GOVERNMENT
Kate Newston (RNZ): NZ First Minister Shane Jones says he doesn't know or care about tobacco industry transparency rules
Tova O’Brien (Stuff): Premier house suitable for big Luxon family Xmas bash
Marcelo Rodriguez Ferrere (Spinoff): Why the 100-day plan is stupid at best, evil at worst
Richard Shaw (The Conversation): The government’s first 100 days have gone largely to plan – now comes the hard part
Maryanne Spurdle (1News): A solid 'E' for the Government's 100-day plan
Imogen Wells (Stuff): Newsable: The government’s first 100 Days are almost up - how did it go?
Thomas Manch (Post): Chris Bishop and staff celebrate the 100-day mark with crayfish (paywalled)
Julia Jones (BusinessDesk): We’ve lost that strategic feeling, now it’s gone, gone, gone (paywalled)
RNZ: Chris Hipkins on why Labour didn't fix the PM's planes
Brook Sabin (Stuff): Let me take you aboard the PM's rickety old plane
ODT Editorial: Hurry, we have a plane to catch (paywalled)
PUBLIC SECTOR, GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT COST CUTTING
Azaria Howell (Herald): Public sector stress: Inside the 'unsettling' efforts to cut costs at Govt departments (paywalled)
Anna Whyte (Post): Government cuts edge closer to public service coalface (paywalled)
Anna Whyte (Post): OT boss funds own flights in face of savings targets (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): ACC looking to be effective and efficient (paywalled)
Thomas Manch (Post): Nicola Willis asks MBIE if Bowen House rents are ‘value for money’ (paywalled)
Thomas Manch (Post): Parliament 'gouged' over Bowen House rent, Brownlee says (paywalled)
MEDIA
RNZ: Checkpoint: Broadcasting Minister Melissa Lee fronts after denying hiding following Newshub news
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): Melissa Lee: ‘It can be quite frustrating being the minister’ (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): The challenge facing journalism and democracy (paywalled)
Peter Griffin (BusinessDesk): Media woes: You can’t innovate your way out of a market failure (paywalled)
Shayne Currie (Herald): TVNZ set to announce job cuts: focus likely on newsroom and top news shows - Media Insider (paywalled)
1News: TVNZ expected to unveil job losses tomorrow
1News: Broadcasting Minister says Newshub bombshell was a shock to her also
Simon Plumb (Stuff): TVNZ news staff told to expect announcement Thursday
Tim Murphy (Newsroom): Now journalism job cuts loom at TVNZ
RNZ: TVNZ to make announcement about future tomorrow, staff told
William Hewett (Newshub): Broadcaster Petra Bagust slams ACT's criticism of journalists reporting on Newshub's demise
Matthew Martin (Post): ‘A little part of us died’ - ex TV3 reporter on Newshub’s demise (paywalled)
Shayne Currie (Herald): Media Insider: The Pantograph Punch arts media website to go into ‘hiatus’ - director sets out what’s happened (paywalled)
Maia Ingoe (RNZ): Funding woes prompt arts magazine publishers to press pause on Pantograph Punch
TRANSPORT
Simon Wilson (Herlad): 10 questions for Simeon Brown about his transport plan (paywalled)
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): How the Government’s transport budget will usher in big changes to your roads (paywalled)
1News: Nicola Willis defends Govt's plan to hike vehicle rego fees
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): A significant $5 toll needed for Govt’s 15 roads of national significance
Oliver Lewis (BusinessDesk): 'Roads of National party significance': Wayne Brown questions Auckland highways (paywalled)
Nicholas Boyack (Post): Key Hutt link road back from the dead (paywalled)
Kerre Woodham (Newstalk ZB): The roads have to be paid for
David Fisher (Herald): First of its kind, high-tech Halo camera will only target traffic speed - for now
Timothy F Welch (Newsroom): There is a road to zero, but you have to actually try
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Road to Zero: Thousands of dollars spent on design work for unreleased transport document
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): The next chapter of EV won't be pretty
Matthew Scott (Newsroom): ‘We need to continue the momentum’: rail boss in the face of defunding
Raphael Franks (Herald): KiwiRail out of money for Auckland’s Rail Network Rebuild: Funding only for Newmarket to New Lynn
Nick James (RNZ): KiwiRail Wellington outage: Inquiry looks at new overhead line installation
Roeland van den Bergh (Post): KiwiRail orders another 33 locomotives (paywalled)
