NZ Politics Daily - 15 April 2019
15 April 2019
Today's content
National Party leadership, parliament, parties
Richard Harman (Politik): Pressure increasing on Bridges leadership
Bryce Edwards (Herald): Political Roundup: Simon Bridges’ beleaguered leadership
Henry Cooke (Stuff): The magic number keeping Simon Bridges safe, for now
Audrey Young (Herald): Another lopsided week for Jacinda Ardern and Simon Bridges
Stacey Kirk (Stuff): MPs can’t turn off the politics, even when the doors are closed
David Farrar: An interesting poll
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Herald): After Christchurch terror, now it’s goodbye to hope and unity in politics
Sophie Bateman (Newshub): ’Heart of a leader and mother’: Hillary Clinton lavishes praise on Jacinda Ardern at New York summit
Phoebe Watt (Next): Why the star of Jacinda Ardern just keeps getting bigger and brighter
Point of Order: PM’s perfect pitch wins plaudits on the world stage and piles up political capital at home
Police
George Block (ODT: Forty percent of us flagged by police
Derek Cheng (Herald): Police charges for drug use still falling - except for methamphetamine
Tax
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Government ‘embarrassed’ by watered-down CGT policy - Simon Bridges
Jason Walls (Herald): National leader Simon Bridges says Government’s capital gains tax plans will be revealed next week
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Shane Jones drops capital gains tax clue
Chris Trotter: Making The Tradies Pay
Ryan Bridge (Newshub): Watered down capital gains tax on the cards
Terry Baucher (Interest): CGT criticisms, upcoming changes to online GST and loss ringfencing
Jason Walls (Herald): Taxpayers’ Union says two-thirds of Govt’s CGT revenue would come from higher than advertised rate as there was no inflation allowance
Andrew Harris (Stuff): Why a capital gains tax may not be that simple
Point of Order: Capital gains tax among the measures suggested by OECD to ease the plight of the middle classes
Free speech
LIstener Editorial: Guns aren’t a cornerstone of democracy, but free speech is
Phil Quin (Stuff): MP lacks credibility in urging hate speech law
Peter Gluckman (Herald): Today’s democracy needs some difficult conversations
Jason Walls (Herald): Act Leader David Seymour: Kiwis need to resist an ‘Orwellian future’
Karl du Fresne: Guess what? Hate speech can be punished using existing laws
Bill Ralston (LIstener): In defence of free speech
Israel Folau
Martyn Taylor (Stuff): Israel Folau: Should companies bow to social media outrage?
Michael Reddell: Honouring Israel Folau
Patrick Thomsen (E-Tangata): Israel Folau’s demise is also partially ours
Dominion Post Editorial: Forcing out Israel Folau is not a challenge to free speech
David Long (Stuff): Israel Folau’s wife Maria Folau could feel implications from netball over his anti-gay posts
Steve Braunias (Herald): Secret diary of Israel Folau
Kate King (1News): ’About as much chance of Australia beating the All Blacks by 50 points’ - Israel Folau hasn’t got a leg to stand on in contract dispute, says barrister
Paul Cully (Stuff):Israel Folau controversy: Rugby Australia has dug its own hole
News.au: ’It’s a tough time’ - Israel Folau breaks his silence
One Treaty, One Nation pamphlet
Amber-LeightvWoolf and Anna Loren (Stuff): One Treaty, One Nation pamphlet ‘racist and stupid’, but not hate speech - academic
Phil Taylor (Herald): Anti-Māori pamphlet show gaps in hate speech law: Andrew Little calls for action
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Controversial 1Law4All pamphlet ‘peddles myths’ - Andrew Little
Gun laws, firearms
Jessica Mutch McKay and Benedict Collins (1News): Inside Parliament: Gun Bans & Buy-Backs
Rob Stock (Stuff): Automatic and semi-automatic weapon ban for NZ Super Fund
Jason Walls (Herald): The Superannuation Fund has divested almost $20m from seven gun-producing companies
RNZ: Superannuation Fund excludes guns from investment portfolio
Zane Small and Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Government closes potential export loophole in gun buyback scheme
1News: Semi-automatic firearms ban extends to exports
Stuart Nash (Hawkes Bay Today): Firearms ban makes NZ a safer place
Daniela Maoate-Cox (RNZ): Gun law reform’s speedy select committee followed typical process
Melanie Earley (Stuff): Military enthusiast with ‘one-of-a-kind’ gold plated AK-47 not ready to give up his guns
Hone Harawira (Daily Blog): Blaming black boys for a white boy massacre
Christchurch mosque attacks
Kurt Bayer (Herald): Christchurch mosque shootings: One month on and it’s a long road to recovery
Amber-Leigh Woolf and Tom Hunt (Stuff): One month on from Christchurch mosque shootings, big changes are still coming
Katie Kenny (Stuff): How did the Christchurch gunman stay under the radar of state agencies?
