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
Peter Stahel (Guardian): Most say New Zealand is on the wrong track – can it avoid a drift to populism?
Charlotte Graham=McLay (Guardian): Guardian Essential poll New Zealand: National holds clear lead over Labour as election nears
Maiki Sherman (1News): Differences between National, ACT under the microscope
Derek Cheng (Herald): National sends signal to Act it won’t dump gun register; Act says it’s negotiable
Adam Pearse (Herald): Act’s David Seymour jokes he suspected TV journalist was ‘blazed’ before ‘tense’ interview
Susan Hornsby-Geluk (Post): How ACT’s policy could remove the right to reinstatement in employment cases (paywalled)
Jem Traylen (BusinessDesk): Business of Government: Act wants to stop work, the cost of campaign promises, and more… (paywalled)
Kerry Davies (Post): The cost of slashing the public service (paywalled)
Felix Desmarais (1News): No FIFA Women’s World Cup in NZ under ACT cuts – Robertson
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Act MP Simon Court admits being shot in the foot after friend’s drug deal when a teen, denies being involved in illicit activity
Craig Renney (Newsroom): National, tell us how your plans add up
Chris Trotter: The Dog That Doesn’t Bark
Brent Edwards (NBR): CTU apologises for mistake over $509 booklets (paywalled)
Emma Hatton (Newshub): Christopher Luxon almost gets message ‘Back on Track’
Herald: The Front Page: Is there really a $20 billion fiscal hole?
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): ‘Just rubbish’: Hipkins rejects idea of disunity on tax
Newshub: Chris Hipkins says Damien O’Connor should’ve used ‘different form of words’ on tax
David Farrar (Post): Beware the wounded government brandishing GST cuts as a weapon (paywalled)
Mihingarangi Forbes (RNZ): Mata: Kiri Allan’s downfall ‘saddest thing I’ve ever seen’ – Willie Jackson
Donna Chisholm (BusinessDesk): The former judge who is one of Labour’s biggest donors
Richard Prebble (Herald): Winston Peters and the politics of revenge (paywalled)
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): National need to rule NZ First out
Katie Harris (Herald): King’s Counsel patent lawyer says Green Party’s Barbie political memes could breach copyright
David Williams (Newsroom): New Conservative’s big idea is huge tax changes aimed at families with kids
Stewart Sowman-Lund (Spinoff): Inside the plan to stop a misinformation election
Spinoff: The secret reading history of James Shaw
Tara Ward (Spinoff): Thank you for doing the shopping, Sam Uffindell

CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): $2 billion fund can’t solve the problem in getting to 100% renewables
Dileepa Fonseka (BusinessDesk): Hipkins adds to climate confusion with $2b BlackRock fund (paywalled)
No Right Turn: Climate Change: Meh
Felix Desmarais (1News): ACT: 100% renewable electricity ‘a dumb idea’
Felix Desmarais (1News): Why Christopher Luxon welcomes the Govt’s ‘net zero’ fund
RNZ: BlackRock fund: No restrictions on where money comes from or international investment, Woods says
Eloise Gibson (Stuff): Government partners with US investment giant BlackRock on $2bn fund for solar, wind, hydrogen
1News: ‘Watershed moment’: Govt announces $2b ‘net zero’ fund
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Government teams up with US investment giant BlackRock to deliver new climate fund
RNZ: PM Hipkins hails $2b BlackRock climate investment fund for renewable energy
Dan Brunskill (Interest): Blackrock seeks $2 billion from investors to fund NZ’s transition to 100%
RNZ: Government and BlackRock aiming at 100% clean energy: What is BlackRock?
Madison Reidy (Herald): Clean energy in NZ: Why US$8.6 trillion BlackRock loves NZ (paywalled)
Shanti Mathias (Spinoff): What is BlackRock and why is it investing in New Zealand?
Catherine Groenestein (Taranaki Daily News): Taranaki likely to attract some of new $2b ‘net zero’ climate fund
ODT Editorial: Keeping our energy up (paywalled)
Jamie Morton (Herald): Scientists sound alarm over extreme events in Antarctica, NZ in ‘firing line’

HEALTH
Herald Editorial: Murky methods of tobacco merchants (paywalled)
Rachel Thomas (Post): Reti razes health minister over pledge to axe Māori Health Authority (paywalled)
Ian Powell: Health Minister must end privatised hospital laboratory “cash cow”
Felix Desmarais (1News): Ministers should be able to override health regulatory bodies – ACT
RNZ: ACT proposes Occupations Tribunal, ministerial overrides to tackle health shortages
Maia Hart (Local Democracy Reporting): ‘State of chaos’: Primary health boss seeks council support amid health reform
Janine Rankin (Manawatū Standard): Disgruntled primary health care leaders examine political candidates
Ian Powell (BusinessDesk): Is this the unhappiest workforce in New Zealand? (paywalled)
RNZ: Private practices responsible for nurse pay – PM Chris Hipkins
Ruth Hill (RNZ): Widening pay gap between GP and hospital nurses ‘extraordinarily distressing
Ruth Hill (RNZ): More GPs urgently needed, change recommended to primary care funding – report
Fiona Rotherham (NBR): Solutions for New Zealand’s GP crisis (paywalled)
Emma Hatton (Newsroom): Clock ticks for care and support pay equity deal
Alex Spence (Herald): Mental health: Shake-up of Wellington services promises better response for patients in crisis

