The Democracy Project

The Democracy Project

News Briefing

News Briefing: 17 October 2026

Bryce Edwards's avatar
Bryce Edwards
Oct 16, 2026
∙ Paid

POLITICIANS AND GANGS
Adam Pearse (Herald): Frustrated Green co-leaders bat away questions on Mongrel Mob visit
Simon Wilson: Politicians and gangs, Tāmaki kids, pay equity and Chlöe v Q
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Did October 15 change the election?
Duncan Garner (Listener): Mongrel Mob gang-pad selfies show the Greens & Te Pāti Māori woefully out of touch with Kiwi voters (paywalled)
Carmen Parahi (Herald): Politicians, commentators and middle-NZ are clutching their cultured pearls about gangs (paywalled)
Shane Te Pou (Daily Blog): Pearl clutching over Gang members is pathetic
Matthew Tukaki (Waatea News): Te Pāti Māori Under the Spotlight as Waititi Leads Waiariki, Gang Engagement Sparks Debate and Labour Draws Coalition Boundaries

ELECTION 2026: CAMPAIGN, POLLS AND COALITIONS
Bryce Edwards (Democracy Project): The discontent election
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): The economic paradox threatening Luxon’s re-election bid
Steve Braunias (Newsroom): The secret thoughts at the second Leaders’ Debate
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): The Taxpayers’ Union’s Chris Hipkins AI advert is brilliant campaigning
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Simeon Brown rules out Opportunity after Christopher Luxon appeared to rule the party in
David Farrar: Why Luxon is right to rule Opportunity out
Herald: National rules out working with TOP despite David Seymour leaving door open
Katie Bradford (Herald): New poll shows Labour edging ahead of National as Opportunity hits 5%
Post: Labour and National both below 30%, Labour’s pollster tells corporate clients (paywalled)
Audrey Young (Herald): Who won the political play on the campaign this week? (paywalled)
RNZ: As it happened: Election campaign, 16 October
Nick James (Post): ACT says new ad campaign is not an attempt to create an overhang (paywalled)
Paul Spoonley (The Conversation): Winston Peters says ‘diversity is disunity’ – what does the evidence tell us?
Katie Bradford (Herald): Greens want universal weekly payments for nurses, teachers, health workers
Joanne Naish (Press): Christopher Luxon dons mullet as politicians canvass rural voters on the West Coast (paywalled)
Harriet Laughton (Post): Aro Valley, where Wellington North politicians meet their match (paywalled)
Liam Hehir (The Blue Review): Not the campaign lead, just the hoardings guy?
Post: A former mayor said he switched allegiances after voting National for years. The PM’s office noticed (paywalled)
Sam Smith (Stuff): ‘This is undemocratic’: National candidate walks out of debate after taking issue with ‘loaded’ questions
Ethan Manera (Herald): Election 2026: National Party candidate Karuna Muthu storms out of Wellington Bays candidates meeting
Tom Hunt (Post): National candidate walks of Wellington Bays debate over ‘skewed’ questions (paywalled)
Indira Stewart (1News): How the new enrolment rules could affect the election result
Joel MacManus (Spinoff): Not so much fun now: Home loan company warned over billboards posing as election ads

HEALTH
Dianne J. Ma and Rob Richardson (The Conversation): A plan exists for a fairer and healthier food system. Which party policies align best?
Chelsea Daniels (Herald): Which party has the best plan to fix New Zealand’s health system?
Bernard Hickey: This story should dominate the election debate
Lane Nichols (Herald): Starship hospital workers describe cancer ward crisis, medication errors and mental toll amid treatment delays
RNZ: Cancer treatment delays at Starship Hospital ‘unacceptable’, says Greens co-leader Marama Davidson
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Christopher Luxon says his government has ‘certainly strengthened healthcare’ - has it really?
Matthew Littlewood (ODT): Award-winning oncologist says improvements in cancer treatment wait times are on the way (paywalled)
Stephen Forbes (NZ Doctor): Medical Council review positive amid appointments controversy (paywalled)
Mariné Lourens (Press): His grandad died from shingles, but 74yo faces $800 bill to get vaccinated (paywalled)
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): Is it still worth having health insurance?

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