NZ Politics Daily - 21 February 2018
21 February 2018
Today's content
Below are the links to the items online. The full text of these items are contained in the PDF file (click to download).
National Party
Dominion Post Editorial: National MPs are fighting over a poisoned chalice
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Taxpayers Union's Jordan Williams' personal email connected to Judith Collins website
Barry Soper (Herald): Doing the numbers in political leadership race is futile
Fran O’Sullivan (Herald): Multi-talented Steven Joyce has nose in front
Gwynn Compton (Libertas Digital): Calls for generational change out of step with aging electorate
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): Five go to Wellington: the National battle boat fills up
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): How caucus should vote on the leadership
Bob McCoskrie: The Next Leader of the National Party – Where Do They Stand On Key Family Issues?
Bernard Hickey (Newsroom): National deputy leadership will also go to vote
Claire Trevett (Herald): Leader and deputy on table in crowded National race
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): National's deputy job up for grabs
Claire Trevett (Herald): National Party MP Paula Bennett: Auckland important but gender irrelevant
Lloyd Burr (Newshub): The bloody past of National leadership contender Mark Mitchell
Newshub: National leadership hopeful Mark Mitchell on gay marriage and war
Nicky Hager:Dirty Politics Chapter 9: Simon Lusk’s plan
Daniel Couch (Spinoff): Why aspiring National leader Mark Mitchell’s war-for-profit past matters
Ella Prendergast (Newshub): 'I'm backing myself' - Steven Joyce announces National leadership bid
Newshub: Don Brash: Judith Collins is the right person for this job
Newshub: National needs MMP-savvy leader, claims David Seymour
TVNZ: Jacinda Ardern refuses 'passing judgement' on crowded National Party leadership race
Government
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Jacinda Ardern expects CPTPP text to be released on Wednesday
RNZ: Chris Hipkins slams Ministerial Services for overpayments
RNZ: Ardern, Peters mistakenly overpaid for accommodation
Newswire: Ardern, Peters overpaid by $21K
Herald: PM Jacinda Ardern and deputy PM Winston Peters overpaid by $21k
Audrey Young (Herald):'Hilarious!' Jacinda Ardern reacts to her name being mis-spelt on Labour plaque
David Loughrey (ODT): Clare Curran to brush up on proof reading
Claire Trevet (Herald): NZ First leader Winston Peters re-elected, deputy vote next week
Anna Bracewell-Worrall (Newshub): NZ First's quiet leadership non-contest could heat up
Bill Ralston (Listener): When governments tear themselves apart
Lobbying
Bryce Edwards (Herald): The Government's revolving door for lobbyists
Peter Cresswell (Not PC): NZ's new aristocracy of pull
Anne-Marie Brady and NZ-China relations
Anne-Marie Brady (Herald): New Zealand v China - 'We could be the next Albania'
NZ Herald editorial: SIS needs to tell us who was behind Brady break-ins
Matt Nippert (Herald): Police back on China expert's burglary case after PM expresses concern
Philip Matthews (Stuff): PM to follow up break-in at house of academic studying China's power
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): So why won’t Kiwis talk about Chinese influence over NZ?
Russell McVeagh, women in law
Melanie Reid and Sasha Borissenko (Newsroom): Law firm not told of complaints against solicitor
Michelle Duff (Stuff): Hey, Russell McVeagh. Why don't you teach lawyers to stop harassing women?
Rhonda Powell (Press): Women outnumber men in the law. So why does gender bias persist
Child welfare, poverty, inequality
Rob Stock (Stuff): Why it's so expensive to be poor
Laura Walters (Stuff): NZ in a position to help lower 'concerning' newborn mortality rates in the Pacific
Transport
Edward Gay (RNZ): Revealed: Hundreds of drivers lose licences after bribery scandal
Stuff: Licence bribery scandal - hundreds of drivers lose licences
Education
Simon Collins (Herald): Chris Hipkins' plan to rein in schools competing for students
Jo Moir (Stuff): Government to announce education reforms on a scale not seen since 1989
Jo Moir (Stuff): Convincing parents it's time for substantial education reform won't prove easy
Laura Walters (Stuff): National complains to Auditor-General about Government's handling of partnership school issue
Richard Harman (Politik): Hipkins praises private training establishments
Richard Shaw (Herald): Arts degrees teach what today's employers seek
Regional development
Jane Patterson (RNZ): Final sign-off for Regional Development Fund
Teuila Fuatai (Newsroom): Embattled provinces look to regional fund
Obesity
Herald: Business Debate: Should NZ introduce a sugar tax?
Anna Bracewell-Worrall (Newshub): David Seymour fat-shames politicians in bizarre defence of Dancing With The Stars
Newstalk ZB: David Seymour fat-shames fellow politicians
Environment and primary industries
RNZ: Controversial EPA scientist steps down
Stuff: EPA chief scientist Jacqueline Rowarth resigns position to take up education role
Charlie Mitchell and Tim Newsman (Stuff): Southland school's water at risk by expanding dairy farm, Education Ministry says
Che Baker (Stuff): Blue Sky Meats fined $116,000 for unlawfully discharging meat works' effluent
Robin Martin (RNZ): Farmers face hefty riparian planting bills
Gerard Hutching (Stuff): The world is eating more meat, not less, and that's set to continue
Andrew McGiven (Stuff): Converting cows to forestry stands unlikely to support a growing population
Alexa Cook (RNZ): Tree goal will require better govt communication – consultant
Media
Herald: Fairfax's NZ arm has announced it will close or sell 28 mastheads.
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Stuff to close some community and rural newspapers as part of shift to digital
Tim Murphy (Newsroom): Media giants: Taxpayers can pay for plurality
Stuff: Three's The Nation announces return, rebrands as Newshub Nation
Housing
Chris Harrowell (Manakau Courier): Independent report examines state of New Zealand's housing sector
Rebecca Howard (BusinessDesk): NZ's housing-related imbalances set to peak in 2018
Jamie Gray (Herald): Economic risk from rising house prices and higher borrowing likely peaked: S&P
Auckland
Bernard Orsman (Herald): Phil Goff puts brakes on business class travel as council executives rack up $520,000 on overseas trips
Simon Wilson (Herald): Auckland Council to close Waitakere Ranges
RNZ: Kauri dieback: Council committee votes for more closures
Bernard Orsman (Herald): Aucklanders to have say on regional petrol tax before knowing how it will be spent
Brian Rudman (Herald): Cheap fares would tackle Auckland's transport prices better than road tolls
Todd Niall (RNZ): America's Cup Village: What's the plan?
Local government
RNZ: Local councils slammed for failing to supply information
Jonathon Howe (Stuff): The popular decision may not always be the right decision
Benedict Collins (RNZ): Lobby group confident in fighting Māori wards
David Williams (Newsroom): Debt keeps Christchurch’s mayor up at night
Collette Devlin (Dominion Post): Council ponders enforcement action for Wellington building owners on its 'red list'
State Services Commission
Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): State Services Commission spends almost $10,000 per employee on office refit
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Government spends almost half a million dollars on new furniture
Other
Rachel Stewart (Herald): For every confronting movie like Three Billboards there's someone ready to take offence
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Banks didn't agree to cut fees at same time, association says
Rukuwai Tipene-Allen (Māori TV): Over $1mil to Te Tai Rāwhiti for te reo Māori
ODT Editorial: The rights of rodeos and animals