News Briefing: 14 February 2025
GOVERNMENT, PARLIAMENT
Matthew Hooton (Herald): Labour eyes swift return to Government (paywalled)
Peter Dunne: Next election still National's to lose
Herald: David Seymour’s letter to police advocating for Philip Polkinghorne - the full text and the questions the NZ Herald put to the Act leader (paywalled)
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Why David Seymour was right to support Polkinghorne
Jenna Lynch (Stuff): Whoopsie: The accidental text that gives an insight into coalition relationship
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Speaker won’t punish Seymour over Land Rover stunt
Anneke Smith (RNZ): MPs to review Parliament's rules after land rover stunt
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): A Land Rover drive isn't a crisis
Audrey Young (Herald): David Seymour’s antics eclipse true political crisis as Cook Islands go rogue (paywalled)
Lyric Waiwiri-Smith (Spinoff): Echo Chamber: Winston Peters v the ‘most constrained’ parliament in the world
Jamie Ensor (Herald): Shane Jones criticises Tākuta Ferris for not apologising in English after Privileges Committee report
SUPERMARKETS
RNZ: Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis rules nothing out in supermarket reform
Stewart Sowman-Lund (Spinoff): Supermarkets back on notice – but has anything changed?
Marko Garlick: Supermarket YIMBYism
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): Supermarket competition push welcomed, but doubt Willis has the fix (paywalled)
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Nicola Willis sets sights on supermarkets
Nona Pelletier (RNZ): Government 'dialling up pressure' on New Zealand's grocery duopoly - what else is needed?
Jenée Tibshraeny (Herald): Nicola Willis willing to give new entrants to supermarket sector VIP treatment
Jo Moir (RNZ): Watch: Nicola Willis talks supermarket competition as economic forum kicks off
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Willis homes in on grocery and power prices (paywalled)
Luke Malpass (Post): Willis lashes ‘supermarket lobby’ in economic speech (paywalled)
Jonathan Mitchell (NBR): ’Supermarkets are going to come at me, I’m up for it’: Willis (paywalled)
ECONOMY
Gordon Campbell: On Why “Golden Visas” Are A Losing Bet On Growth
Martin Van Beynen (Post): Foreign investment - be careful what you wish for (paywalled)
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): $12,700 for every New Zealander – the cost of no growth (paywalled)
Rob Stock (Post): Harder, faster OCR cuts to get us out of recession quicker, prescribes Kiwibank (paywalled)
David Hargreaves (Interest): Inflation expectations behave impeccably and gravitate to 2% (paywalled)
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): 'Group think': These were our Covid-19 mistakes, economists say
RNZ: Prominent economists call for superannuation overhaul
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): Finally a positive twist for Crown accounts as deficit comes in below forecast (paywalled)
Stephen Ward (Waikato Times): Minister of Finance and Economic Growth looks to city as export target looms (paywalled)
HEALTH, DISABILITY
Ruth Hill (RNZ): New Wellington hospital shows private sector has 'key part' in health - Health Minister Simeon Brown
Janet Hoek and Jude Ball (Newsroom): Tobacco decision transparency a matter of life or death
RNZ: Disability funding changes resulting in 'untold distress' to vulnerable people - reports
Isaac Davison (Herald): Funding squeeze for disability sector causing ‘unnecessary and severe harm’, doctors say
Maddy Croad (Press): ‘Most inhumane policy I’ve seen’: Clinicians speak of harm since disability funding freeze (paywalled)
Matthew Littlewood (ODT): Act wanted clearer assurances on school
Ian Powell: Is Health New Zealand becoming an Audit Office frequent flyer?
Louis Collins (RNZ): The House: 'Mental health is about lived experience', Minister tells MPs
Sharon Brettkelly (RNZ): The Detail: Uneven maternity care across Aotearoa
ODT Editorial: Southern Charity Hospital success (paywalled)
Paddy Gower (Stuff): Every Kiwi child deserves to be able to die with dignity
Jessica Hopkins (RNZ): Slashed staffing hours trigger protest at Auckland aged care home
Mariné Lourens (Press): Health NZ tight-lipped about toxic fumes investigation (paywalled)
Matt Nippert (Herald): Class action targets ‘ineffective’ phenylephrine-based cold medicines
Dita De Boni (Post): New class action claims cold and flu meds were ‘ineffective’ (paywalled)
FOREIGN AFFAIRS, TRADE
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Cooks and China partner on undersea exploration for lucrative critical minerals
RNZ: Cook Islands-China deal details to be revealed 'in the coming days' - Mark Brown
Thomas Manch (Post): Cook Islands PM gives glimpse of China deals (paywalled)
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Cook Islands crisis presents challenge for Peters
Melina Etches (Cook Islands News): Cook Islands opposition files no-confidence motion against PM Mark Brown
Adam Pearse (Herald): ‘National sovereignty’ central to Cook Islands PM’s discussions with China as deal enters final stages
Eugene Doyle: Will New Zealand invade the Cook Islands to stop China?