Jimmy Ellingham (RNZ): 'Compromised': Airline says Ōhakea's staffing woes puts commercial flights at risk
HOUSING
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Ministers can't guarantee more people won't end up homeless due to emergency housing changes
Felix Desmarais (1News): 'Grave concerns' over increased scrutiny on emergency housing clients
Felix Desmarais (1News): Increased scrutiny on those seeking emergency housing – Govt
RNZ: Govt hopes for landlords' help in ending emergency housing
RNZ: No targets set in emergency housing shake-up
Russell Palmer (RNZ): Government confirms emergency housing plan shake-up
Gray Gibson (Newshub): Coalition Government reveals plan to tackle emergency housing, to prioritise families with children
Bridie Witton (Stuff): National plans emergency housing changes
Tumamao Harawira (Te Ao Māori News): First steps taken to end emergency housing
Dan Brunskill (Interest): National’s support in opposition for greater urban density was shot down by its own caucus and its second attempt has to get past a hostile Act Party
Haimona Gray (Newstalk ZB): Was Home Meth Testing really a 'Moral Panic’? (paywalled)
Tamatha Paul (Spinoff): Wellington can enable tens of thousands of new houses overnight
Anne Gibson (Herald): Rents on the rise despite record number of residential rentals on offer (paywalled)
Greg Ninness (Interest): The last time NZers were this confident house prices would increase was just before the last housing market slump
William Hewett (Newshub): Cost of living: Kiwis think housing downturn 'done and dusted' but ASB warns prices won't shoot up
Liam Dann (Herald): ‘Done and dusted’: More Kiwis believe housing market downturn is over despite sluggish market - ASB survey
RNZ: Housing confidence rises to highest level in two years
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Solo women own more own homes than solo men: Data
David Hargreaves (Interest): House building work slumps
EDUCATION
Verity Johnson (Stuff): If we cut school lunches, we’re not allowed to lie to ourselves
Clare McLennan-Kissel (Post): School lunch cuts further demonise the poor (paywalled)
Laura Tupou (Newshub): Chris Hipkins says food wastage from free school lunches inevitable but programme 'best thing' for Kiwi kids in need
Brett Kerr-Laurie (Post): Labour launches lunch petition in face of funding fall (paywalled)
Michael Cugley (Te Ao Maori News): Educators say school lunches help whānau and definitely improve student outcomes
ODT Editorial: School lunch scrutiny (paywalled)
Brett Kerr-Laurie and Gianina Schwanecke (Post): ‘Most people don’t have food at home’: Students and staff fear impact of lunch cuts (paywalled)
Ben Leahy (Herald): Ministry of Education says 20 schools are at risk of losing new classrooms (paywalled)
RNZ: Rolleston College launches petition, organises meeting about ministry's redesign of new campus
Dileepa Fonseka (Newsroom): Giving schools power to choose may start with reading (paywalled)
Brittany Keogh (Post): Are our kids safe in ECE?: 30% more services pulled up for regulation breaches (paywalled)
John Gerrritsen (RNZ): More kids stop home schooling, with families lasting less than a year
Andrew Rogers (Herald): Do we have an educational problem? We need to be honest
Rebecca Bull (Newshub): Department of PM and Cabinet responds amid feud between David Seymour and Government-funded centre director over 'death cult' comments
Benjamin Plummer and Raphael Franks (Herald): Professor Joanna Kidman says coalition Government might be a ‘death cult’, David Seymour calls for resignation of anti-extremism centre director
RNZ: Victoria University professor spoken to about anti-government social media post
Stuff: Uni in discussions with professor after implying Govt were ‘death cult’
Gianina Schwanecke (Post): Te Pūkenga head office likely to be cut, some institutions to merge (paywalled)
Bella Craig (RNZ): Student allowance cheats: 'They really don't need the help and they're the ones getting it
GANG PATCH BAN, BOOT CAMPS, JUSTICE
Guyon Espiner (RNZ): Gang patch ban pushing ahead against advice of officials and experts warn it could backfire
JJack McDonald (Post): Ignoring causes of gang criminality shows lack of interest in real solutions (paywalled)
1News: Youth offender boot camps 'become really abusive' – lawyer
RNZ: Minister 'completely disagrees' with boot camp critics
Kerre Woodham (Newstalk ZB): The bootcamp is worth a try, isn't it?
