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, TAX
Luke Malpass (Post): Voters to Labour: key govt services worse since 2020 – poll (paywalled)
Duncan Greive (Spinoff): The most popular political combo in NZ is Chris Hipkins as National Party leader
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Not In It For Them
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): ‘No advice’ on measures to prevent supermarkets pocketing GST exemption (paywalled)
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Labour would need to double key welfare promise to account for inflation
Ben Kepes (Post): Tax isn’t love, it’s something of greater long-term importance (paywalled)
Richard Prebble (Herald): Labour whale to sharks, Chris Hipkins to blame (paywalled)
Brigitte Morten (NBR): Getting the gist of GST (paywalled)
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Nicola Willis says Grant Robertson ‘probably needs a cup of tea and a lie down’, after Robertson calls her ‘liar’
Felix Desmarais (1News): Grant Robertson stands by comments Willis ‘lying’ over GST fiscal hole
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Labour unveils new parents package as Grant Robertson lets rip over Nicola Willis’ comment
Russell Palmer (RNZ): Labour ministers turn political disputes personal
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Grant Robertson, Willie Jackson’s personal attacks have ‘end of school year feel’, Christopher Luxon says
David Williams (Newsroom): TOP promises leg up for under-30s, with civic service on the side
David Farrar: Tamatha’s evolving story
Haimona Gray (Spinoff): This is already the fatigue election
1News: Te Pāti Māori offers $1500 reward over vandalised billboards
Todd Niall (Stuff): The unlikely name linked to NZ First’s new campaign office 

LOBBYING, DONATIONS
Murray Jones (BusinessDesk): The $17,000 club: bargain lobbying fee or good corporate citizenship? (paywalled)
Thomas Manch (Post): Major energy sector groups join forces to lobby politicians before election (paywalled)
Emma Hatton (Newsroom): National Party donations trio appeal convictions

PARLIAMENT
Jamie Ensor and Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Kiri Allan arrest: Timeline of Police Commissioner’s communications with Police Minister
Michael Neilson (Herald): National MP Sam Uffindell says quip about wife grocery shopping not sexist – ‘I work 80-odd hours’
1News: Sam Uffindell says wife gave him ‘stick’ over shopping remarks
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Time to ‘set the record straight’: Expect fireworks as retiring MPs say goodbye
Anna Whyte (Post): Bowing out: Labour MPs Paul Eagle, Marja Lubeck and Jamie Strange (paywalled)
BusinessDesk: Business of Government: Te Pūkenga breaches covenants, Aussies slam procurement panels and more… (paywalled)

EMPLOYMENT, BENEFITS
Lisa Meto Fox (Spinoff): Gender pay gap reporting puts Pākehā women ahead of Māori and Pacific workers
Brianna McIlraith (Stuff): Income growth remains strong for wage and salary earners – but no budge on gender pay gap
Liam Dann (Herald): Wage growth: Earnings up above cost of living to end of June quarter (paywalled)
David Hargreaves (Interest): Job ads are continuing to decline in the BNZ/SEEK Employment Report – suggesting that the anticipated sharp cooling in the labour market is beginning
David Farrar: Benefit numbers six years on
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): ‘We’ve paid taxes all our life’: Out of work, 63yo says it’s unfair he can’t get benefit

COST OF LIVING
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): ‘We live on bare basics’: 55% of New Zealanders struggling financially
RNZ: More than half of New Zealanders struggling financially – survey
Newshub: Cost of living: More than half of New Zealanders grappling with money – report
David Hargreaves (Interest): Households expect inflation to fall and house prices to rise
Eric Frykberg (Interest): New research shows a majority of New Zealand families struggling financially
Tom Taylor (RNZ): Free lunches seen as essential, despite uncertain future
Esther Taunton (Stuff): Lender writes off ‘unaffordable’ $14,000 car loan, repays fees and interest

OCR
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Stage set for test of Reserve Bank’s nerves on Wednesday
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): OCR on hold, but here’s why interest rates could still move

PAID PARENTAL LEAVE
Adam Pearse and Claire Trevett (Herald): National, Act differ on paid partner leave as Labour estimates uptake
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): On principle, it’s hard to argue with Labour’s paternity leave policy
1News: Labour promises Paid Partner’s Leave scheme, Nats say policy ‘rushed’
1News: ‘Whatever we can get’ – expert on Labour’s parental leave plan
1News: Taking paid parental leave together beneficial – mother
William Hewett (Newshub): Labour’s paid parental leave proposal takes away flexibility, costs more money, ACT’s Brooke van Velden says
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Chris Hipkins defends promise to increase paid parental leave despite blocking National’s Bill

