News Briefing: 4 July 2025

PARLIAMENT
Jamie Ensor (Herald): Special tax change for fossil fuel companies was proposed ahead of Budget 2025, ministers went for $200m co-investment option (paywalled)
Dan Brunskill (Interest): Labour Party offers to help Nicola Willis set up election policy costing unit
Tim Hazledine (Post): What a Green budget tells us about what’s left of the left (paywalled)
Richard Harman: Protesters deluge Parliament (paywalled)
RNZ: David Seymour criticises Rawiri Waititi for 'insane views' about African leader
Jamie Ensor (Herald): Government gives itself fewer actions to do this quarter with release of new plan
Lillian Hanly (RNZ): Cost of living pressures top of mind for government, PM Luxon says
NBR: Supermarket change in Govt’s plan for the next three months (paywalled)
Lyric Waiwiri-Smith (Spinoff): Echo Chamber: Youth parliament is even better than the real thing
Audrey Young (Herald): Chris Hipkins gets the pip over ram raids; Tamatha Paul takes the bait on law and order (paywalled)
Greg Dixon (Listener): Labour Party declared “legally dead” by coroner (paywalled)
Stuff: Dear Sir Ian Taylor, we read your open letter to Dame Jacinda Ardern. Here’s what we think
Stuff: Dear Sir Ian Taylor, we’re still reading your open letter to Dame Jacinda Ardern. And we have more to say

REGULATORY STANDARDS BILL
Brent Edwards (NBR): Does the Regulatory Standards Bill meet its own standards? (paywalled)
Jamie Ensor (Herald): Regulatory Standards Bill: Group of prominent Kiwis – including former Prime Minister – issue open letter against David Seymour legislation
Russell Palmer (RNZ): Regulatory Standards Bill could be barrier for Māori housing - ministry
Hilary Calvert (ODT): Parliament must be final arbiter on Treaty (paywalled)

LAW AND ORDER
Gordon Campbell: On National’s crackdown on shoplifters
Zane Small (Herald): Green MP dismisses police data showing drop in crime - here’s why
RNZ: Government announces first recipients of proceeds of crime fund
Catherine McGregor (Spinoff): Trespass bans and shoplifting fines: Tough new retail crime laws on the way
RNZ: Government toughens trespassing laws
Blessen Tom (RNZ): Indian business community divided on trespass law reforms
Russell Palmer (RNZ): Citizen's arrest changes unlikely to materially improve public safety - ministry
John MacDonald (Newstalk ZB): Will police and judges deliver what the Govt wants?
RNZ: Police Commissioner Richard Chambers says recruits know money is 'not everything' as new police college opens
Jessica Hopkins (RNZ): Hopes new Auckland police college campus will attract more recruits
1News: New police college opens its doors to recruits, existing officers

LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WATER
Alice Neville (Spinoff): Nominations are now open – so how are the big mayoral races shaping up?
Ethan Manera (Herald): Wellington City Council confirms it spent millions on new parking system after Ombudsman probe (paywalled)
Harriet Laughton (Post): Push to end Wellington’s hertitage ‘nightmare’ (paywalled)
Joel MacManus (Spinoff): In defence of Wellington’s colonial monuments
Julie Stout (Herald): Mowbray helicopter decision opens the door in an area with few regulations (paywalled)
Stephen Ward (Waikato Times): Waikato misses out in first round of regional deal moves (paywalled)
Matthew Martin (Waikato Times): Joint iwi management talks sees packed council chamber in Taupō (paywalled)
Shanti Mathias (Spinoff): Public libraries ditched fines – and got more visitors
Kira Carrington (Local Democracy Reporting): New deal, new loan: Council to revisit $110m loan to Port Marlborough
Will Harvey (Press): Akaroa wastewater scheme to cost $145k per house (paywalled)
Chris Tobin (Timaru Herald/Press): Scott seeks ECan re-election, says past issues should not be held against him (paywalled)
Nik Dirga (RNZ): Local body election nominations open - Here's how to become a candidate
Jessica Hopkins (RNZ): Auckland's 2025 local elections: Candidate nominations open
Karanama Ruru (Stuff): So you want to be mayor? Here’s how to run in local body elections
Sapeer Mayron (Post): Auckland Council Wants You ... to stand for your local board

DEFENCE, FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Bryce Edwards (Integrity Institute): Gifts, Graft, and a $12bn defence spend-up
Kelly Dennett (Post): NZ Defence to withdraw from Middle East as commercial flights resume
Mick Hall: New Zealand's PM, 3 Cabinet ministers and 2 business leaders referred to ICC
Sean Phelan (Massey University): The New Zealand Government and the silence over Gaza
Law Fuel: New Zealand Needs Independent Watchdog For Counterterrorism – Law Professor