Roger Partridge (Herald): New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point (paywalled)
Felix Desmarais (1News): Bill passes to remove taxpayer funding for cultural reports
RNZ: Legislation scrapping funding for Section 27 cultural sentencing reports passes under urgency
Hamish Cardwell (RNZ): Supreme Court case raises questions of police powers, lawyer says
Chris Keall (Herald): Kiwis want bigger fines for data leaks: Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith responds (paywalled)
RNZ: Government will increase ability to attend court remotely
John MacDonald (Newstalk ZB): No body, no parole is a no brainer
HURRICANES HAKA
RNZ: Hurricanes Poua won't be allowed to repeat haka criticising government
RNZ: Hurricanes to apologise over 'redneck' haka
RNZ: David Seymour calls Hurricanes Poua's 'redneck' haka 'stupid'
Stuff: Winston Peters tackles Hurricanes Poua over ‘redneck government’ haka
Ollie Ritchie (Newshub): Super Rugby Aupiki: Government still fuming over Hurricanes Poua scoring 'political points' with haka protest
Michael Cugley (Te Ao Māori News): Hurricanes Poua haka just the latest in a long tradition of protest haka
RNZ: Hurricanes haka: A brief history of protests in sport
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Super Rugby cannot afford to lose more money
PARLIAMENT
Grant Duncan: Freedom of political expression: a week of it
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): What is the Winston Rule and did James Shaw just kill it? (paywalled)
Stewart Sowman-Lund (Spinoff): Labelling something a ‘tax’ is the easiest political attack in the book
PRIMARY AND EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES
Monique Steele (RNZ): More than 11,000 support petition to keep ban on live animal exports
Viriginia Fallon (Post): Déjà moo: the live export trade is back to the same old bull (paywalled)
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Every fish farm to have consent extended for 25 years
1News: Taranaki onshore petroleum exploration permit granted
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Tom Hunt (Post): Auckland or Wellington: Which mayor has the PM’s ear? (paywalled)
Peter Dunne: The Capital City is Slowly Dying
Tom Hunt (Post): Wellington mayor who opened Reading says reopening will 'rejuvenate’ area (paywalled)
Post: Wellington ratepayers face potential 16.4% increase (paywalled)
Trent Doyle (Newshub): Raft of Auckland community venues to receive new dual te reo Māori-English names
Finn Blackwell (RNZ): Some Aucklanders unhappy at council's cost-cutting rubbish bin removal
RNZ: Bins binned in Auckland Council drive to cut costs
Amy Williams (RNZ): 'Weight off of our shoulders': Uninsured homeowner offered buyout following Auckland floods
Robin Martin (RNZ): Council staff told to explore cheaper sewerage option for Taranaki beach settlements
Robin Martin (RNZ): Sewerage cost for Taranaki beach settlements blows out to $41m
Glenn McLean (Stuff): Warning cost of Urenui, Onaero wastewater project could ‘triple
Susan Botting (Local Democracy Reporting): Whangārei ratepayers face record 17.2% rates hike
Diane McCarthy (Local Democracy Reporting): New agreement aims to make Whakatāne more accessible, safer
Emily Ireland (Local Democracy Reporting): Masterton Town Hall: Three options for consultation
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Aziz Al Saafin (1News): ASEAN summit considers: How worried should we be about China?
Thomas Manch (Post): Government-appointed experts back contentious sanctions law
Thomas Manch (Post): Winston Peters to visit India, Indonesia, Singapore (paywalled)
ISRAEL PALESTINE
Mick Hall: 'Aligned' NZ leaders just as vulnerable to genocide-enabling charges as Albanese
Tina Ngata: Make No Mistake – there is no Indigenous support for Israel
Chris Trotter (Democracy Project): For the self-loathing Left, charity definitely does not begin at home
HEALTH
Anna Whyte (Post): Questions remain over when free prescriptions will end
Hannah Martin (Stuff): ‘We’d see more people dying in ambulances’: Doctors fear GP system is on brink of collapse
RNZ: Minister extends Hauora Māori health contract funding for a year
1News: New Covid vaccine now available in NZ - Here’s what you need to know
Ian Powell: Child palliative care: a sad but avoidable plight
David Farrar: Terrible advice from MOH
ECONOMY, COST OF LIVING, PERSONAL FINANCE
Herald Editorial: We need to brace for some serious economic pain ahead (paywalled)
Jonathan Mitchell (NBR): ‘Monetary policy is working’: Conway's view on restrictive OCR (paywalled)
RNZ: 1 in 7 women experience economic abuse, study finds
Rob Stock (Post): Kiwis want KiwiSaver to be compulsory, survey shows (paywalled)
Paridhi Bakshi (Te Ao Māori News): Porirua’s first social supermarket brings respite to community
BUSINESS, EMPLOYMENT
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Govt’s fair pay repeal breaches EU trade deal – unions
Justin Hu (1News): NZ's most complained about business in 2023 revealed
CLIMATE CHANGE, ENVIRONMENT, CONSERVATION
Eva Corlett (Guardian): The Māori climate activist breaking legal barriers to bring corporate giants to court
Hamish MacLean (ODT): Minister still considering intervention in ORC plan (paywalled)
RNZ: Officials preparing for inevitable 'tsunami' of bird flu coming to New Zealand
OTHER
Kate MacNamara (Herald): Former Oranga Tamariki boss Grainne Moss tapped to set up new regulation ministry (paywalled)
Pokere Paewai (RNZ): Scammers target Toitū te Tiriti movement: 'They don't really care where they get the money from"
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Defence Force turns down Australian helicopters