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.
NZ Politics Daily: 30 August 2023
Today’s content
NATIONAL’S TAX POLICY, DONATIONS, PITCH TO BUSINESS
1News: National’s tax plan: ‘Help on the way’ for ‘squeezed middle’ – Luxon
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): National’s tax plan offers average household with kids $250 and Kiwi worker $50 a fortnight
Thomas Manch and Luke Malpass (Post): Families in line for $250 a fortnight under National tax cut package (paywalled)
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): National’s tax policy teaser: Christopher Luxon reveals how much cash ‘squeezed middle’ could get under highly-anticipated fiscal plan
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Chris Hipkins calls National ‘desperate’ for trying to find four new taxes to pay for cuts
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Analysis: The Finance Minister’s tricky move ahead of National tax plan
Tova O’Brien (Stuff): National gets the parliament guessing over how it will pay for tax cuts
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): Targeting Big Weet-Bix and mega-churches could be the shrewdest election play yet
RNZ: National to propose new ‘revenue measures’ to pay for income tax cuts
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Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): National frontbencher backs big party donor in $138m case against housing agency
RNZ: National confirms it would reinstate 90-day trials
Ireland Hendry-Tennent (Newshub): Christopher Luxon says National will keep 10 days sick leave if elected, bring back 90-day trials
Jonathan Mitchell (NBR): Christopher Luxon’s pitch to business (paywalled)
GOVT SPENDING CUTS
Gordon Campbell: On using contractors as an election bogey
Michael Reddell: Fiscals and elections
Bernard Hickey (The Kākā): Budget cuts to beat profit-driven inflation
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Chris Hipkins denies spending cuts a reaction to negative polling despite saying in April he’s not ‘willing to oversee that kind of austerity’
Marc Daalder Newsroom): Labour’s mixed messages on ‘communication breakdown’ with Greens
RNZ: Checkpoint: Finance minister apologises for failing to flag climate cuts
Giles Dexter (RNZ): Grant Robertson offers apology to James Shaw over climate fund cuts
Anna Whyte (Post): Public service in the firing line of political cost-cutting (paywalled)
Gianina Schwanecke (Post): Education Ministry tasked with finding $70m in savings (paywalled)
Dileepa Fonseka (BusinessDesk): Govt’s spending cuts don’t go far enough: economists (paywalled)
Bridie Witton and Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Opposition claims plan to cut $4 billion cut from public services is ‘not credible’
ELECTION
Richard Prebble (Herald): Why the non-voter will lead to Labour’s worst defeat (paywalled)
Damien Venuto (Herald): The Front Page: Coalition of fear v coalition of chaos – politicians stoke fear as attack lines fly
Herald Editorial: Finger-pointing in a tight race (paywalled)
Audrey Young (Herald): National’s big tax test looms as Government tightens purse strings (paywalled)
Adam Pearse (Herald): Winston Peters sounds alarm on Act’s proposed changes to superannuation
1News: Seymour says ACT MP no longer believes climate change a hoax
Dileepa Fonseka (BusinessDesk): The ‘heckling’ for clarity over National’s policy around NZ First will continue (paywalled)
Brigitte Morten (NBR): Blue rinse brigade backs perennial politician (paywalled)
Newshub: AM host Ryan Bridge grills Chris Hipkins on working with Winston Peters in 2017 after ruling New Zealand First out for 2023
Haimona Gray (Spinoff): Is there such a thing as a wasted vote?
Gaurav Sharma (RNZ): Asian lawmakers eye greater representation in Parliament on back of list rankings
1News: Luxon’s encounter with man on fence immortalised with memes
Bill Hickman (RNZ): ‘Planet Key’ songwriter Darren Watson takes aim at Parliament ahead of election
ILAM
Daily Blog: Taxpayers’ Union Ilam Election debate hosted by The Working Group
Dan Brunskill (Interest): New poll shows TOP’s Raf Manji tied for second place in Ilam seat
Dileepa Fonseka (BusinessDesk): Ilam poll shows Raf Manji and TOP victory ‘possible’ but tough
Caley Callahan (Newshub): The Opportunities Party polling third in Christchurch’s Ilam, cutting off path to Parliament
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): National way ahead in Ilam, denting TOP’s chances of entering Parliament
RNZ: Christchurch’s Ilam electorate swings back to National, according to latest poll
PARLIAMENT, NAME SUPPRESSION
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Parliament sorts out naughty MPs, suspending Rawiri Waititi and censuring Tim van de Molen
Amelia Wade (Newshub): Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi struts stuff in fashion show as Speaker suspends him from Parliament
Russell Palmer (RNZ): Rawiri Waititi suspended from Parliament over comments
1News: Rawiri Waititi suspended from Parliament for 24hrs over comments
Jamie Ensor ()Newshub): Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi suspended from Parliament for day over comment
Adam Pearse (Herald): National MP Tim van de Molen censured by Parliament for threatening behaviour
RNZ: National MP Tim van de Molen censured by Parliament
RNZ: The House: First, dissolve your Parliament
Johnny Blades (RNZ): The House: A week to wrap up Parliament
Joel Maxwell (Stuff): Māori at the receiving end of flaky logic when it comes to suppression
Edward Gay (Stuff): Name suppression: How the uniquely Kiwi ‘hush hush policy’ became law and morphed over a century
CRIME
Derek Cheng (Herald): Government’s plan to tackle ram raids violates the rights of children, says attorney-general
Newshub: Attorney-General David Parker says Labour’s plan to tackle ram raiders violates rights of children
RNZ: Bill targeting ram raid offending passes first reading
Herald Editorial: Foiled attempts to curb offenders’ home detention must be rectified (paywalled)
ECONOMY, COST OF LIVING
Eric Crampton (Newsroom): Those who blame rising costs on ‘greedflation’ haven’t got a cluedo
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Oh look at that, Greedflation just like TDB argued!
