The Democracy Project

The Democracy Project

News Briefing

News Briefing: 20 April 2026

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Bryce Edwards
Apr 19, 2026
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LUXON’S LEADERSHIP AND 1NEWS VERIAN POLL
Maiki Sherman (1News): Poll spells big trouble for Christopher Luxon
Tom Day (1News): Poll: National and PM nosedive to new lows, left bloc would gain power
Justin Hu (1News): ‘We’re not where we want to be’ - Luxon on poll shocker
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): Is this the poll that spells the end for Luxon?
Grant Duncan: Luxon’s woes: anxious backbenchers, out-of-control newshounds, and a dangerous coalition partner
Justin Hu (1News): Senior MP Chris Bishop again denies talk of plot to roll PM Luxon
Henry Cooke (Post): Chris Bishop says he’s not aware of anyone wanting to roll PM, but National needs to get vote up (paywalled)
Herald: Chris Bishop says Christopher Luxon is the person to ‘lead us into the election’, denies leadership ambitions
Mildred Armah (Stuff): ‘Are you plotting to overthrow the National Party leader?’: Bishop asked amid Luxon speculation
Richard Harman: National’s real problem (paywalled)
Matthew Hooton (Patreon): National’s 38 possible leadership combinations (paywalled)
Julia Gabel (Herald): Government MPs arrive in Wellington after poll suggests coalition would lose power
Jo Moir (RNZ): National, Luxon fall in latest poll, coalition trails left bloc
Julia Gabel (Herald): Fresh political poll suggests coalition would lose power if election held today
Matthew Hooton (Patreon): Coalition hangs on across 6-poll average, but National would lose a quarter of its MPs (paywalled)
Sapeer Mayron (BusinessDesk): BusinessDesk’s Poll Tracker: new poll threatens coalition’s power (paywalled)

GOVERNMENT
Penny Smith (RNZ): New Zealand and India free trade agreement confirmed
Farah Hancock (RNZ): Six meetings, 34 agenda items missed: The short, complicated term of KiwiRail’s Scott O’Donnell
Danyl McLauchlan (Listener): Why National’s policies are failing Auckland (paywalled)
Mark Thomas (Herald): Auckland Deal is a start. But will it be strong enough to matter? (paywalled)
Jamie Ensor (Herald): Treaty clause review: Government quietly agrees to amend, repeal provisions in laws
Brian Easton: Counting properly matters
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Expert calls mount for independent review of Govt’s census overhaul
Tom Hunt (Post): ‘Shades of Minority Report’: Criticism as move-on orders allow action before crime (paywalled)

PARLIAMENT AND ELECTION
Bryce Edwards (Democracy Project): How to stop the rise of NZ First
1News: Former Cabinet minister wants back in after airport shares scandal
Henry Cooke (Post): Agenda: Parliament returns with fuel crisis - and bad polling - hanging over National (paywalled)
Stella Weston (Critic): Q&A with Q and Dave
Verity Johnson (Stuff): You could be $14k a year richer if these reforms never happened
Lobby for Good: Global tremors, local truths: Why New Zealand needs a new democratic playbook before November

GREENS
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Greens call for solar panel loans as they kick off election year
RNZ: Green Party issues ‘human catastrophe’ warning in ‘State of the Planet’ address
Herald: Greens to campaign on mass electrification after Iran war chokes fuel supplies
Henry Cooke (Post): Iran War: Greens call for ‘National Electrification Plan’ and more distance from US (paywalled)
NBR: Green Party pushing to reduce dependence on fossil fuels (paywalled)
Steven Cowan: The State of the Green Party

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