EDUCATION
Derek Cheng (Herald): The great divide: Large cohorts of Māori, Pacific and poorer students more than a year behind in maths and writing (paywalled)
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): A ‘manufactured crisis’, or have Kiwi kids been failed? Here’s what Erica Stanford’s doing to teach kids to read
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Education Minister Erica Stanford on raising writing achievement
Julia Gabel (Herald): Education Minister Erica Stanford releases ‘poor’ literacy data for kids as ‘writing action plan’ launched
Hanna McCallum (Post): New action plan aims to lift writing levels among school students (paywalled)
Nik Dirga (RNZ): How much do New Zealand's teachers actually earn, anyway?
Julia Gabel (Herald): Labour MP says minister’s error over secondary school teachers’ pay will be ‘harmful’
Lyric Waiwiri-Smith (Spinoff): Why tens of thousands of teachers and nurses are striking this week
Juliet Speedy (Stuff): Secondary teachers to walk off the job as pay row intensifies
RNZ: High schools close as teachers hold one-day strike
Hanna McCallum and Cate Macintosh (Press/Post): ‘The only way to make progress’: Secondary teachers strike for better pay (paywalled)
Connor Murphy (Spinoff): A tired teacher explains why they’re striking tomorrow
Lesley Hoskin (Post): What it takes to make a good teacher (paywalled)
Matthew Littlewood (ODT): University activist group reactivated (paywalled)
Justin Wong (Post): Auckland University’s student magazine proposes student union split (paywalled)
ENERGY
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Will new rule for the ‘big four’ electricity companies really bring down power bills?
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): PM talks up competition move but power firms see larger shareholder payouts ahead (paywalled)
Mandy Te (Interest): Electricity Authority's proposals to boost competition 'unlikely to be workable' - energy supplier
RNZ: Electricity Authority not 'chocolate teapot', Shane Jones says
Russell Palmer (RNZ): Energy Minister Simon Watts welcomes Electricity Authority's new pricing rule
RNZ: Electricity Authority announces more moves to boost competition
Stuff: Electricity Authority unveils three major reforms to help cut power prices
Jamie Gray (Herald): Electricity Authority moves to boost competition, lower power prices (paywalled)
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Power companies face pressure to offer ‘super-peak’ hedge product (paywalled)
NZ Energy: Electricity is about to get more expensive
RNZ: Mercury Energy's earnings fall in 'challenging year'
Ian Llewellyn and Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Māui gas field at end of life, timing TBD (paywalled)
HEALTH, DISABILITY
Guyon Espiner (RNZ): Ministry of Health forced to release documents showing alcohol lobby influence
Kaya Selby (RNZ): Pasifika, Māori dying a decade earlier from heart disease, new report finds
Ruth Hill (RNZ): Wellington Hospital birthing suite short-staffed 70% of time
Isaac Davison (Stuff): Was assisted dying patient sedated properly? Doctor under scrutiny
Gordon Campbell: On Health Narrowly Conceived, And Ukraine’s Latest Impasse
PARLIAMENT, PUBLIC SERVICE
Lloyd Burr (Stuff): The 'gentle whispers' in London that Nicola Willis would be NZ's next PM follow her home
Jamie Ensor (Herald): Nicola Willis swoops in for Prime Minister’s usual media spot, denies ‘power play’ as Christopher Luxon forced aside
Mountain Tui: “Dirty Politics” Rachel Glucina Is Behind Nicola Willis PM Rumours
Chelsea Daniels (Herald): Front Page: Tāmaki Makaurau by-election: Labour and Te Pāti Māori face off
Laura Walters (Newsroom): Govt needs to crack on if it wants a vote on four-year terms
David Fisher (Herald): Helen Clark on abuse of female politicians - and how losing Jacinda Ardern was ‘devastating’
David Farrar: How unproportional might the next Parliament be?
Tim Murphy (Newsroom): Greens go it alone with early policy promises
Natalie Albert: Chlöe Swarbrick’s Greens: Passionate but Politically Powerless
Ani O’Brien: Who is willing to sacrifice the poor at the Green Altar?
Roger Partridge: The Greens’ Weekend Gift to the Government
Steven Cowan: Can a new left wing party emerge in New Zealand?
RNZ: Winston Peters apologises for labelling Green Party as 'deluded, woke’
Steve Braunias (Newsroom): Alas, demonised Cunliffe
Ian Llewellyn (BusinessDesk): Business of Government: Paying monkeys, the price of diplomacy and more (paywalled)
Victoria Carter (BusinessDesk): Fail File: Jane Wrightson, retirement commissioner
Lloyd Burr (Stuff): Chrizzzzzzzzzz Bishop asleep in his car?
Tara Ward (Spinoff): A frame-by-frame analysis of Chris Luxon and Chris Hipkins dancing in public
FAST-TRACK, BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION, HOUSING
Thomas Manch (Post): Shane Jones says the fast-track isn’t fast enough. Chris Bishop says it's ‘going well’ (paywalled)
RNZ: Homeowners could be left with costs under building consents changes - lawyer
Kerre Woodham (Newstalk ZB): Can you have confidence in buying a new build with partial liability?