ECONOMY, COST OF LIVING, PERSONAL FINANCE
Liam Dann (Herald): ANZ economists: Why the RBNZ will need to hike the OCR one more time (paywalled)
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Middle income feeling the squeeze: ‘They’re starting to struggle’
Delphine Herbert (RNZ): Petrol prices bite as government holds firm against bringing subsidy back
Jenée Tibshraeny (Herald): Govt decides buy now, pay later users won’t need to take affordability tests (paywalled)
Jenée Tibshraeny (Herald): CCCFA lending rules to be reviewed – again (paywalled)
Gareth Vaughan (Interest): Buy now pay later loans to be brought under CCCFA but exempt from affordability and suitability assessments

FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE
John Minto (Daily Blog): Andrew Little – banging the drums of war
Simon Ewing-Jarvie: National Security Strategy Documents Have Little Effect
Oliver Hartwich (Newsroom): Italy has left China’s Belt and Road Initiative – Luxon should consider why
RNZ: Japan to release treated wastewater in weeks

INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT
Timothy Welch (Newsroom): Road-heavy transport plans a bridge to nowhere
Sharon Brettkelly (RNZ): The Detail: Public private partnerships and big infrastructure projects
Anne Gibson (Herald): ‘Pitiful’ lack of progress: Just $1m of $1b-plus infrastructure fund spent (paywalled)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Tommy de Silva (Spinoff): What’s life like for Māori in Auckland – and how does it compare with other cities?
Matthew Scott (Newroom): How Auckland compares to its peers
Brigitte Morten (NBR): Ron Mark’s the Carterton council spot (paywalled)
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau puts her partying days behind her
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau overwhelmed with offers to look after her evicted dog Teddy
Gianina Schwanecke (Stuff): Wellington mayor considers rehoming beloved staffy that’s been banned from office
Melania Watson (Newshub): Experts say office environment not always appropriate for dogs
1News: What are the pros and cons of having pets in the workplace?
Lois Williams (Newsroom): Censured Greymouth councillor unrepentant
Joanne Naish (Stuff): Controversial councillor told to apologise after leaking information to media
Sue Teodoro (Local Democracy Reporting): Residents tell South Wairarapa Council to ‘do better’
Brendon McMahon (Local Democracy Reporting): Kaikōura District Council cans consultation group
Alisha Evans (Local Democracy Reporting): Waihī Beach Floods: Were the warnings heeded?

CRIME, POLICE
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Prime Minister Chris Hipkins doesn’t accept crime has become worse under his watch
RNZ: Te Pati Māori co-leader says she has no faith in report into police shooting of Kaoss Price
Lloyd Burr (Newshub): Police Minister Ginny Andersen takes dig at Australia over police recruitment campaign – but union not laughing

EDUCATION
Adan Pearse (Herald): National wants to ban phone use at school to fix declining achievement
William Hewett (Newshub): National confirms it wants to ban cell phone use from schools to fix declining rates of achievement
Erin Gourley, Lee Kenny and Anna Whyte (Post): National promises to ban cellphones in schools, including during breaks (paywalled)
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Christopher Luxon stumbles on spelling, doesn’t rule out banning mobile phones in schools
Gianina Schwanecke (Post): Public Service Watch: Decision on ‘final offer’ due today (paywalled)
Sean Phelan (Manawatū Standard): Academic freedom and the governance of the neoliberal university

BUSINESS
RNZ: Stress test finds life insurance industry in good shape to tackle crises
Gareth Vaughan (Interest): RBNZ describes results as reassuring after stress testing life insurers for first time
Nona Pelletier (RNZ): Businesses tipped to save $105m annually due to reduction in payment fees
1News: Commerce Commission warn businesses over high surcharge rates
Rebecca Stevenson (Interest): Competition watchdog says average merchant interchange fees fell by up to 18%
Cécile Meier (BusinessDesk): Rubbish industry warning over rise in cowboy operators (paywalled)

PRIMARY INDUSTRIES
Andrew Bevin (Newsroom): Fisheries plan ignores anti-bottom trawling protest
Richard Harman (Politik): Losing our farms (paywalled)
Sharon Brettkelly (RNZ): The Detai: The woes of wool
Chris Tobin (Timaru Herald): Long-time farming families object to council’s handling of Māori designations
RNZ: Piggery effluent polluting stream near Te Aroha – regional council

OTHER
Frances Chin (Post): Corrections leader quits Māori role (paywalled)
Jeremy Wilkinson (Herald): Former realtor and DHB worker Alister Thorby accused of dishonestly obtaining $1.4m of MIQ funding
RNZ: Serious Fraud Office to investigate use of targeted government funding on cyclone and flooding recovery
Karanama Ruru (Stuff): Crown efforts to manage invasive seaweed caulerpa will ‘destroy’ seabed – iwi
Mike White (Stuff): Crown appeals $450,000 mentally unwell payout to ‘Cuba St kisser’
Steve Kilgallon (Post): Why the Royal Commission’s report into child abuse horrors wasn’t the full story (paywalled)
Gianina Schwanecke (Stuff): Another Government building found to be earthquake prone
Lucy Xia (RNZ): Charity says message against talking to media was a ‘misunderstanding’