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
ELECTION, PARLIAMENT
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Tesla Recoil – Christopher Luxon ordered, then cancelled, taxpayer-funded Tesla, while criticising Tesla subsidies
Lloyd Burr (Newshub): National leader Christopher Luxon ordered, then cancelled, Tesla while criticising Government’s subsidy scheme
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Why Christopher Luxon may ride the whinging wave all the way to the Beehive
Felix Desmarais (1News): ‘I am a big patriotic Kiwi’: Luxon clarifies ‘whiny’ comments
Newshub: Christopher Luxon says it’s Labour that’s ‘wet and whiny’, there’s ‘nothing wrong’ with Kiwis
Tess McClure (Guardian): New Zealand opposition leader caught on hot mic calling country ‘negative, wet and whiny’
Newshub: Labour’s Willie Jackson demands Christopher Luxon apologise over ‘negative, wet, whiny’ comments
Anna Whyte (Post): National’s GE pledge could find political middle ground after turbulent past (paywalled)
Peter Gluckman (Post): Election year social cohesion straining at the seams in Aotearoa New Zealand (paywalled)
Farah Hancock and Guyon Espiner (RNZ): Christopher lucks in as the real Mr Chippy
Lloyd Burr and Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Video: Chris Hipkins and Christopher Luxon’s gaffes, walkbacks, climb-downs, ‘what I meant’ compilation
Stewart Sowman-Lund (Spinoff): The debate over ‘bottom lines’
Duncan Greive (Spinoff): A very strange afternoon hanging with NZ First and Grey Power
Brigitte Morten (NBR): Fragile constitutional framework conventions contravened (paywalled)
No Right Turn: More departmental interference?
Jem Traylen (BusinessDesk): Business of Government: advertising guidelines, proactive release stats and more… (paywalled)
TAX, GREENS’ TAX AND INCOME POLICIES
Damien Venuto (Herald): The Front Page: Greens co-leader Marama Davidson on ending poverty, Ian Taylor criticism and ‘dangerous’ Act Party
Ripu Bhatia (Stuff): Greens’ income guarantee would help disabled, Māori in poverty, advocates say
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): If Chris Hipkins rules out wealth tax, where does that leave the Greens?
Herald Editorial: Parting ways on tax reform (paywalled)
Maria Slade (NBR): The NBR List 2023: IRD report ‘exercise in rich people bashing’ (paywalled)
ELECTORAL REVIEW
Imogen Wells (Stuff): Newsable: the pros and cons of having the election every four years
Jacob Varghese (Stuff): How the review of our electoral laws may deprive migrants of the right to vote
MEDIA, RNZ PRO-RUSSIA EDITS CONTROVERSY
Gavin Ellis: Proof our newsrooms need a ‘second pair of eyes’
Daniel Dunkley (BusinessDesk): Online harm regulation causes media concern (paywalled)
Mark Jennings (Newsroom): Media shooting itself in the foot
Liam Hehir (Blue Review): Is… is the media okay? Can somebody check?
Herald Editorial: Credibility in the balance (paywalled)
Malcolm Evans (Daily Blog): Armistice or Armageddon?
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RNZ: RNZ appoints panel to investigate inappropriate editing of online stories
Charlie MItchell (Stuff): Inappropriate RNZ edits review expands to China, Israel stories
Raphael Franks (Herald): RNZ Russia edits: More changes to Reuters content found with Palestine, China, North Korea, Cuba, Taiwan, Syria stories also edited
Rachel Sadler (Newshub): RNZ’s edit scandal widens as evidence emerges of Israel-Palestine, China, transgender stories altered
Emma Clark-Dow (Stuff): Defence analyst warned about threat of Russian disinformation in NZ ‘for years’
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Sam Sachdeva (Guardian): As New Zealand reshapes ties with China, foreign interference must be brought out of the shadows
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): PM Chris Hipkins to visit China as it hits back at NZ over economic coercion joint statement
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): We shall see if Aukus heightens great power tensions – French ambassador
Ananish Chaudhuri (The Big Q): Can New Zealand educate its way to closer ties to India?