COVID
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Covid-19: Don’t believe your lying eyes
ODT Editorial: Goodbye to Covid-19 and all that? (paywalled)
Danielle Clent (RNZ): Covid-19 restrictions dropped: What you need to know
RNZ: Covid-19 mandates end: GP group says some mask-wearing, self-isolation still important
1News: GPs say some mask-wearing, self-isolation still important
Herald Editorial: Last Covid 19 restrictions gone, protection now up to us (paywalled)
Farah Hancock (RNZ): Covid-19 data visualisations: NZ in numbers
Bill Hickman (RNZ): Judge reverses suspension of GP who shared misinformation about Covid-19 vaccine

HEALTH
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Patients suffered harm from years of services hamstrung by poor technology at Hawke’s Bay Hospital – report
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Te Whatu Ora releases damning report it previously used whistleblowing laws to keep secret
Ruth Hill (RNZ): Not enough trainees to replace thinning ranks of senior doctors – union
Don Rowe (Spinoff): ‘There’s no rehab’: Two tales of rural drug use, and the barriers to help

MIGRANT WORKERS
Trent Doyle (Newshub): Advocate says migrants living at overcrowded south Auckland house urgently need jobs, not food
Seni Iasona (Newshub): Immigration lawyer slams visa policy after alleged migrant abuse sparks major investigation
Nick Truebridge (Newshub): Four more Auckland properties under investigation for allegedly housing exploited migrants
Nick Truebridge (Newshub): Major criminal investigation after dozens of migrants discovered living in squalid Auckland home

TRANSPORT
Tom Hunt (Post): Let’s Get Wellington Moving’s big spend on consultants (paywalled)
Thomas Nash (Post): Rebuilding trust in Wellington’s public transport (paywalled)
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland’s unfinished transport business as another election cycle ends
David Burton (Post): Ferry Kaitaki’s troubles evoke thoughts of the Wahine, Pike River, and Whakaari White Island disasters (paywalled)

FOREIGN AFFAIRS
RNZ: China denies foreign interference claims made in SIS report
Imran Khalid (China Daily): New Zealand bent on perilous shift in defense policy
Geir Moulson (Stuff): German foreign minister scraps New Zealand visit after plane problems

HOUSING
1News: Foreign buyers ban: National announcement coming ‘shortly’ – Luxon
Amelia Wade (Newshub): National tightlipped on whether it might scrap foreign home-buyers ban
Greg Ninness (Interest): Housing market remained cool in July
Anne Gibson (Herald): Stalling at the lights: Low prices, FOMO and election can’t ignite property rebound (paywalled)
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland Council to reverse plans that have driven land speculation

CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY, EXTREME WEATHER
RNZ: Climate Minister calls Parliamentary inquiry into adaptation
Brent Edwards (NBR): The push for multi-party agreement on climate change adaptation (paywalled)
Greg Hurrell (BusinessDesk): Managed retreat compensation packages recommended (paywalled)
David Chaplin (BusinessDesk): NZ celebrates BlackRock week (paywalled)
Henry McMullan (1News): Hawke’s Bay whānau still living in marae six months after cyclone

CRIME
Anusha Bradley (RNZ): The rules and culture that keep offenders hidden from followers of the Jehovah’s Witness faith
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Hundreds of hate crimes initially slip through police net

LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Peter de Graf (RNZ): Whangārei Ōruku conference centre plans up in the air after funding withdrawn
Catherine Hubbard (Nelson Mail): Confidential council records digitalised and saved from the ‘f words’

MĀORI LAND
Tracy Neal (Open Justice): Nelson Tenths Reserves: Crown indicates it will baulk at handing out remedies for breaches over land deals
Craig Ashworth (Local Democracy Reporting): Final push for Taranaki maunga deal before election
Matthew Rosenberg (Local Democracy Reporting): Contentious lease granted on sacred East Coast land

OTHER
Frances Chin (Stuff): Inappropriate behaviour allegations before Corrections leader’s shock resignation
Eunice Gaerlan (The Conversation): Why a ban on cellphones in schools might be more of a distraction than the problem it’s trying to fix

OTHER
Graham Adams (Platform): Mainstream media mired in mistrust
Cécile Meier (BusinessDesk): Recycling ‘a fraud’ and food scraps collection ‘subsidised greenwashing’, landfill engineer says (paywalled)
Gareth Vaughan (Interest): Clock ticking if Labour’s proposed Business Growth Fund is to go ahead before the election
Gaurav Sharma (RNZ): New Zealand election dominates India’s 77th Independence Day celebrations
Tom Kitchin (RNZ): The Detail: Is fish the new farming frontier for New Zealand?