Thomas Manch (Stuff): What is known about the identitarian movement backed by the Christchurch shooting accused
Kumar Yogeeswaran, Chris Sibley, Danny Osborne, Marc Wilson, Mike Grimshaw (The Conversation): Everyday racism fuels prejudice and hate. But we can challenge it
RNZ: Govt announces $1m funding boost for ethnic communities after Christchurch terror attacks
Stuff Police to release ‘second by second’ response to Christchurch mosque attack next week
Isra’a Emhail (RNZ): Terror victims: ‘More can be done and it needs to be done quicker’
1News: NZ ‘has a major role’ to play globally if Jacinda Ardern is willing to come down hard on Facebook - expert
Kurt Bayer (Herald): Global Council for Tolerance and Peace seeks NZ university input after Christchurch mosques attacks
Katie Fitzgerald (Newshub): Christchurch terror attack: Northern Irish teen charged over death threats to Jacinda Ardern
Brian Hyland (Herald): Teen charged with death threat against NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
Stuff: Northern Irish man charged with making threat against Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
Thomas Mead (Newshub): Mosque abuser says his mental health is to blame for racist tirade
1News: ’I’m so sorry’ - Christchurch labourer profusely apologises for shouting abuse outside mosque
Anne Clarkson, Tom Kitchin and Oliver Lewis (Stuff): Man who abused Muslims at Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch pleads guilty
Sam Clarke (1News): Small increase in mental health, family violence issues as police remain vigilant in wake of Christchurch attack
Anna Leask (Herald): Girls, women praise accused gunman, claim they love him in twisted Twitter video
Anzac Day
Jonathan Guildford (Stuff): Second Christchurch Anzac event cancelled in the wake of terror attack
1News: Police discourage rogue Anzac Day events but will not clamp down on them, commissioner says
Kim Baker Wilson (1News): RSA and police in standoff over who is responsible for cancelled Anzac Day events
Health and disability
Duncan Garner (Stuff): Dear Jacinda, can you help keep Mum alive please?
Laurie McGinley (Washington Post): Here are the disturbing links between cancer and obesity
Belinda Feek (Herald): Lung Foundation launches petition for more Pharmac funding
RNZ: Two in five Auckland and Northland children have teeth cavities by age five
Cate Broughton (Stuff): ACC spent six months and $17,000 fighting a Wellington stroke victim’s claim
Emma Russell (Herald): Luck of location: Getting publicly funded weight loss surgery depends where you live
RNZ: Big regional variance in weight loss operation availability - research
Hannah Martin (Stuff): Bariatric surgery a postcode lottery, research shows
Erica Wood (1News): Experts want free mental healthcare for Kiwis but say there isn’t enough money
Herald Editorial: Why Pharmac should fund SMA drug
Alice Peacock (Herald): Saving Charlotte: Bennett to present Parliament with petition calling for funding of SMA drug
James Baker (Stuff): Twelve thousand vote petition for life saving drug to be delivered to Parliament
Katie Doyle (RNZ): Teenage pregnancy on the decline
Newshub: Teenage pregnancies halved over past decade
Kate Nicol Williams (1News): Calls for easier access to communication aids for disabled groups
Rachael Kelly (Southland Times): SDHB won’t delay the downgrade of the Lumsden Maternity Centre
Stuff: Resident doctors announce five-day strike, starting late April
RNZ: Junior doctors vote to strike for five days
Vita Molyneux and Dan Satherley (Newshub)]: Resident Doctors announce a five day strike for late April
Heather McCarron and Dan Satherley (Newshub): Midwives hope deal will reverse staff shortage
Georgia Forrester (Stuff): Midwives and NZ district health boards finally reach settlement
Katie Fitzgerald and Miriam Harris (Newshub): DHBs and midwives reach settlement
Ageing population
Hannah Martin (Stuff): Government strategy aimed at dealing with an ageing New Zealand
RNZ: Consultation opens on govt strategy for aging population
Paul Mitchell (Stuff): Small-town elderly struggling without bank branches in the digital age
Euthanasia
Finn Hogan and Simon Shepherd (Newshub): Debate: David Seymour clashes with anti-euthanasia advocate
Peter Wilson (RNZ): Week in Politics: Euthanasia debate likely to lead to referendum
Leighton Smith (Herald): Who should be making right-to-die decision?
