NATIONAL LEADERSHIP CRISIS: CHRIS PENK AND THE FAILED COUP
Bryce Edwards (Democracy Project): Anatomy of a failed coup
Danyl McLauchlan (Listener): National’s reluctance to jettison CEO PM locks us into an election of targets, delivery and KPIs (paywalled)
Audrey Young (Herald): Only 1 possible explanation behind Chris Penk’s attempt to launch a leadership coup (paywalled)
Matthew Hooton (Post): Facile Labour on track to be as bad as failing National (paywalled)
Lyric Waiwiri-Smith (Spinoff): Chris crossed: Everyone feels sorry for Penk
Tom Day (1News): Luxon survives, but how long for?
Amanda Gillies (RNZ): Luxon’s survived, but ‘the fundamental issues are still there’
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Luxon had belief and came out a winner
RNZ: As it happened: Christopher Luxon won’t release count of confidence vote after failed coup
Giles Dexter (RNZ): Christopher Luxon insists he took ‘decisive action’ with Chris Penk’s leadership challenge
Nick James (Post): Christopher Luxon says ‘decisive action’ was taken after Chris Penk moved against him (paywalled)
Jamie Ensor (Herald): Erica Stanford denies having leadership ambitions when refusing to express confidence in Christopher Luxon
RNZ: Erica Stanford gives full backing to Christopher Luxon after failed leadership challenge
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Luxon, fresh from inexplicable caucus coup attempt, insists everything is normal
Poppy Clark (Stuff): How National’s secret vote works after Chris Penk’s failed leadership bid
RNZ: Who is Chris Penk: Instigator, numbers guy, fall guy, or nice guy?
Stuff: Chris Penk’s constituents weigh in on his exit
Nick James (Post): National working ‘as quickly as possible’ to find new candidate for Chris Penk’s seat (paywalled)
Post: Chris Penk might be on the outer with MPs, but will be missed by construction sector (paywalled)
Stuff: Luxon survives, Penk exits, and the memes write themselves
Samantha Gee (RNZ): Nelson voters provide Christopher Luxon with a welcome respite
Henry Cooke (Post): Aren’t kamikaze pilots supposed to sink ships? (paywalled)
Ryan Bridge (Newstalk ZB): Centrist voters will be confused so far this election
John MacDonald (Newstalk ZB): Luxon can’t do what he should do
ELECTION 2026: PARTIES, POLLS AND CAMPAIGNING
Tim Murphy (Newsroom): Racism and coalition belligerence are double-edged swords for NZ First
Farah Hancock (RNZ): The National Party’s 92 political ads seen by only men
Thomas Coughlan and Chris Knox (Herald): Poll of polls: Likelihood of coalition forming a Government tumbles – Opportunity soars (paywalled)
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Has Luxon made a mistake ruling out Opportunity?
Herald: Opportunity’s Qiulae Wong on confidence-and-supply and bottom lines as poll puts party at 8%
1News: Opportunity Party leader on poll surge, working with Winston Peters
Adam Pearse (Herald): Labour’s ‘door open’ to Opportunity, senior roles for Te Pāti Māori ‘unlikely’ as Chris Hipkins clarifies vague remarks
Julia Gabel and Adam Pearse (Herald): Te Pāti Māori responds to Labour’s Chris Hipkins saying senior Govt roles unlikely in future coalition
Kiri Allan (Herald): Party leaders met NZ’s most influential iwi figures: Te Pāti Māori tanked and Luxon didn’t show (paywalled)
Peter Dunne (Newsroom): Luxon’s botched MMP call is a chance to fix Parliament with STV
No Right Turn: Why I’m not voting for Opportunity
Liu Chen (RNZ): Political parties eye Asian mental health progress in bid for votes
Atereano Mateariki (RNZ): ‘Voter suppression by stealth’ - NZ govt accused of locking out Pasifika vote
Robert MacCulloch (Post): Ten exhibits exposing the PM’s preference for big corporations over SMEs (paywalled)\
Martin Van Beynen (Post): Are we still the Passionless People? (paywalled)
Reynold Macpherson (Herald): Will New Zealanders be better off? (paywalled)
Jonathan Ayling (Herald): When Government funding weakens community (paywalled)
Mandy Te (Interest): ‘The economy really is going to be the big thing that’s going to be fought out’: John Key on 2026 election
POLICE, MARK MITCHELL AND THE RAKESH NAIDOO AFFAIR
Adam Pearse (Herald): Police apologise for spreading incorrect information about Rakesh Naidoo party candidacy
Sam Sherwood (RNZ): Police manager sorry for ‘confusion’ over Superintendent Rakesh Naidoo’s bid to stand for Labour
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Police apologise to Rakesh Naidoo after spreading ‘incorrect information’
Justin Hu (1News): Police clear senior officer turned Labour candidate after review
Stuff: Mark Mitchell stands firm over police candidate notice row
Sam Sherwood (RNZ): Mitchell held ‘pre-existing concerns’ on sensitive briefing attended by Superintendent Naidoo
Henry Cooke (Post): Top cop apologises after incorrect info given to media about Labour candidate (paywalled)
FREE SPEECH, ANI O’BRIEN AND THE BRADBURY CASE
Katie Harris (Herald): Free Speech Union board member Ani O’Brien revealed as complainant accusing blogger Martyn Bradbury of ‘ridiculing’ posts
Paula Penfold (Stuff): She champions free speech – then went to court over what a blogger said about her
Stewart Sowman-Lund (Post): ‘Not a free speech absolutist’: FSU board member Ani O’Brien defends using legal action to take on high-profile blogger (paywalled)
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