Niva Chittock (RNZ): Nato boss presses case for nations like NZ to boost defence spending
Dileepa Fonseka (BusinessDesk): Learning from Mar-a-Lago: Scott Morrison’s Trump playbook for NZ (paywalled)
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Ex-diplomat: NZ shouldn’t ‘catastrophise’ over Trump
Niva Chittock (RNZ): Winston Peters and Gideon Sa'ar speak on importance of Gaza ceasefire
TREATY PRINCIPLES BILL, WAITANGI
Lillian Hanly (RNZ): Labour critical of $270k staff cost over Treaty Principles Bill hearings
Lillian Hanly (RNZ): Former National minister says Treaty Principles Bill 'irretrievably flawed'
Joel Maxwell (Stuff): ‘Recovering racist’ slams Treaty bill, supporter says some Māori should be charged with treason
Daniel Perese and Tini Molyneux (Te Ao Māori News): Treaty Principles Bill oral submissions: Ex-politicians and controversial voices weigh in
Lyric Waiwiri-Smith (Spinoff): Treaty principles bill hearings, day four: Former PM, former minister say scrap it
Chris Trotter (Democracy Project): Visitors with votes
Ella Stewart (RNZ): A taonga of Waitangi - Inside the forum tent
PUBLIC SERVICE
Luke Malpass and Anna Whyte (Post): Too many meetings, not enough risk: Sir Brian Roche’s public service concern (paywalled)
Richard Harman (Politik): Roche says public service has lost its way and needs to get out of Wellington
Jonathan Mitchell (NBR): Public sector can do better: Commissioner Sir Brian Roche (paywalled)
Anna Whyte (Post): Govt looks for more savings from public service (paywalled)
Alice Peacock (Newsroom): ‘Priority shift’: MBIE axes small business support unit
EDUCATION
Jude MacArthur (The Conversation): As new charter schools open, we still know too little about how they worked last time
RNZ: Substandard school lunches ruining 'sense of community' - principal
Katy Jones (Stuff): School lunches revamp a disaster, principal says
1News: School lunches: Pies, Pita Pit to be served on Friday
Hanna McCallum (Post): Pies to substitute healthy school lunch programme (paywalled)
Cécile Meier (BusinessDesk): Compass calls Pita Pit, pie shop to the rescue (paywalled)
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Release of University of Auckland managers' salaries has staff 'looking sideways'
ENVIRONMENT, FAST-TRACK
Eloise Gibson (RNZ): No way to know how 'close to the edge of the cliff' we are with current environment data - commissioner
Greg Hurrell (BusinessDesk): Environmental Protection Authority 'technically insolvent' over $10m govt loan (paywalled)
David Hill (Local Democracy Reporting): Waimakariri mayor: Rejected projects should not be fast-tracked
David Hill (Local Democracy Reporting): Environment Canterbury to promote testing of private water wells
HOUSING, BUILDING
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Has the Government broken its promise to build more state homes?