Education, polytech reform and vocational training
Liz Gordon (Daily Blog): The speed of school reform
John Lewis (ODT): Review causing board election uncertainty
Andrea Vance (Stuff): ’It was a horror story’: Education chiefs ignored historic school abuse, victim claims
Kristy Wynn (Herald): Parents want support after bullied teen attempts suicide
Albert Redmore (Newshub): National MP Joanne Hayes under fire for accepting ‘dangerous’ education petition
Stuff: Education Minister Chris Hipkins adds $9m to classroom building projects
Simon Collins (Herald): Private girls’ schools led by St Cuthbert’s College dominate inaugural Crimson Education NZ school rankings
John Roughan (Herald): Schools should be places of specialised excellence
Meriana Johnsen (RNZ): ’Hasty’ consultation on tertiary reforms sparks judicial review
1News: Major training organisation prepares legal action over planned polytech merge
RNZ: Māori success to be focus of new polytech model
Eloise Gibson (Newsroom): Smears and fury in big telescope lobbying
Eloise Gibson (Newsroom):AUT backs sender of “mental health” email
ODT Editorial: This culture must change
Denise Piper (Stuff): Northland marae bans women from site during building phase
Korey Te Hira (Herald): Student loan scheme should help Kiwis study overseas
Child welfare
Rob Stock (Stuff): Parliament told of foster children’s income gap at age 24
Elton Rikihana Smallman (Stuff): Oranga Tamariki recruiting whānau to take vulnerable children
RNZ: Waikato-Tainui signs agreement with Oranga Tamariki
University of Auckland white supremacy allegations
Matthew Theunissen (RNZ): Growing white supremacy at Auckland university ‘utter nonsense’
Dan Satherley (Newshub): University of Auckland vice-chancellor rubbishes reported rise in white supremacist activity as ‘utter nonsense’
1News: Auckland University says claims of widespread white supremacist groups on campus ‘utter nonsense’
Herald: University of Auckland says it is ‘unaware’ of any white supremacist movement on campus
Josephine Franks (Stuff): Auckland Uni says ‘increased awareness’ of racism behind white supremacist complaints
Dan Satherley (Newshub): University of Auckland blames reports of white supremacists on ‘increased awareness’
RNZ: Dealing with white supremacy concerns at Auckland university
Katie Scotcher (RNZ): White supremacist movement growing at Auckland uni, students say
Don Rowe (Spinoff): Open letter claims white supremacy and ‘climate of fear’ at University of Auckland
Auckland
Todd Niall (Stuff): Tamihere rolls first policy dice in Auckland mayoral race
Taroi Black (Māori TV): Central government should foot the bill for Auckland infrastructure
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland mayoral candidate John Tamihere backs Eden Park concerts and new sports venue
Heather McCarron and Dan Satherley (Newshub): John Tamihere throws support behind struggling Eden Park
Alex Braae (Spinoff): Tamihere sets out his stall on the future of Auckland sport venues
Simon Wilson (Herald): Stadium or museum for the Auckland waterfront - or both?
Janika ter Ellen (Newshub): Anger after Auckland Council proposes slashing dog access to beaches
Local government
Paul Gorman (Stuff): Christchurch City Council gives $50,000 to anti water-bottling campaigners for court action
John McCrone (Stuff): Going halves: Negotiating Christchurch’s EQ recovery exit package
Michael Hayward (Stuff): Calls for changes to Local Government Act to allow bus service transfer ignored by Govt
Joanne Carroll (Stuff): Why did West Coast plans for a waste-to-energy plant fail?
