Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.  Click here to subscribe to Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup and New Zealand Politics Daily.

Today’s content

China and New Zealand
Bryce Edwards (The Guardian): Ardern’s speech was not an attack on China, or even a shift away from Beijing
Justin Giovannetti (Spinoff): Nanaia Mahuta’s China dilemma and the future of New Zealand diplomacy
Geoffrey Miller (Democracy Project): Something for everyone in Ardern’s speech on China
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Political, economic China perspectives collide at summit
Michael Neilson (Herald): Greens, Labour undecided over Uyghur motion calling for declaration of ‘genocide’ in Xinjiang, China
Richard Harman: Clark and Key advise Ardern on China (paywalled)
Liam Dann (Herald): Ex-NZ Prime Ministers Sir John Key and Helen Clark push back on China critics (paywalled)
Tess McClure (The Guardian): New Zealand’s differences with China becoming ‘harder to reconcile’, Jacinda Ardern says
Jane Patterson (RNZ): Jacinda Ardern: ‘There are some things on which China and NZ and will not agree’
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Ardern: NZ-China differences need not ‘derail’ relationship
Tina Morrison (Stuff): PM calls on China to act in a way consistent with its growing power
Herald: NZ-China relations: Jacinda Ardern – there are some things we will not agree on
Newstalk ZB: Sir John Key: New Zealand allowed a different stance on China to Five Eyes
Praveen Menon (Reuters): New Zealand’s Ardern says differences with China becoming harder to reconcile
Anna Whyte (1News): ‘There can be no guarantees’ in New Zealand’s relationship with China – Ardern
Zane Small (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern’s ‘grave concern’ for Uighurs: New Zealand-China differences ‘becoming harder to reconcile’
Brent Edwards (NBR): Reconciling opposing views in managing the China relationship (paywalled)
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): ‘Internal Chinese matters should not be interfered with’ – Wu (paywalled)
Grant Wilson (Australian Financial Review): New Zealand’s engagement with China is clear-eyed
1News: Concern 98 new buses headed to Wellington are linked to forced Uyghur labour in China
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): NZ visa contract switched ‘at behest of’ Beijing police

He Puapua document and the National Party
Jack Vowles (Newsroom): Opaque response to Māori governance advice undermines confidence
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Shaken and stirred: The left reacts to Judith Collins’ race-based politicking
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Collins raised questions Govt must answer – but her speech was desperate
Michael Neilson (Herald): He Puapua explained: Discussion over Māori self-determination report ‘disappointing’ – author
Michael Neilson (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern responds over Māori self-determination report He Puapua
Zane Small (Newshub): National’s Judith Collins predicts greater co-governance for Māori under Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
Zane Small (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern accuses Judith Collins of using Māori co-governance concerns to pick up in polls
Katie Scotcher (RNZ): He Puapua report Collins called ‘divisive’ meant to create unity, author says
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says Judith Collins raises ‘separatism’ claims due to low polling
Gordon Campbell: On Collins’ desperation, and Joe Biden’s left-wing image
Martyn Bradbury (Waatea News): National’s scream of segregation vs my Maori journey as a Pakeha
Michael Bassett: National, Labour and He Puapua

NBR List
Emile Donovan (RNZ): The Rich List – with added philanthropy
Maria Slade (NBR): New focus on profit and purpose (paywalled)
Nicola Shepheard (NBR): Giving it up for Aotearoa: The future of philanthropy (paywalled)
Tim Hunter (NBR): Top 10 countdown (paywalled)
Herald: NBR list 2021: What’s changed? Who’s in? Who’s out?
ODT: New NBR List puts equal focus on profit, purpose
1News: Graeme Hart is still New Zealand’s richest man, according to latest NBR list
Priscilla Dickinson (Newshub): NBR List: The top Kiwi wealth creators of 2021
Newshub: Who is the country’s richest?