MEDIA
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Christopher Luxon denies RNZ's funding cut was sending ‘a message’ about its journalism
Mountain Tui: An almost $20 million budget cut to RNZ is met with ... near silence
Shayne Currie (Herald): Battle royale brewing within Stuff; Well-known New Zealander injuncts media firm; Chris Hipkins’ dig at NZME (paywalled)
Shayne Currie (Herald): Stuff closing free Auckland and regional community newspapers (paywalled)
Post: Stuff closing several community titles to focus on digital future (paywalled)
Keith Lynch (Stuff): Stuff welcomes Trade Me. What you need to know
Lyric Waiwiri-Smith (Spinoff): Happy birthday to Paul Goldsmith promising ‘immediate action’ to save NZ media

HOUSING, PROPERTY INDUSTRY
Gregor Thompson (BusinessDesk): 'Investment Boost' means more cash for listed property sector (paywalled)
Federico Magrin (Manawatů Standard/Post): Dodgy motel received $2.9m in emergency housing grants (paywalled)
Luke Malpass and Miriam Bell (Post): Government plans to scrap one-size insulation rule to cut building costs (paywalled)
Amy Williams (RNZ): More rough sleepers on Auckland streets: 'NZ doesn't have to be this way'
Chelsea Daniels (Herald): Front Page: Inside the property market: What you need to know about rates, CVs and where houses are cheapest
Janine Rankin (Manawatů Standard/Post): Land to the west of Palmerston North measured for growth (paywalled)

ECONOMY, GOVT SPENDING, TAX
Matthew Hooton (Herald): NZ Super needs to be cut now (paywalled)
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): Tax take is up, but $14 billion deficit still looms (paywalled)
Mandy Te (Interest): BNZ economists see no OCR cut after latest NZIER survey
Zane Small (Stuff): Why the Reserve Bank is tipped to pause rate cuts
Jonathan Mitchell (NBR): Would it be a mistake to pause the OCR next week? (paywalled)
Roger Partridge (Herald): Netherlands shows NZ the way in reducing bureaucracy to boost economy (paywalled)

MINING, FAST-TRACK, ENVIRONMENT
Lois Williams (Local Democracy Reporting): MP Maureen Pugh pitches one-stop-shop for mining consents
David Williams (Newsroom): Court quashes quarry’s water consent, with a sympathetic delay
Charlie Mitchell (Press/Post): NZ ‘highly unlikely’ to meet 2030 biodiversity targets under plan
Matthew Martin (Waikato Times): Waste-to-energy plant supporters keen on jobs and smaller landfills (paywalled)

TRANSPORT, INFRASTRUCTURE
Timothy Welch (The Conversation): NZ will soon have no real interisland rail-ferry link – why are we so bad at infrastructure planning?
Neil Sands (Law News): New public infrastructure bill unconstitutional, tramples on basic property rights, critics say
Robin Martin (RNZ): Taranaki farmers consider options after Mt Messenger Bypass court setback

EDUCATION
Cécile Meier (BusinessDesk): Officials urged exclusion of school lunch supplier over billing breaches and safety failings (paywalled)
Bella Craig (RNZ): Overseas Kiwis struggling with massive interest and penalties on unpaid student loans
Matthew Littlewood (ODT): Polytech course cuts tip of iceberg: staff

HEALTH
Jimmy Ellingham (RNZ): Money spent on locum doctors could be used to attract and retain permanent staff - union
Matthew Littlewood (ODT): Minister marks resumption of site works
Julia Gabel (Herald): Dunedin Hospital: Construction resumes on project mired by delays, cost blowouts and protests
ODT: Dunedin hospital construction timeline revealed
Lillian Hanly (RNZ): Nurses union dismisses latest pay offer as 'massive backward step'

BUSINESS
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): Foodstuffs South Island takes $46 million hit from tax change (paywalled)
Gregor Thompson (BusinessDesk): Foodstuffs South Island spends $7m on ‘merger-related costs’ (paywalled)

OTHER
Kate McNamara (Herald): Whānau Ora funds probe: Pasifika Futures’ family ties questioned (paywalled)
Teuila Fuatai (RNZ): Proposed changes to New Zealand dawn raid laws not enough, Pacific advocates say
Rob Stock (Post): MPs urged to end 'lucky dip' in financial complaints system (paywalled)
RNZ: Taxpayer funded satellite had 'deep-seated problems' from launch
Eloise Gibson (RNZ): Lost satellite cost NZ extra $3m because of delays
Russell Palmer (RNZ): Calls for government to prioritise upgrades to emergency phone-line
Adam Burns and Tess Brunton (RNZ): Tasman residents relieved as latest storm passes, recovery expected to cost millions
Chris Trotter (ODT): Nothing so shocking as a democratic-socialist in New York
RNZ: Thames MSD staff refuse to work at mould, sewage smelling office any longer
Rafaella Melo (Herald): Napier home owner’s insurance bill hiked 300% over five years – why he says that’s a bad sign for NZ
Anna Leask (Herald): Not just family violence: New report highlights NZ femicide crisis, exposes unaccounted victims