News Briefing: 9 May 2026

MAIKI SHERMAN RESIGNATION AND MEDIA
Stewart Sowman-Lund (Post): After Maiki Sherman’s resignation, TVNZ has a succession challenge (paywalled)
Stewart Sowman-Lund (Post): ‘Untenable’: Maiki Sherman quits as TVNZ political editor (paywalled)
Natasha Gordon (Herald): TVNZ political editor Maiki Sherman parts ways with broadcaster following scrutiny
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): The media is under scrutiny and we’ve had it coming
Catrin Owen (Stuff): TVNZ’s political editor Maiki Sherman resigns
RNZ: TVNZ political editor Maiki Sherman resigns
1News: ‘Untenable’ position: TVNZ political editor Maiki Sherman resigns
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Maiki Sherman leaves TVNZ
Shayne Currie (Herald): RNZ board shake-up – David Seymour expects changes, outgoing chair hits back; Maiki Sherman steps down as TVNZ political editor; ANZ announces new ad agency (paywalled)
Mohan Dutta: The Substack and the Slur: How a Manufactured Crisis Toppled a Wahine Māori Political Editor
Hayden Donnell (Spinoff): All the times Jack Tame has shamed out politicians for not going on Q+A, ranked
Richard Prebble: Broadcasters should be careful what they wish for
Anne Salmond (Newsroom): Freedom for whom?

PARLIAMENT, ELECTION AND GOVERNMENT
Bryce Edwards (Democracy Project): Following the money in 2026
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Te Pāti Māori in crisis, MPs could walk out ahead of election
Rawiri Taonui: Te Pāti Māori | Delay Reinstating Kapa Kingi linked to new Political Party
Julia Gabel (Herald): Court issues rare recall of Mariameno Kapa-Kingi judgment after request from Speaker Gerry Brownlee
Luke Malpass (Post): Bare coffers, big stakes: The Budget battle ahead (paywalled)
Bryce Wilkinson (Herald): Budget 2026 challenge grows as oil shock and weak polling hit fiscal plan (paywalled)
Henry Cooke (Post): National remembers it is in Government and can do things (paywalled)
Diane McCarthy (Local Democracy Reporting): Labour selects Whakatāne councillor as Waiariki candidate
Michael Cugley and Te Aniwaniwa Paterson (Te Ao Māori News): Why should Māori care about the United Nations Indigenous Forum
Dileepa Fonseka (BusinessDesk): On the Money: Linda Clark, Albert Cho, Sean Sweeney, Barry Soper, and more (paywalled)
Andy Macdonald (BusinessDesk): Lawyers tip ‘woke’ banking bill to die without major party support (paywalled)
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): Why commission-earners are set to receive the ‘lowest hourly rate’ of pay
IDEA: How does the Opportunity Party’s big tax-and-welfare rethink stack up? (paywalled)

IMMIGRATION
Ben Thomas (Post): Migrants and the media provide this week’s grist to coalition parties’ mill (paywalled)
Adam Pearse (Herald): The coalition’s immigration scrap risks distracting from the election’s key issue
James Nokise (Post): What Pacific communities hear in New Zealand’s immigration rhetoric (paywalled)

SUPERANNUATION
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): National will run on raising super age ‘as soon as we get back in’ – Christopher Luxon
Herald: NZ Super reforms: Nicola Willis says change can be less ‘dramatic’ than OECD report
Herald: Editorial – New Zealand’s Superannuation problem raises its head again (paywalled)
Emi O’Connor (NBR): Two workers, one retiree: the crisis coming for New Zealand (paywalled)
Kerre Woodham (Newstalk ZB): The super situation - what poison are you willing to swallow?
IDEA: How does the Opportunity Party’s big tax-and-welfare rethink stack up? (paywalled)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Andrea Vance (Post): Leaked poll shows cautious backing for Wellington super-council (paywalled)
Post Editorial: Why the rush to amalgamate? (paywalled)
Rhys Hurley (Post): Never mind the view from Wellington, bigger may not mean better for local government (paywalled)
Isabella Cawthorn (Post): Cutting cycleways won’t fix Wellington’s pipes crisis (paywalled)
Bronson Perich (Herald): Local government reform: King Country councils already preparing for ‘forced amalgamation’
Bronson Perich (Herald): Taupō councillors see future without their council
Steve Hepburn (ODT): Rates cap commitment remains: Watts (paywalled)
Steve Hepburn (ODT): Minister bullish about reform (paywalled)
RNZ: Rotorua mayor warns 90-day reform deadline is too short
Will Johnston (Post): New Plymouth water entity decision delayed after lobby group raise legal concerns (paywalled)
Te Ao News: Whangārei District Council has taken a step closer to strengthening how it embeds the principles of Te Tiriti
Hamish McNeilly (Stuff): ‘Revoked’ controversial councillor loses more privileges, immediately leaks email
Herald Editorial: Tauranga City Council must communicate better over Mauao (paywalled)

The paywall now starts at halfway through all Democracy Project newsletters. Please take out a paid sub if you want to support this service and access the full content, including the following sections: HOUSING; EDUCATION; ECONOMY AND BUSINESS; ROD DRURY; MINING; FUEL AND ENERGY; HEALTH; TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE; POLICE & JUSTICE; CARTOONS