COVID INQUIRY REPORT
Bryce Edwards (Democracy Project): The Covid inquiry’s verdict nobody quite wants
Amanda Gillies (Newsroom): NZ confronts its pandemic past as Covid hits again
Grant Duncan (The Conversation): Second COVID inquiry: why being politically prepared for the next pandemic is crucial
RNZ: NZ First calls for Covid-19 inquiry focused on vaccine injuries
Natasha Gordon (Herald): Winston Peters demands Covid-19 vaccine injury inquiry after Royal Commission report
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): NZ’s readiness for the next pandemic now Brown’s unpalatable responsibility
Louis Collins (RNZ): The House: Pandemic debate develops a temperature
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): My observations on the Covid Inquiry
NATIONAL PARTY AND LUXON
Jamie Ensor (Herald): Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s diary blank for first three weeks of 2026, PM says he was working ‘intensely’
Max Rashbrooke (Spinoff): The poll numbers that could spell death for National
Janet Wilson (Post): Voters reject Luxon, but National has decided we’re stuck with him (paywalled)
Herald: Editorial – Christopher Luxon weathered the weekend storm but faces many more polls before November (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): The social and news media pressure for leadership change (paywalled)
Matthew Hooton (Patreon): Shane Reti (paywalled)
Ricardo Simich (Herald): Society Insider: Minister for Police, Corrections Mark Mitchell to wed in the Coromandel; Kiwi fintech boss hosts F1 star Lando Norris (paywalled)
PARLIAMENT AND ELECTION
Farah Hancock (RNZ): Queenstown-based tech entrepreneur Brian Cartmell donating hundreds of thousands to political parties
No Right Turn: Payment for services rendered
Peter Gluckman and Annalise Higgins (Newsroom): Crossing the aisle is a strength, not a weakness
PEENI HENARE
Lillian Hanly (RNZ): Outgoing MP Peeni Henare on being Māori, a politician, and why he’s walking away from the Labour Party
Lillian Hanly (RNZ): Peeni Henare tells MPs to move away from ‘gotcha style politics’ in valedictory speech
Emma Ricketts (Stuff): ‘I have truly been blessed’: Peeni Henare gives valedictory speech in Parliament
Julia Gabel (Herald): 10 quick questions: Peeni Henare’s advice for Labour, favourite National MP as he leaves politics after 12 years (paywalled)
Te Mahurangi Teinakore and Tini Molyneux (Te Ao Māori News): Peeni Henare reflects on service and sacrifice in final speech to Parliament
LABOUR PARTY
Emma Ricketts (Stuff): Hipkins reshuffles Labour portfolios as Henare departs, and plan hatched for Māori seats race
Henry Cooke (Post): Labour reshuffle sees Willow-Jean Prime lose education, Peeni Henare’s portfolios doled out (paywalled)
Anna Whyte (Interest): Labour’s new portfolio line up released ahead of the election
GOVERNMENT
Lauren Crimp (RNZ): Beneficiary numbers soar to 12-year high despite government’s reduction promise
Julia Gabel (Herald): Lake Alice data breach: Minister Erica Stanford ‘frustrated’ over delays in completing investigation (paywalled)
Jenée Tibshraeny (Herald): ACC stops cost bleed, avoids Government narrowing its remit ahead of Budget 2026 (paywalled)
Paul Jarvie (Post): Health & safety reform: Progress, but serious flaws still exist (paywalled)
Rebecca Rendle and Mike Mercer (Post): Is the Holidays Act headache finally over? (paywalled)]
Brent Edwards (NBR): Minister hoping for bipartisan support of Holidays Act overhaul (paywalled)
RNZ: National would only support ‘gold standard’ live animal exports, Todd McClay says
Monique Steele (RNZ): What do rural sector groups think of the RMA?
Susan St John (Newsroom): ACC change a rushed answer to the wrong problem
IRAN WAR; IMPACT ON NZ ECONOMY
Luke Malpass (Post): The long tail of the Iran war is economic and oily (paywalled)
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): How long could NZ keep the pumps running if fuel imports dried up? (paywalled)
Post: Business will pass on petrol price increase - and inflation will rise again (paywalled)
Joel MacManus (Spinoff): Why the war in Iran could test the Reserve Bank’s mandate
Sarah Curtis (Herald): Shane Jones urges drivers to report fuel price gouging to Commerce Commission
Chelsea Daniels (Herald): Fuel security warning: How vulnerable New Zealand is to a global oil shock
RNZ: Wise Response Society calls for immediate fuel rationing as war continues in Middle East
Henry Cooke (Post): Iran war: Ministers to meet amidst report South Korea could halve NZ fuel supply (paywalled)
Shane Jones (Post): What the Government is doing to secure NZ’s fuel supply amid Iran war (paywalled)
Dita De Boni (Post): NZ fuel stocks plump at the moment and supply not an issue (paywalled)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
RNZ: Preliminary report into Moa Point wastewater plant made private during Crown review
Andrea Vance (Post): Auckland strikes ‘underwhelming’ city deal as other regions push for more (paywalled)
Tom Hunt (Post): Wellington council mega-meeting menu; a cocktail of contention and aggrieved Greens (paywalled)
Sammy Carter (Herald): Wellington CBD earthquake shake risk higher than thought, new research finds
Cameron Bagrie (BusinessDesk): Local authorities could reap gains from independent investment committees (paywalled)
DEFENCE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Phil Pennington (RNZ): AI in warfare being tested in Iran, needs ‘much more’ careful thinking by NZ - Defence
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): How NZ should handle nuclear weapons ‘turning point’
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Fighter pilot faces NZ spies over Chinese military training
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Cook Islands PM pushes back in face of cobalt glint in eye of US and NZ
ENVIRONMENT AND MINING
Keiller MacDuff (RNZ): Greenpeace calls for government to drastically cut legal limit of nitrates in drinking water
Kaya Selby (RNZ): Minerals and military: Incoming US ambassador spells out vision for NZ and Pacific
Mike Scott (Herald): Critical minerals in New Zealand: Where they are and what might be mined (paywalled)
ODT: Sir Ian sets date, time for Jones to meet him in the ring (paywalled)
ELECTRICITY AND ENERGY
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): Electric Kiwi says proposed patch to watered-down power reform still misses the mark (paywalled)
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): Dry year power shortages may need LNG but could it be cheaper? (paywalled)
David Williams (Newsroom): Govt looks to market to reach 10,000 EV charger goal
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): $250m stalemate has stalled new wind farms – Transpower hopes to break it
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): LNG imports: are we being gaslighted?
ECONOMY AND BUSINESS
Ethan Manera (Herald): Wellington heading in wrong direction despite business confidence lift, CEOs tell Chamber of Commerce survey
Blayne Slabbert and Dita De Boni (Post): High cost of power, consumer preference for cheap exports blamed for ‘devastating’ Wattie’s news (paywalled)
BusinessDesk: Fast-track panel clears Winton’s Sunfield development (paywalled)
Matthew Littlewood (ODT): Gregg’s under threat of closure (paywalled)
TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Andrea Vance (Post): Cook Strait ferry project $167m over budget — and key port deals still unsigned (paywalled)
Thomas Manch (BusinessDesk): Why a Chinese shipyard won the Interislander contract (paywalled)
Phil Pennington (RNZ): NZTA picks cheaper but less effective option to fix SH2 through Waioweka Gorge
James Pocock (Herald): Waioweka Gorge State Highway costs estimated $8m in lost GDP every day it is closed
CARTOONS