Brianna Mcilraith (Stuff): We tracked grocery prices for one year, here’s how they’ve changed
1News: NZ at risk of falling into deeper recession – IMF
Stuff: Warning over household debt, current account deficit as NZ maintains AA+ rating
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): The weather is a scapegoat for our ineptitude
Ireland Hendry-Tennent (Newshub): Job listings fall as applications per ad hit all-time high – SEEK data
MIGRANT WORKERS, IMMIGRATION
Lucy Xia (RNZ): Migrants with visas linked to employers under investigation told not to come to NZ
RNZ: Buildhub disputes claims migrant workers not given jobs, hours
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Things go from bad to worse to catastrophic for Minister Little, thankfully no one is paying attention
Giles Dexter (RNZ): Te Pāti Māori apologises to refugees and migrant communities for ‘harmful narratives’
Ripu Bhatia (Stuff): Government unmoved on ‘ableist’ immigration policy despite UN critique
RNZ: Aupito reveals the reservations he helped PM overcome for raids apology
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Charlotte Graham-McLay (Guardian): New Zealand: bill to allow under-18s to vote in local elections passes first hurdle
Erin Gourley (Post): Dissatisfaction with Wellington council remains high (paywalled)
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland Council reports $1b surplus, thanks to savings and one-off gains
Matthew Martin (Waikato Times): South Waikato District Council goes live while others lag behind(paywalled)
Gavin Beattie (Northern Advocate): How can councils be more representative of their communities?
RNZ: Dunedin mayor urges Strath Taieri Community Board chairperson to resign over racist slur
Hamish McNeilly (Stuff): ‘Appalled by your behaviour’ – complaint against community board chair upheld over racist slur
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland Council sticks with First Past the Post voting system
EXTREME WEATHER
Michael Morrah (Newshub): Kieran McAnulty holds urgent meeting with emergency officials following Newshub investigation
Michael Morrah (Newshub): Cyclone Gabrielle: Emergency text urging evacuation sent to Eskdale residents nine hours too late
Tom Taylor (RNZ): Cyclone-hit Muriwai residents receive initial risk categories
RNZ: More uncertainty for some Muriwai residents as Auckland Council categorises storm-damaged homes
CLIMATE CHANGE, ENVIRONMENT
ODT Editorial: Making climate change an issue (paywalled)
Frances Cox Wright (Post): Rangatahi seat at the climate table no longer optional for Aotearoa (paywalled)
Hanna McCallum (Stuff): Three charged after huge traffic delays caused by rail protesters
RNZ: Hauraki Gulf: Government proposes ban on bottom trawling for most of marine park
HOUSING
Tom Hunt (Post): $433 a night for emergency accommodation (paywalled)
Mary Williams (ODT): City’s homelessness ‘devastating’
Jessica Roden (1News): New online tool reveals 25 years of property disaster claims
TRANSPORT, INFRASTRUCTURE
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Let’s Get Wellington Moving put out of its misery (paywalled)
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Why you can’t drive 110km/h on Transmission Gully (paywalled)
Libby Kirkby-McLeod (RNZ): Te Huia the only train service sanctioned over ‘signal passed at danger’ events
Debbe Jamieson (Post): Proposed Central Otago airport could host 3.6 million passengers and operate 24 hours a day (paywalled)
RNZ: Controversial proposed Tarras Airport preferred runway alignment revealed
Jill Herron (Newsroom): Clash over Tarras airport opposition claims
Peter de Graaf (RNZ): Kaitāia Airport saved from closure after iwi negotiates to buy land
DIGITAL SERVICES TAX
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Government dusts off plan for new revenue tax on multinational technology giants
Chris Keall (Herald): Grant Robertson’s digital services tax on Big Tech ‘a drop in the ocean’ (paywalled)
RNZ: Government unveils digital services tax aimed at multinationals
EDUCATION
The Facts: 15% of Kiwi kids now leaving school without any NCEA qualification
Liam Rutherford (Herald): Time to get politicians out of our schools (paywalled)
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Officials want even more job cuts at Te Pūkenga, briefing shows
Martien Lubberink (Newsroom): What NZ universities can learn from US banking’s recent woes
Rob Kidd (ODT): Diversion offered if damage paid for (paywalled)
Tova O’Brien (Stuff): The wasted taxpayer money being spent storing obsolete face masks for schools
HEALTH
Fiona Ellis (ODT): Hospital’s radiology dept high risk — review (paywalled)
Public Health Communications Centre: NZ falling behind on international rules to protect kids from food marketing
Clare Halford (Spinoff): It’s been legal for years, but medicinal cannabis users are still being penalised
OTHER
Ian Powell: Context of the ‘New Washington Consensus’ and China ‘threat’ for New Zealand
Shanti Mathias (Spinoff): The misery of Marylands
Sandra Conchie (Herald): Complaint about Julian Batchelor’s ‘Stop Co-Governance’ booklet referred to police (paywalled)
Paul Gorman (Herald): Revealed: What sparked the MetService-Niwa weather forecasting review (paywalled)
Simon Plumb (Stuff): TVNZ backs down, agrees to explain why it tried to frame Kamahl Santamaria’s scandal as a ‘family emergency’