Jimmy Ellingham (Manawatū Standard): Councillors shouldn’t turn away people wanting to speak to them
Janine Rankin (Manawatū Standard): Palmerston North’s council chamber a far cry from the digital age
Felix Desmarais (Stuff): Wellington places named after controversial historical figures could be renamed
Rebecca Moore (1News): Wellington City Council look to more accurately reflect Te Reo Māori in place and street names
Paul Mitchell (Stuff): Local Government Commission grants exemption to maintain Horowhenua District Council status quo
Census
ODT Editorial: When it all goes horribly wrong
Lincoln Tan (Herald): NZ’s failure to recognise minority ethnic communities slammed
Media
Colin Peacock (RNZ): Mediawatch: Governments gear up to crack down on social media
Aimee Shaw (Herald): Advertising organisations call for Government to take action on social media standards
Colin Peacock (RNZ): Mediawatch: Global squeeze on Vice prompts local closure
Danielle McLaughlin (Stuff): Why Julian Assange’s arrest is troubling for whistleblowers
Herald Editorial: Next step for a polarising Julian Assange as he prepares to battle extradition
John Roughan (Herald): Writing the Herald’s editorials has been a humbling privilege
Employment, migrant exploitation
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): Chorus should have done more to mitigate risk of worker exploitation, report finds
Madison Reidy (RNZ): Chorus failed to prevent migrant exploitation - review
1News: Christchurch company fined $250k after fatal accident in which steel beam fell on worker
Environment and conservation
Zane Small (Newshub): Climate change risks to be assessed as New Zealand’s emissions labelled ‘disturbing’
Dileepa Fonseka (Stuff): Sea level rise will cause $7b worth of damage to Wellington unless emissions are drastically cut
Amanda Larsson (ODT): OMV blots NZ’s copybook
Breanna Barraclough (Newshub): Declining Arctic sea ice slumps to ‘uncharted territory’ in worrying graph
Josephine Franks (Stuff): School climate strikers grieving after Christchurch shootings, but planning for future
Jamie Morton (Herald): DoC: Forest ‘mega-mast’ may spell local extinctions
Dan Satherley and Heather McCarron (Newshub): Iwi urged to back appeal against Great Barrier Island sediment dumping
Sarah Gardner (ODT): ORC working for smooth renewal of water permits
Jamie Morton (Herald): Working with cat owners to protect wildlife and stop control debate turning feral
Regan Paranihi (Māori TV): Descendants of Matakarapa call for a restore of Foxton Loop
Jono Galuszka (Manawatū Standard): Regional and city councils scrap over who should pay to fix flood-damaged road
Torika Tokalau (Stuff): Residents volunteer to pay $200,000 to reopen track at regional park plagued with kauri dieback
Ihumātao
Morgan Godfery: The politics of Ihumātao
Taroi Black (Māori TV): Government urging all Ihumātao parties to talk
Housing
Anna Bracewell-Worrall (Newshub): Govt claims it’s ‘well on track’ to building 300 KiwiBuild homes by July
RNZ: Housing NZ calls for consultation ahead of Puriri Park development
Antonia Watson (Stuff): The cost of cold, damp homes is too high
Fiona Barber (Stuff): Neighbours, please don’t fence me in
Economy
Jason Walls (Herald): The Finance Minister requested members of RBNZ’s new board be paid an ‘exceptional fee’
RNZ: Robertson: NZ economy well placed to handle impact of global downturn
Point of Order: Budget surpluses are Robertson’s aim but well-being pressures will test his prowess
Construction sector
RNZ: ’Genuine transformation’ needed in construction industry
Rob Stock and John Weekes (Stuff): Prime Minister launches accord to repair broken building sector
Jason Walls (Herald): New Government and industry plan aims to fix construction sector’s biggest problems
Newshub: Industry agreement to fix building and construction sector
RNZ: Government announces construction industry agreement
Transport
Amanda Cropp (Stuff): Truckies ‘scared as hell’ over safety crackdown
Tom Hunt (Stuff): Greater Wellington pays $1.6 million to external contractors over region’s bus problems
RNZ: Unreliable Wellington buses lead residents to charter their own
