NOTE TO SUBSCRIBERS:
From today I am starting to make some changes to the Democracy Project Substack newsletters. Mostly, this is about seeking a sustainable revenue stream in order to keep the project going. I’m now working full-time on the Democracy Project, and my only source of income is from Substack paid subscribers. So, I’m hoping to convince more of my free subscribers to switch to a paid monthly subscription. To help with this, I’m going to try putting the paywall about halfway through all of my newsletters. Free subscribers will still get the first half of the News Briefings and Democracy Briefings, but if you want the complete versions then you will have to take out a paid sub. I’ll update you with some further changes over the next week.
ELECTRICITY AND ENERGY POLICY
Bryce Edwards (Democracy Project): The Establishment joins the electricity insurgency
Danyl McLauchlan (Listener): NZ First reads the room over gentailers (paywalled)
1News: Fuel price blowouts push NZ towards electrification – advocate
Thomas Coughlan & Troy Matich (Herald): LNG binned? New terminal looks doubtful, ministers consider options amid skyrocketing gas costs (paywalled)
Sam Stubbs (Sunday Star Times): Who should we blame for high power prices? (paywalled)
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): Cheaper, greener energy: Biogas could far outshine imported LNG by 2050, report suggests (paywalled)
RNZ: Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme considered for fast-track by government
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): Jubilant Lake Onslow backers forecast it can be built by 2034 and slash power bills (paywalled)
Steve Hepburn (ODT): $1b power savings from Onslow? (paywalled)
Nadine Higgins (Herald): Are electric vehicles cheaper than petrol cars? Costs, savings and battery concerns explained (paywalled)
FUEL CRISIS
Nathan Surendran: Every country in our supply chain has declared an emergency. NZ just launched an ad campaign
Edward Miller (Post): We’ve been left dangerously exposed by the failure to build public diesel reserve (paywalled)
Kate MacNamara (Herald): Government mulls buying extra diesel storage, despite axing a similar plan in 2024 (paywalled)
Liam Hehir (The Blue Review): Three weeks later...
Verity Johnson (Stuff): Let’s not waste this crisis
Richard Harman: What if MBIE and the fuel companies are wrong? (paywalled)
Ian Llewellyn (BusinessDesk): Oil shock may slow energy project decisions (paywalled)
Miriam Bell (Post): Iran war: Forestry giant wants industry to be ‘critical’ in national fuel plan (paywalled)
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Perverse pricing model means Air NZ has stopped buying biofuel
RNZ: Latest gauge of the country’s fuel supplies to be released today
RNZ: Ministry seeks regulatory feedback on fuel plan to avoid red tape ‘getting in the way’
Delphine Herbert (RNZ): Fears transport service procurers may hit back as costs rise
Alecia Rousseau (Post): Care workers giving up food to cover cost of rising fuel (paywalled)
PARLIAMENT, ELECTION AND GOVERNMENT
Julia Gabel (Herald): Poll shows energy prices, global instability now greatest worries for New Zealanders
Grant Duncan: Can New Zealand First come third – at Labour’s expense?
Chris Trotter (Interest): Neither Labour nor National have survived the revolution that New Zealand had to have
Francesca Rudkin (Newstalk ZB): Here’s the Labour Party’s biggest problem
Amanda Gillies (RNZ): Fisheries Bill enters murky waters
Russell Palmer (RNZ): NZ First announces former mayor as West Coast candidate
Ben Walker (Post): Who’d be a politician? The case for making Parliament a better, safer workplace (paywalled)
ODT: Editorial – Poor process on policing Bill (paywalled)
Erin Smith (Herald): Labour selects former MP Angela Roberts to challenge Whanganui seat
Ani O’Brien: He knew: The paper trail Chris Hipkins can’t explain
Kiwiblog: Guest Post: The damning timeline for Hipkins
Harriet Laughton (Post): Agenda: Fuel in focus as ministers consider next steps (paywalled)
Cameron Bagrie (BusinessDesk): Why targeted government support beats universal cuts (paywalled)
The paywall now starts at halfway through all Democracy Project newsletters. Please take out a paid sub if you want to access the full content and support this service.