Jamie Gray (Herald): Waiting for China: NZ agriculture pins hopes on economic giant’s revival (paywalled)
JUSTICE, CORRECTIONS
Catrin Owen (Stuff): Report finds many prisoners have experienced solitary confinement, breaching human rights
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): ‘Significant number’ of New Zealand prisoners being held in solitary confinement for longer than two weeks – report
Tom Kitchin (RNZ): The Detail: Behind the story: Mr Lyttle Meets Mr Big
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Tim Hazledine (Herald): Auckland Council’s airport shares – the big question that wasn’t asked (paywalled)
Seni Iasona (Newshub): Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has ‘no intention’ of proposing double-digit rates rise as details emerge of what could lead to hike
Matthew Scott (Newsroom): Beware future shocks, portend Auckland Council staff
RNZ: Auckland Council to start contacting owners of storm-damaged homes
Lucy Thomson (Newshub): Auckland flood-affected homeowners ‘fed-up’ with lack of communication from Auckland Council
RNZ: Gore Council refuses petition calling for chief executive to resign
Rachael Kelly (Stuff): Anonymous letter circulated about Gore CEO Stephen Parry as petition for his resignation considered
Rachael Kelly (Stuff): Gore’s council to meet to consider petition calling on its CEO Stephen Parry to resign
Brendon McMahon (RNZ): West Coast Regional Council has ‘turned a corner’ – new CEO Darryl Lew
Jonah Franke-Bowell (Press): Councillor rues attending ratepayer meeting that descended into chaos (paywalled)
Mike Tweed (Herald): Whanganui District Council’s ‘warts and all’ review shows staff exposed to violence and aggression from public (paywalled)
CLIMATE CHANGE
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Dragging the gumboot: farmers win again on climate measures (paywalled)
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): National plan could halve NZ’s ambition on methane
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Farmers called Labour’s bluff ahead of the election
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Chris Hipkins says National ‘burying its head in the sand’ on climate change despite Labour not yet finalising emissions policy
Olivia Wannan (Stuff): One low-ball bid at an auction today could cost the Government half a billion
James Renwick: We’re at the starting blocks of climate action – here’s what the sprint looks like
CONSERVATION, FISHING INDUSTRY
Andrea Vance (Post): Fishing for trouble: Govt sets collision course with industry (paywalled)
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Government faces dilemma – and a court battle – over ocean sanctuary
Claire Trevettt (Herald): Major setback for Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary as iwi reject latest Government proposal
ECONOMY, COST OF LIVING
Gareth Hughes (Stuff): Economy’s too important to leave to economists
Rebecca Howard (BusinessDesk): Recession or no recession, it’s not looking flash (paywalled)
Mike Jones (Stuff): Recession is here, but that’s only part of the story
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Recession or not? It feels like it
William Hewett (Newshub): Cameron Bagrie says NZ needs ‘ruthless obsession’ to fix lower-than-expected tax revenue
Richard Prebble (Herald): Here’s how we can start closing the gap with Australia (paywalled)
Zane Small (Newsub): Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni visits KiwiHarvest food rescue event to see food insecurity herself
BUSINESS
Anne Gibson (Herald): Retirement village residents billed $100 for job replacing $5.80 toilet washer (paywalled)
Rebecca Stevenson (Interest): 2degrees ripped me off. Here’s how I got my money back
Karen Rutherford (Newshub): New administrators’ report into Mount Ruapehu ski fields reveals secret plans for their future
Tim Hunter (NBR): Govt to take 25% stake in ski fields under sale scheme (paywalled)
1News: Fate of future operations on Mt Ruapehu to be decided next week
Matt Nippert (Herald): The missing Employment Relations Authority member: Law Society, Opposition slam case logjam (paywalled)
Joseph Los’e (Herald): Lewis Road Creamery defends Matariki milk product amid criticism
Aimee Shaw (Stuff): Fragile’ retail sector now more challenged than Covid times
Eric Frykberg (Interest): A Business NZ commissioned report says NZ businesses aren’t using inflation as cover for opportunistic price rises
Jonathan Mitchell (NBR): Greedflation: Nothing to see here in NZ (paywalled)
Monique Steele (RNZ): Agribusiness leaders told communication key to overcoming economic anxiety
Kate McVicar (NBR): Future agri leaders frustrated sector sweeping issues under a rug (paywalled)
Jenny Ling (Herald): Boarding kennel industry ‘poorly regulated’ in New Zealand, SPCA says
EDUCATION
Gianina Schwanecke (Post): Former Te Pūkenga chief executive paid out close to $200,000 (paywalled)
Ananish Chaudhuri (Newsroom): The crisis in our universities
Fiona Ellis (ODT): University of Otago sculpture cost queries ‘culturally insensitive’: uni (paywalled)
Fiona Ellis (ODT): Polytech roll down by 9% (paywalled)
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Teachers have lost parents with ongoing strikes and risk National winning
Will Trafford (Whakaata Māori): Petition to expand school lunch programmes
Gianina Schwanecke (Post): Public Service Watch: Education in disarray as dissatisfaction up (paywalled)
Brooke van Velden (Herald): Kids deserve fair shot at education
TRANSPORT
Anneke Smith (RNZ): Public transport discount for under-25s hits snag
Brianna Mcilraith (Stuff): What will happen to fuel prices when the 25 cents-a-litre tax cut ends?
