BUDGET 2026
Henry Cooke (Post): Budget 2026: Eight budgets that shaped New Zealand - and what choices Nicola Willis gets to make (paywalled)
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): What to expect in Budget 2026: Horses, ducks and rabbits out of a hat (paywalled)
Grant Duncan (The Conversation): This election year budget is a political tightrope walk for Willis and National
Justin Tipa (Post): Budget 2026: What we want, and what we don’t want to see in tomorrow’s announcements (paywalled)
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): Budget 2026: What could securing NZ’s economic future involve, beyond fiscal responsibility? (paywalled)
Giles Dexter (RNZ): Budget 2026: A ‘team effort’ between three very different parties - Willis
Henry Cooke (Post): Budget 2026: Little hope for cost of living ‘band-aid’ – but what about ECE? (paywalled)
Anneke Smith (Post): Budget 2026 the coalition Government’s ‘last chance’ to deliver on cost of living - Labour (paywalled)
Kirk Sargent (Post): Budget 2026: Fees Free is gone, so what replaces it? (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): The Labour Party wants the Budget to focus on productivity (paywalled)
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Budget 2026: What schools, universities and early childhood educators are looking for
Michael Ryan (The Conversation): In a tight NZ budget, will money go where it’s needed most – or to political priorities?
Layla Bailey-McDowell (RNZ): ‘You need to start listening to your young ones’: Māori students speak out ahead of Budget
Greg Smith (Herald): Budget 2026: Tight spending but a big chance to lift KiwiSaver
Jenna Lynch (Stuff): Let them eat pies: Ministers make a complete mess devouring local pies ahead of Budget Day
RNZ: Nicola Willis rejects Chlöe Swarbrick’s claim ‘failed climate policies’ created $1.4b hole
Henry Cooke (Post): Greens identify $1.4b ‘fiscal gap’ from failed ETS auctions (paywalled)
CLIMATE CHANGE LITIGATION AND LOBBYING
Lillian Hanly (RNZ): Complaint laid with Ombudsman about ‘apparent withholding’ of information by PM’s office
Jamie Ensor (Herald): Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says staffer who got climate lobbying document ‘left a while ago’, debate held in House
Andrea Vance (Post): Ombudsman opens inquiry into PM’s office over climate case records (paywalled)
Emma Ricketts (Stuff): Senior lawyers accuse Government of ‘disturbing’ law-making trend
Liam Hehir (The Blue Review): Smith v Fonterra, explained
Lillian Hanly (RNZ): NZ Bar Association calls for government to reconsider changing climate law to prevent lawsuits
Dale Husband (Waatea News): Mike Smith escalates climate fight amid corporate lobbying claims
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Not everything is a conspiracy
MPs’ PAY, ASSETS, AND ALLOWANCES
Joel MacManus (Spinoff): Government MPs acquired 25 extra investment properties after passing pro-landlord reforms
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): The MPs need to take one for the team on cuts
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Something is rotten in the House of Representatives
Jenna Lynch (Stuff): Paua pies, crayfish and $1000 a week for your mortgage-free apartment. It’s nice to be an MP
Anneke Smith (Post): MPs shouldn’t claim $52k housing allowance to live in homes they own: Labour (paywalled)
Jenna Lynch (Stuff): Minister defends claiming $1000 accommodation allowance for mortgage-free apartment – but won’t say what her costs are
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): Prime Minister showing no interest in changing housing allowance for MPs
PARLIAMENT, ELECTION AND GOVERNMENT
Chris Trotter (Interest): NZ First’s foray into transgender issues might be ethically dubious, but politically it could be a winner
Herald: Editorial: Is Labour failing to learn from past mistakes or just being pompous? (paywalled)
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Shane Jones slams ‘small appendage’ critics and Death protester, but they could hook another fishing law backdown
Roeland van den Bergh (Post): Shane Jones calls on fishing industry to stand up against its detractors (paywalled)
Liam Rātana (Spinoff): Māori should be the kingmakers at the next election – but we need to vote
Adam Pearse (Herald): Former Labour ministers dismiss MP’s critique of Dame Jacinda Ardern’s Government
Lyric Waiwiri-Smith (Spinoff): Camilla Belich on getting duped by a fake John Campbell
Louisa Wall (Post): Bill ‘defining’ men and women reflects politics of division, not statesmanship (paywalled)
David Burton (Post): Employment rights may often be human rights (paywalled)
Gary Judd: Has Misconduct Stopped Mattering: or is it another case of amnesia?
Sanjana Hattotuwa: Far-Right’s rise and rise in New Zealand since 2023’s General Election
Chris Trotter: Conservative Leftism (paywalled)
Louis Collins (RNZ): What’s on at Parliament this week besides the Budget
RNZ: Labour leader slams ‘ridiculous’ exercise that saw Finance Minister called ‘duck-faced horse’
1News: Willis accepts Edmonds’ apology over ‘duck-faced horse’ comment
Matthew Tukaki (Waatea News): Clock ticking: New political parties race toward election registration deadline
FAST-TRACK PROJECTS AND DONATIONS
Bryce Edwards (Democracy Project): The Fast-track investors
No Right Turn: Naked corruption
Anne Gibson (Herald): Fast-track approvals see 14 major projects pushed through under coalition scheme (paywalled)
Mary Williams (ODT): Fast-track bid hits snag over gaps in information (paywalled)
Jill Herron (Newsroom): Santana gold mine bid excites logjam of 100 applications and permits
PUBLIC SERVICE
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Most public servants say they aren’t able to do their jobs properly, even before cuts
Lauren Crimp (RNZ): Government looking at centralising back-office operations to save billions
Isaac Davison (Stuff): Head of Government-funded trust steps down amid ‘threats’ and ‘turmoil’
Alexandra Sinclair (Spinoff): Is the NZ government sleepwalking into its own automation scandal?
Bella Craig (RNZ): Public sector workers still looking for jobs after two years
ECONOMY AND BUSINESS
RNZ: ‘I’m happy to pay a higher tax rate’ says ASB and Air New Zealand chair Dame Therese Walsh
Annemarie Quill (Stuff): ‘Domino effect’ of mill meltdown: ‘I’m not sure what will happen to the town’
Rob Stock (Post): Four in 10 people have had a ‘payment problem’ in the last year, banks say (paywalled)
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Brewers watch in dismay as Kiwi keg trade foams over
Joseph Darby (Post): The retirement risk most Kiwis aren’t warned about: dying with too much money (paywalled)
Mina Martin (MPA Magazine): NZ golden visa: The fine print tripping up wealthy buyers
Mandy Te (Interest): Government opens philanthropic option for wealthy investor immigrants
Gyles Beckford (RNZ): RBNZ expected to leave official cash rate unchanged at 2.25%
NBR: Meat Industry Association appoints chief executive (paywalled)
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