herron (Newsroom): Democracy behind closed doors
Carl Morgan (Newsroom): Now’s not the time for budget cuts on climate
Justin Wong (Post): Porirua rural ratepayers paying for water they don’t use in rates increase (paywalled)
Brendon McMahon (Local Democracy Reporting): New West Coast plan further delayed
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Thomas Manch (Post): Foreign Minister heads to South Korea, as countries vie for Pacific attention (paywalled)
Thomas Manch (Post): Five Eyes countries issue warning about Chinese cyber spying (paywalled)
K Gurunathan (Stuff): China’s move from cosy mayoral forums to distant acquaintances
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): The China Tightrope: War on our doorstep?
Stuff: There does seem to be a real fear of offending the Chinese government’
Anneke Smith (RNZ): Hipkins juggles competing ideologies over PNG-US deal
Kirk Hope (Post): New Zealand has entered a new chapter in world trade (paywalled)
RNZ: Papua rebels threaten to shoot New Zealand hostage if denied talks
Catherine Delahunty (E-Tangata): The war we ignore
BUSINESS
Susan Edmunds (Post): Auckland business chased for $46,000 in Covid payments
Kate MacNamara (Herald): Commerce Commission’s reach into grocery fuelled by new money and staff (paywalled)
Terry Baucher (Spinoff): How NZ plans to force tech giants to finally pay their taxes
Fair Go: Why don’t Kiwis have the ‘right to repair’ faulty goods?
RNZ: Consumer confidence ‘extremely low’ amid rising rates
Brianna Mcilraith (Post): Businesses told to act on slavery, even without legislation (paywalled)
ENVIRONMENT
Olivia Caldwell (Stuff): The Whole Truth: Did the ‘ute tax’ stop us buying gas guzzlers?
Jaime Lyth (Herald): Ministry for the Environment CEO flying from Hawke’s Bay to Wellington once a week
RNZ: Current efforts to reduce NZ’s excessive aviation emissions not enough, researchers say
Gianina Schwanecke, Tatiana Gibbs and Gabrielle McCulloch (Stuff): School Strike 4 Climate: Students call-out corporate greenwashing, Government inaction
Tania Page (1News): Culling cats: ‘Destructive pests’ or ‘really important pets’?
EDUCATION
Simon Shepherd and Gray Gibson (Newshub Nation): Early childhood centre director Kelly Seaburg concerned Budget 2023 funding could compromise quality of care
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Labour MP Michael Wood defends early childhood Budget announcement after intense backlash from sector
Adam Pearse (Herald): Explainer: Why offering free 2-year-old childcare is sending the education sector into a tailspin
David Hill (Local Democracy Reporting): School principals call attendance targets ‘unrealistic’
RNZ: Primary school teachers call off proposed strike action
RNZ: Victoria University: Lack of government funding blamed for proposed job cuts
Katherine Rich (Post): University of Otago’s rebrand is costly and ill-timed (paywalled)
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Hackers selling access to school IT systems, cyber security firm says
David Farrar: Academics don’t feel free to speak up
Tara McAllister (E-Tangata): 50 reasons there are no Māori in your science department
LOAFERS LODGE FIRE TRAGEDY
Colin Peacock (RNZ): The long game of investigating Loafers Lodge disaster
David Cohen (RNZ): How Mike Wahrlich became ‘the juggler’, and the lessons it leaves us
Kate Nicol-Williams (1News): Wellington juggler Mike Wahrlich fondly remembered at funeral
1New: Police confirm death toll from Loafers Lodge fire remains at five
HEALTH
Vincent So (Post): Ban these e-cigarettes for the good of the environment and your lungs
Luka Forman (RNZ): Psychologist group warns not enough youth and child specialists to meet growing demand
James Perry (Whakaata Māori): Mental health system at breaking point – experts
1News: Nurses to hold stop work meetings after Te Whatu Ora offer
Dale Husband (E-Tangata): Professor Terryann Clark: This is where the gold is
TE REO MĀORI
Rayssa Almeida (RNZ): Nats need to ‘go back to school’ over bilingual sign criticism – Māori Party
Maddisyn Jeffares (Hawke’s Bay Today): Hastings’ bilingual road signs: Public opinion divided
James Kierstead (Open Inquiry): Why Māori is like Latin
TRANSPORT
Phil Pennington (RNZ): New billboards at Wellington train stations have cameras in them – but they won’t be activated, council says
Erin Gourley (Post): LGWM accused of ‘stalling and obfuscating’ over Johnsonville consultation (paywalled)
Graeme Moore (Stuff): Case for Picton as the large ferry hub doesn’t stack up
CRIME
Logan Church (1News): Police foot patrols up 220% in Auckland CBD as crime levels soar
1News: Newmarket businesses install CCTV cameras with direct line to cops
Bruce Cotterill (Herald): The key to beating the crime wave: More police on our streets (paywalled)
OTHER
Thomas Cranmer: John Tamihere and the Waipareira Trust
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Government rejected Spark’s offer to invest millions in disaster-proofing networks
Corazon Miller (1News): Electoral Commission works with recruiter over Census workers’ complaints
Aroha Mane (Whakaata Māori): Te Whakatōhea Settlement: A moment to celebrate, mourn and look to the future
RNZ: Te Whakatōhea’s decades-long claim finally settled, on anniversary of Treaty signing
RNZ: Greyhound racing ban will add to rehoming challenges – adoption group
Hayden Donnell (RNZ): Mediawatch: An hour of Gower
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Fire and Emergency accused of using ‘spin through’ local planning
RNZ: Nationwide test of the emergency mobile alert today
Ngapera Riley (E-Tangata): Māori data is a taonga
1News: Temporary cabins arrive in cyclone-stricken Wairoa – but not enough
