PARLIAMENT, ELECTION AND GOVERNMENT
Bryce Edwards (Democracy Project): Putting a face to the corporate influence in the Beehive
Rob Stock (Post): Battle for the future of the Commerce Commission (paywalled)
Andrea Vance (Post): The $1000-a-week question no one in power wants to answer (paywalled)
Mava Moayyed (1News): Mongolian horse, brass elephants: What MPs declared in gift register
Andrea Vance (Post): IRD fired 72 staff for accessing taxpayer records – but victims were never told (paywalled)
Peter Dunne (Newsroom): Labour stymied; can Govt maintain momentum?
Layla Bailey-McDowell (RNZ): ‘What needs protecting?’: Researcher questions purpose of English Language Bill
RNZ: New law allowing automated benefit decisions to modernise welfare system, government says
David Williams (Newsroom): Millions from across govt to put right historical land wrong
Reid Basher: A beheading and other risks
Lyric Waiwiri-Smith (Spinoff): From Herbs to Head Like a Hole: MPs on their favourite local albums
BUDGET
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Herald): We all know we won’t return to surplus, right? (paywalled)
Vernon Small (Post): The surplus is already at severe risk (paywalled)
Liam Dann (Herald): Are Treasury’s sunny forecasts out of step with reality? (paywalled)
Fran O’Sullivan (Herald): Nicola Willis’ Budget trims spending but sets stage for bigger economic reckoning (paywalled)
Herald: Editorial: Broccoli Budget is exactly what we needed after years of fast food (paywalled)
Dita De Boni (Post): Is the Budget still capable of a surprise? (paywalled)
Cecilia Robinson (Herald): The three quiet signals shaping New Zealand’s future (paywalled)
Louis Collins (RNZ): The House: Budget Day – as much performance as spreadsheet
Pokere Paewai (RNZ): Māori unions and iwi leaders say the Budget will not alleviate Māori unemployment
RNZ: Central Otago mayor says Budget 2026 leaves South Island short-changed
DEFENCE
Anna Fifield: Hegseth calls New Zealand a ‘free loader’ on defence
Anneke Smith (Post): NZ pushes back against US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s claim it’s ‘free loading’ on defence (paywalled)
Natasha Gordon (Herald): US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth slams New Zealand for ‘freeloading’ on defence
Caroline Williams and Sanda Arambepola (Stuff): ‘No surprise’: Govt responds after Hegseth says NZ defence spending ‘not enough’
Logan Church (1News): Pete Hegseth says NZ is ‘freeloading’ off American military
Greg Torode (RNZ): NZ aiming for steady rise in defence spending
Penny Smith (RNZ): NZ prioritising talks with British, Australian navies to potentially replace Anzac frigates
Angus James: The Object Lesson
Penny Smith (RNZ): NZ prioritising talks with British, Australian navies to potentially replace Anzac frigates
Anneke Smith (Post): Defence minister vying for sit-down with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in Singapore (paywalled)
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