Tom Hunt (Stuff): Safety concerns before Cook Strait mayday, which had hospital on standby for mass casualties
INFRASTRUCTURE
Rob Stock (Post): Infrastructure report: Blueprint to recapture ‘nation’s founding spirit’ or ‘ideological rant? (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): What history of infrastructure means for future (paywalled)
FORESTRY
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Government putting rules around forestry conversions – finally delivering on first 2020 promise
RNZ: New rules for farm-to-forestry conversions
Will Trafford (Whakaata Māori): Henare moves to repurpose slash in wake of Gabrielle
Dan Brunskill (Interest): Labour tightens rules for carbon farming and gives local councils authority to decide where and when they’re permitted
Brent Edwards (NBR): Government to tighten rules on farm-to-forest conversions (paywalled)
Oliver Lewis (BusinessDesk): Government pushes controversial land-use decisions on to councils (paywalled)
GANGS
Megan Wilson (Herald): Ōpōtiki Mongrel Mob Barbarians death: 50 police officers sent to Ōpōtiki ahead of funeral in Whakatāne
Jo Lines-MacKenzie (Stuff): Over 100 police officers in Ōpōtiki for gang tangi
RNZ: Police boost presence for Mongrel Mob Barbarians president’s tangi
Maryana Garcia (Herald): Ōpōtiki Mongrel Mob Barbarians death: Gang impact on town ‘unacceptable’ – PM says
Rachel Sadler (Newshub): Ōpōtiki Mongrel Mob Barbarians death: Christopher Luxon says town ‘deserves better’ after it’s ‘overtaken’ by gang
Felix Desmarais (1News): ‘Hand-wringing’, ‘inaction’ on gangs over Ōpōtiki murder – National
Jo Lines-MacKenzie (Stuff): Ōpōtiki not ‘held to ransom’ amid gang tensions, mayor says
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Joseph Los’e (Herald): Corrections report paints Flaxmere community as ‘Mongrel Mob affiliated’
HEALTH
Hannah Martin (Stuff): ‘Gap’ in mental health access for young people, but strong relationships help
Hannah Martin (Stuff): Pre-teens who worried more during Covid-19 pandemic had worse quality of life – study
Christine Rovoi (Stuff): Pasifika, Māori prioritised as Govt launches roadmap to tackle rheumatic fever
Abbey Wakefield (1News): Regular drug checking clinics now open in 3 NZ cities
MIGRATION
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Migrants ‘fountain of youth’ for New Zealand workforce, economists say
Greg Ninness (Interest): The number of people arriving in NZ on work visas is almost back to 2019 record levels
RNZ: Net migration figures show gain of 72,300 people in year to April
Liam Dann (Herald): Migration still running hot as annual net gain tops 72,000 (paywalled)
TECHNOLOGY
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Govt quietly resets rules for public sector cloud use
Gianina Schwanecke (Post): Uni crackdown on online spelling and grammar tool as AI threat looms (paywalled)
Libby Kirkby-McLeod (RNZ): How will ChatGPT impact te reo Māori? Data sovereignty experts weigh in
OTHER
Chris Keall (Herald): Children’s data and privacy: Deputy Commissioner highlights NZ’s light penalties (paywalled)
Ethan Griffiths (Herald): Police Association boss and Opposition accuse Government of ‘misleading’ claims over its 1800 new ‘frontline’ police
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): National threatens PGF cuts after damning Auditor-General report
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): Electricity regulator pats itself on back for reducing risk of winter power cuts (paywalled)
Miriam Bell (Post): Was there a housing market bubble and has it burst? (paywalled)
Oliver Lewis (BusinessDesk): CTV building complaint hearing delayed again (paywalled)
George Block (Herald): Former political figure charged with historical abuse fighting to keep name secret, arguing it would become election issue
Kurt Bayer and Sam Sherwood (Herald): Man fired at targets of politicians, including Jacinda Ardern in video titled ‘Enemies spotted in the wild’
Jake Kenny (Stuff): Man recorded video of himself shooting targets of Jacinda Ardern