Welfare and inequality
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Carmel Sepuloni promises massive boost to Jobseeker benefit – but won’t say when
Joe Boon (Stuff): How the welfare system forced me out of work and fuelled my shame
1News: Over 200,000 early welfare benefit payments have been paid in last three months, figures show
Anna Whyte (1News): Beneficiaries, people with disabilities still waiting for action on welfare system
1News: Disability community ‘losing hope’ over Govt’s lack of ‘transformational change’ — advocate

Free lunches in schools
Tom McRae (Newshub): PM Jacinda Ardern pours cold water on calls for free lunches at schools to tackle rising number of wagging kids
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): Free school lunches ‘screamingly obvious’ choice – Children’s Commissioner
Hannah Kronast (Newshub): What countries provide free school lunches – and should New Zealand follow suit?
No Right Turn: Government of kindness?

Housing crisis
Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Labour’s Māori caucus stoush with Housing Minister Megan Woods over Budget 2021
Dave Armstrong (Stuff): Welcome to The Mould Awards, Wellington’s gala night for property investors
Nita Blake-Persen (RNZ): MSD spends $5.5m on IT to charge for emergency housing
David Farrar: Nonsensical data

Health
Louisa Steyl (Stuff): Southern wait lists ‘criminal’, oncologist says
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Oncologist calls longest southern cancer waiting lists ‘shameful’, ‘criminal’
John Tamihere (Stuff): We already have a separatist healthcare system
Cherie Sivignon (Stuff): Little ‘not convinced’ DHB elected members provided sufficient local voice
Guyon Espiner (RNZ): Don’t play sick children off against each other – Children’s Commissioner tells Pharmac
Collin Tukuitonga (Newsroom): No new dawn for health without crucial roles for Māori and Pasifika
Ben Leonard (Newsroom): GP costs a ‘catastrophic’ failure for disabled Kiwis

Economy and work
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Only half promised shovel-ready jobs will be delivered
Liam Dann (Herald): Will unemployment rise? The real clues to the economy’s strength (paywalled)
David Hargreaves (Interest): Labour market ‘in a better place than anyone dared hope’
Anne Gibson (Herald): Four retirement bosses quit: Shakeup at top of listed sector (paywalled)

Immigration
Anna Whyte (1News): Inquiry launched into New Zealand’s immigration settings
RNZ: Faafoi on NZ’s future immigration policy
Greg Ninness (Interest): Government orders major inquiry into working-age immigration settings
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Government turns sights on immigration policy (paywalled)

Local government
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland Council’s budget survey reveals support, but avoids awkward detail
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Local Government code of conduct complaints have turned into a ‘monster’
Ethan Griffiths (Herald): ‘Be brave’: Rangitīkei District Council votes to establish Māori ward in time for 2022 elections

Covid and border
Brittney Deguara and Felippe Rodrigues (Stuff): Life is very much normal in New Zealand. Much of the world is on fire
Derek Cheng (Herald): Cook Islands travel bubble to begin on May 17 – PM Jacinda Ardern
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Cook Islands bubble: Negative for NZ tourism, positive for NZ wellbeing
Harry Lock (RNZ): More border workers face job losses for not getting vaccinated
Siouxsie Wiles (Spinoff): Are NZ MIQ facilities really four times more at risk of breach than Australia’s?

Media, communications and information
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): How well is the Parliamentary Press Gallery serving the public?
Gavin Ellis: Journalists do not play piano in a brothel

Kiri Allan
Mihingarangi Forbes (Newshub): Kiri Allan reveals she has 13 pct chance of surviving cervical cancer
Herald: Labour MP Kiri Allan shares the nasty comments she’s received amid cancer battle
Herald: Kiri Allan reveals grim cancer prognosis

Other
Henry Cooke and Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Deputy PM Grant Roberston setting up new ‘implementation unit’ to make sure Government policies actually happen
Chris Trotter (Interest): Redefining democracy
Nevil Gibson (NBR): Identity politics defuses May Day militancy (paywalled)
Russell Brown (Public Address): The drumbeat for reform gets louder
Herald: Mongrel Mob hui: Chief Human Rights Commissioner says declining their invitation would be ‘dereliction of duty’
Helene Wong (Stuff): 180 years of Chinese NZ history appear to count for nothing
Bernard Lagan (Listener/Herald): Myth v history: The uncomfortable truth about the Treaty of Waitangi (paywalled)
Anne Salmond (Newsroom): Iwi vs Kiwi: Beyond the binary