Kelly Makiha (Rotorua Daily Post): Rotorua Kāinga Ora ‘container homes’ cost $630,000 each to build (paywalled)
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): ASB economists share what they expect will happen to home loan rates
Brent Melville (NBR): Fixed mortgage rates could be sticky, despite looming cuts - ANZ (paywalled)
Greg Ninness (Interest): More first home buyers getting into their own homes but they remain cautious on price
Jenny Ruth: ComCom appears deaf to mortgage advisers’ pleas
Brent Melville (NBR): ComCom creating ’solution in search of a problem,’ advisers say (paywalled)
Phil O’Sullivan (Herald): Building consent reforms: An open letter to Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk (paywalled)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Harriet Laughton and Tom Hunt (Post): Wellington City council vote sends it on the path of more debt (paywalled)
Matthew Rosenberg (Local Democracy Reporting): Major shake-up at council could impact 25% of staff
Joel MacManus (Spinoff): A review of the new Courtenay Place design
Ffion Heale (Post): More attractive or more disruptive? Wellingtonians have their say on the Golden Mile upgrade
André Chumko (Post): Council prefers co-management of Watts Peninsula (paywalled)
Justin Wong (Post): Seaview wastewater plant odour cannon trial ‘inconclusive’ (paywalled)
Michael Daly (Stuff): Wellington business owner says Golden Mile plans are ‘atrocious’ and ‘disastrous’
Local Democracy Reporting: Council advisor sacked after telling mayor to 'behave like an adult'
Matthew Martin (Waikato Times): Waipā votes to join regional water group (paywalled)
Sinead Gill (Press): Pause on cathedral levy proposed to help rein in rates rise (paywalled)
John MacDonald (Newstalk ZB): Here's how you can tell council elections are looming
BUSINESS, BANKS
Chelsea Daniels (Herald): Front Page: Racing bill under scrutiny: TAB NZ could become sole online betting operator
Tim Hunter (NBR): Racing’s $100m bribe (paywalled)
Herald Editorial: ‘Woke’ or not, political meddling in business decision-making sets a dangerous precedent (paywalled)
Dan Brunskill (Interest): Big banks are ‘fat, dumb, and lazy’
Rob Stock (Post): Insurer IAG chief executive asks country to ‘take a longer-term view’ of its big profit rise (paywalled)
NBR: Foodstuffs shucked, Winston plucked, Westpac bucked,, lawyer luck (paywalled)
Ella Somers (Interest): Insurance premiums up 5% to $2.1b in IAG NZ's half-year results, profit up 63%
Libby Kirkby-McLeod (RNZ): Workers to learn if 230 jobs will go at Kinleith Mill
Oliver Lewis (BusinessDesk): Workers brace for Kinleith Mill decision, Government looking at options (paywalled)
JUSTICE
Andrea Vance (Post): Taxpayers stung almost $2000 for taxis to judges’ Northern Club Christmas bash (paywalled)
Rob Kidd (ODT): Second complaint unlikely to cost top lawyer presidency (paywalled)
SCIENCE
Jamie Morton (Herald): Environment watchdog flags worries over Govt science sector shake-up
Mary Argue (RNZ): More than 60 jobs to be axed at Callaghan Innovation
Anna Whyte (Post): More than 60 jobs going at Callaghan Innovation (paywalled)
Fiona Rotherham (NBR): Axe starts to fall at soon-to-be-dismantled Callaghan Innovation (paywalled)
POLICE
David Fisher (Herald): Image leaked of Golriz Ghahraman during Pak’nSave shopping incident – now she wants an inquiry
Paula Penfold (Stuff): Police on private trip to China were hosted by CCP leader
ENERGY
Russell Palmer (RNZ): Energy minister Simon Watts delivers ultimatum to gentailers
Ian Llewellyn (BusinessDesk): Gentailers' earnings: Don't look back in anger (paywalled)
EMPLOYMENT
Jeremy Sparrow (Bay of Plenty Times/Herald): Major employment law changes for 2025: What they could mean for you (paywalled)
Neil Sands (Law News): More details revealed about govt’s employment law reforms
TRANSPORT
Jonathan Leask (Local Democracy Reporting): Not so fast: NZTA to review Rakaia’s speed limit reversal
Jo Lines-MacKenzie (Waikato Times): Toll in the offing for new piece of Waikato Expressway
Will Mace (NBR): Air NZ challenged by MPs over pricing and regional cancellations (paywalled)
Sam Smith (Stuff): Auckland trackless tram trial off due to ‘unsolicited’ demands from manufacturer
Mary Argue (RNZ): Locals raised fears about road 7 years before deadly four-seat bike crash
OTHER
Eric Crampton (Newsroom): The (transplanted) paranoid style in Kiwi politics
Henry McMullan (1News): Calls for Govt intervention as pensioners stretched to cover rent
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Government unit moves focus from natural disasters to cyber security
Reid Basher (Post): Disasters cost us billions, so where’s the risk management? (paywalled)
Natasha Hamilton-Hart (Open Inquiry): Fear and Loathing in the National Library
Shayne Currie (Herald): Media Insider: Kiwi TV producer Charlotte Purdy’s battle for UK nurse Lucy Letby; Guyon Espiner’s Q+A return; Media reform paper considers RNZ funding regime; Sky tests new satellite (paywalled)
Matt Reid (Post): It takes a village to raise a child— but who is funding the village? (paywalled)
Cartoons