Nona Pelletier (RNZ): Construction sector on track for 2026 recovery, despite falling revenues
Miriam Bell (Post): By the numbers: ‘Brutal’ construction slump starts to turn (paywalled)
Anne Gibson (Herald): Construction sector activity at six-year low, 16,000 jobs lost in past two years alone (paywalled)
Maxine Jacobs (Press): Building Act overhaul welcomed by Christchurch developers (paywalled)
Matthew Littlweood (ODT): Developer slams council's 'absurd' soil safety mandates (paywalled)
RIGHT TO REPAIR
Juha Saarinen (Interest): Right to Repair Bill killed despite strong public backing
Rob Stock (Post): Right to Repair bill’s likely demise ‘beyond disappointing’ (paywalled)
No Right Turn: National says "f you" on the right to repair
PRIMARY AND EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES
Mike McRoberts (NBR): Jones defiant in face of fisheries reform backlash (paywalled)
Blayne Slabbert (Press): Canterbury cattle surge brings cash to farmers, questions for rivers (paywalled)
Maxine Jacobs (Press): Nitrate levels rise as Selwyn searches for drinking water alternative (paywalled)
Kate Green (RNZ): Two protesters leave Denniston Plateau coal bucket after three weeks
1News: Mine protesters arrested after spending three weeks in coal bucket
Nina Hindmarsh (Nelson Mail/Press): Funding fuels Siren Gold plans at controversial Sams Creek mine (paywalled)
Steve Hepburn (ODT): Mining consents onhold by council
LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WATER
Lillian Hanly (RNZ): Legislation to implement Three Waters replacement passes third reading
Thomas Manch (Post): Government passes its water reforms into law (paywalled)
John MacDonald (Newstalk ZB): Are councils really the best outfits to be in charge of the water?
David Williams (Newsroom): Govt casts shadow over departing regional councillors
Peter Newport (Crux):$2 billion Lakeview drama finally plays out in public
Bernard Orsman (Herald): Auckland Council faces anger over steep rate rises for rural residents
David Long (Stuff): ‘Blindsided’: Auckland pensioner hit with 41% rates increase, despite average being 5.8%
Tess Brunton (RNZ): Gore mayoralty: Rates, debt hot topics as Ben Bell, Nicky Davis square off
Harriet Laughton (Post): Councillors demand review after Wellington sludge plant budget blow-out (paywalled)
Post: Hutt mayor Campbell Barry and his wife win bitter property dispute (paywalled)
Tess Brunton (RNZ): Invercargill residents eye change at the top as mayor Nobby Clark stands aside
Samantha Gee (RNZ): Future of Nelson Provincial Museum's new storage facility uncertain
1News: Nelson Mayor wants to stop a $3m promise for new museum building
FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE, NATIONAL SECURITY
Jamie Ensor (Herald): David Seymour, Winston Peters distance themselves from Christopher Luxon’s Benjamin Netanyahu ‘lost the plot’ remarks
Simon Wilson (Herald): Gaza and the Government: How to ‘grow a spine’ (paywalled)
Russell Palmer (RNZ): 'Carnival's over': Peters celebrates Trevor Mallard's early exit as Irish Ambassador
Thomas Manch (Post): Winston Peters appoints replacement for Trevor Mallard as ambassador to Dublin (paywalled)
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): It's good that Trevor Mallard's coming home
Neil Reid (Herald): ‘You don’t want to go there’: Ron Mark’s message to Kiwis wanting to take up arms against Russia in Ukraine (paywalled)
RNZ: NZ woman Sarah Shaw and young son in 'good spirits' since release from US immigration facility
ECONOMY, COST OF LIVING, TAX
Luke Malpass (Post): Reserve Bank poised to cut interest rates as Willis rejects stimulus calls (paywalled)
1News: OCR: What rate cut is coming today? When will there be more?
David Hargreaves (Interest): Opinions diverging on what comes next for the OCR
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): Finance Minister Nicola Willis accuses Labour of reckless approach to spending
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): Seventh rate cut not feeling like a stairway to heaven (paywalled)
Liam Dann (Herald): The RBNZ’s dilemma – a two-speed economy and a one-speed OCR (paywalled)
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): How does the Reserve Bank actually set the OCR?
Tom Rayenl (Herald): Consumer debt dips to $14.5b but 470,000 Kiwis are behind on payments (paywalled)
Terry Baucher (Interest): Te wiki o te tāke: IRD struggles to manage the debt mountain
COVID
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): 'High trust' Covid approach led to fraud cases, tax expert says
Stuff: Woman jailed for tax fraud attempts, and Covid relief claims worth over $200,000
Russell Palmer (RNZ): Grant Robertson stands by Covid-era spending in wake of Treasury 'rewriting history’
CLIMATE CHANGE, NATURAL HAZARDS, INSURANCE
Jenée Tibshraeny (Herald): Tower to charge more for insurance on properties at higher risk from slips and sea surges
Rob Stock (Post): Premium rise for Tower customers at high risk of sea surge flooding, landslips (paywalled)
Jonathan Mitchell (NBR): Tower adds landslide and sea surge risk pricing (paywalled)
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Tower Insurance's new sea surge and landslide ratings affect premiums (paywalled)
RNZ: Cyclone Gabrielle inquest: FENZ reveal changes to better prepare for major weather events
RNZ: Cost of Marlborough storm road repair put at $20m