PARLIAMENT, ELECTION, GOVERNMENT
Andrea Vance (Stuff): National struggles for traction as NZ First gains ground in new poll
Luke Malpass (Post): The Post-Freshwater Strategy Poll: The car isn’t out of the ditch - and voters know it (paywalled)
Andrea Vance (Post): ‘They need to change course’: Leading environment groups boycott National’s green forum (paywalled)
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): Chris Hipkins accuses Winston Peters of ‘pure racism’ in Parliament
Audrey Young (Herald): MUMA bullying allegations: CEO on extended leave, Matt McCarten says behaviour has changed (paywalled)
Jamie Ensor (Herald): India’s High Commissioner to NZ says $33b investment an ‘aspiration’ in free trade agreement, Winston Peters says it’s ‘hard commitment’ (paywalled)
Matevz (Matt) Raskovic (The Conversation): NZ is slowly slipping on the global corruption index. Is is time for an anti-corruption agency?
Natalia Albert: The Policies are fine. The Machinery is the problem
Henry Cooke (Post): Have we killed off our best chance of having an informed election? (paywalled)
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): The Labour Party needs to get serious
Chris Eichbaum (Newsroom): Peters’ polarising populism makes coalition disagreement disagreeable
FOUR-YEAR-TERM REFERENDUM CANCELLED
RNZ: Ironic that government has ‘run out of time’ to pursue longer Parliamentary term - law expert
RNZ: Government scraps plans for referendum on four-year term
Tom Day (1News): Referendum on four-year election term ditched by Government
Stuff: Government scraps plan for referendum on four-year election term
NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN
Bryce Edwards (Democracy Project): The Infrastructure plan that exposes “Broken New Zealand”
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Chris Bishop’s ‘behind the bike sheds’ law change to force departments to maintain infrastructure better (paywalled)
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Nicola Willis says Mt Victoria tunnel ‘all go’ after Chris Bishop hints at delay
Kerre Woodham (Newstalk ZB): We need to see more governance and less politicking
Brent Edwards (NBR): National infrastructure plan poses challenge to political parties (paywalled)
Giles Dexter (RNZ): Infrastructure Commission clarifies suggestion of Auckland Harbour Bridge toll
Henry Cooke (Post): Chris Bishop opens door to cancelling or delaying Wellington tunnels if congestion charging shows they aren’t needed (paywalled)
Julien Leys (Post): National Infrastructure Plan: Materials, supply chains, distributors - the invisible backbone of good infrastructure (paywalled)
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Waimea Dam bailout plea shows why public sector fails at big infrastructure
RESERVE BANK OCR
Damien Venuto (Stuff): The Reserve Bank just hit hold. Here’s why you shouldn’t expect that to last
Jenée Tibshraeny (Herald): Reserve Bank’s dovish statement to pause mortgage rate hikes for now (paywalled)
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Here’s hoping this Reserve Bank Governor does a better job
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): Reserve Bank holds OCR at 2.25%, says recovery ‘still at an early stage’ (paywalled)
Deborah Morris and Miriam Bell (Post): ‘Steady’ OCR call provides platform for housing market rebuild (paywalled)
Richard Harman: Reserve Bank gives the Government (and Willis) another reality bath (paywalled)
Jonathan Mitchell (NBR): Most economists still picking a rise in the OCR this year (paywalled)
WEATHER, DISASTERS AND CLIMATE
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Climate change is here. NZ isn’t ready
Mandy Te (Interest): Climate adaptation and insurance ‘need to work in concert’, Consumer NZ says
Mandy Te (Interest): ‘Climate change crusader’ & departing Tower chairman Michael Stiassny cuts loose at annual meeting
Rob Stock (Post): Insurer Tower’s strategy to reduce exposure to flood-prone homes pays dividends, shareholders told (paywalled)
Reid Basher (Post): How the Christchurch earthquakes shook up all of New Zealand (paywalled)
Amy Ridout (Stuff): The big storm probably blew bacteria from the water well inland
Ethan Manera (Herald): Wellington City Council pauses cycleway consultation after Moa Point sewage plant disaster (paywalled)
BANKING
Rob Stock (Post): What we learned from big bank bosses talking at Parliament’s competition hearings (paywalled)
Rob Stock (Post): MPs concerned after Dosh turned down for banking licence (paywalled)
Dileepa Fonseka (BusinessDesk): Why 2026 might be the year of the bank levy (paywalled)
Andy Macdonald (BusinessDesk): Kiwibank’s leader warm on capital-review settings (paywalled)
Andy Macdonald (BusinessDesk): Fintech Dosh’s bank bid dashed by Reserve Bank (paywalled)
Max Rashbrooke (Spinoff): The iwi-run savings scheme giving Ngāi Tahu kids a kick-start
David Chaston (Interest): Another bank joins the Kāinga Ora low deposit First Home Loan scheme
”Brent Edwards (NBR): Kiwibank says new capital requirement rules still unfair (paywalled)
Rob Stock (Post): Instant payments conundrum: Would superfast bank payments be a scammer’s delight? (paywalled)
ENERGY
Ralph Cooney (Newsroom): NZ should learn from Africa on dynamic, renewables-led development
Rob Stock (Post): More than green: Energy Minister Simon Watts backs solar to shield farmers from power hikes (paywalled)
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): Fast-track ruling on lowering Lake Pukaki expected by July (paywalled)
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): Meridian vs Transpower: The battle over Lake Pukaki’s ‘contingent’ water and power prices (paywalled)
IMMIGRATION AND VISAS
Eric Crampton (Newsroom): Problems with visa settings not solved by targeting foreign students
Eva Corlett (Guardian): Wealthy Americans top ‘golden visa’ surge in New Zealand and applications from China double
Dave Armstrong (Post): Minister’s stubbornness on English for migrant drivers risks yet another crisis (paywalled)
AI AND MEDIA
Richard Prebble (Herald): Artificial intelligence: New Zealand needs to embrace AI tools to know what is happening with the economy now (paywalled)
Mark Laurence (Herald): Artificial intelligence: We’re AI-illiterate, and our economic growth is at stake (paywalled)
Gavin Ellis: Lack of relevance is the kiss of death for journalism
ECONOMY
Simon Shepherd (NBR): Luxon: The recovery is here but don’t expect a ‘lolly scramble’ (paywalled)
Brian Easton (Newsroom): Book of the Week: The humanitarian struggle
Ananish Chaudhuri (Post): The good but misplaced intentions of modern slavery laws (paywalled)
LAW AND ORDER
Giles Dexter (RNZ): Children still no safer than when Malachi Subecz was murdered - latest report
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): This court case is outrageously political
Aimee Shaw (Post): Retail NZ warns citizens’ arrests could spark more violence in stores (paywalled)
EMPLOYMENT
Henry Cooke (Post): Controversial employment law that could make thousands of workers contractors passes (paywalled)
Sharleen McKinnon (Post): The simple steps to fix out-of-school care for working families (paywalled)
Jenni Mortimer (Herald): The parenting deficit: The numbers that show why school holidays are asking the impossible (paywalled)
EDUCATION
Lane Nichols (Herald): ‘Highly concerning failures’ at Teaching Council; firm run by CEO’s husband gets $1.7m contracts - report
Pokere Paewai (RNZ): ‘Impossible deadline’: Union questions shorter consultation period for Māori curriculum
Mike Scott (Herald): 2025 Cambridge International exam results: New Zealand schools with the highest‑achieving students (paywalled)
CARTOONS