Ben Strang (RNZ): Speeding tickets: Fines from one Whangarei camera $4.8m in a year
STuff: Talk Wellington: How capital streets might look if people and life were bigger priority than cars
RNZ: Waiho Bridge reopens after being rebuilt in 18 days
RNZ: Two Auckland garages suspended for incorrectly issuing WOFs
Ripu Bhatia (Stuff): Auckland Transport under fire for slow transition to electric bus fleet
Damien O’Carroll (Stuff): Dunedin leads kiwi EV uptake
Michael Hayward (Stuff): Cantabrians test electric cars as council hopes to lessen emissions from vehicles
Primary industries, biosecurity
Māori TV: Hawke’s Bay seafood company fined $62K
Gerald Piddock (Stuff): Owner of M. Bovis-infected farm who had to shoot newborn calves: ‘you just learn to grit your teeth and do it'
Karoline Tuckey (RNZ): Demand for cage-free eggs contributes to national egg shortage
Tim Brown (RNZ): Clutha dry: Farmers call for drought declaration
RNZ: Stewart Island oyster farmers get $2.4m compensation
1News: Fruit, vegetable controls lifted in Auckland as no more fruit flies detected
RNZ: Biosecurity NZ lifts Queensland fruit fly controls in North Shore
Push for gender equality in top jobs
MIchael Reddell: CEOs, the PM, and the degraded state of the public sector
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): Men need to take the lead on gender equality: top accounting boss
Foreign affairs
Derek Cheng (Herald): MPs head to Africa, Turkey to improve relations
RNZ: NZ helps launch electrification project in PNG’s Enga
1News: Pacific Update: Cook Islands MP will be arrested if he returns to NZ, police say
News.au: Ex-Bandido bikie Emil Tangaroa to be deported to New Zealand, fiance and kids to remain in Australia
Jenny Shipley
Jo Moir (RNZ): Time’s up for Jenny Shipley at NZ China Council
Richard Griffin (Stuff): Jenny Shipley finding out a hard lesson - there’s no free pass in business
Spark
RNZ: Spark misleading customers ‘a massive incompetence’
RNZ: Spark fined $675k after failure to stop bills, 7000 customers still owed
Nelson Mandela exhibition
1News: Nelson Mandela exhibition opens at Auckland’s Eden Park
Robert Burgess: ’Please accept three hearty cheers, for one man with morality and guts’
D’Angelo Martin (Māori TV): Harawira recalls Mandela at Eden Park exhibition
Other
Lois Williams (RNZ): Insight: Provincial Growth Fund - slush fund or lifeline?
Stuff Circuit: Big Decision: The abortion debate: should our law be changed?
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Anxiety as Maxwell investigation again delayed
Kate Nicol-Williams (1News): Citizens Advice Bureau says they need funding from agencies referring people to them
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Dead airman’s family devastated by ‘broken promise’ on fatal Anzac Day crash inquiry
Gill Bonnett (RNZ): New Zealand visa applications ignored for months as immigration struggles with targets
Jennifer Eder (Stuff): Firefighters call for health and safety reform over toxic chemical exposure
Emma Hatton (RNZ): End of fast fashion nears: ‘The model isn’t going to be viable’
Jehan Casinder (1News): Pike River survivor Daniel Rockhouse returns to the coalface
Susan St John (Daily Blog): Paying too much to keep us warm?
Mike Mather (Stuff): Jury service shirkers called back to court for a dressing down by judge
RNZ: Inmates in Christchurch prison take on new musical course
Dale Husband (E-Tangata): Matthew Tukaki: Making it up every day
Zane Small (Newshub): Chinese visitors to New Zealand drop during peak Chinese New Year period
Amanda Cropp (Stuff): Chinese New Year not so happy for New Zealand tourism
Louise Tong (Herald): Reserve Bank proposals should be assessed by the Productivity Commission
Rob Stock (Stuff): Business confidence dips into negative territory
ODT Editorial: Sending wrong message
Lee Kenny (Stuff): Labour uses Facebook ‘thumbs up’ logo on website
Steve Kilgallon (Stuff): The Prime Minister with a dark side
Daily Blog: Sean Plunket’s Working Group with Bomber Bradbury & Damien Grant: This week – Assange, ANZAC Day, Folau & Guns
Herald: NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s partner Clarke Gayford on fatherhood: ‘Oh boy’