News Briefing: 27 February 2025
CITIZEN’S ARREST POWERS, CRIME, JUSTICE
Andrew Geddis and Henry Benson-Pope (Spinoff): The many, many problems with the plan to expand citizen’s arrest powers
RNZ: Police Association slams beefed-up citizen arrest powers
AJ Hendry: New arrest laws: Negligent & dangerous
Adam Pearse (Herald): New citizen’s arrest powers excite Destiny Church’s Brian Tamaki as Retail NZ warns policy could lead to deaths (paywalled)
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Brian Tamaki’s support for new citizen’s arrest powers ‘tongue in cheek’
1News: Citizen's arrests: Retail group says 'people will get hurt or killed'
Katie Ham (Post): ‘Huge safety risks’: Police warn against expanding citizen’s arrest powers (paywalled)
1News: Citizen's arrests: Retail group says 'people will get hurt or killed'
NBR: ‘People will get killed’: Corporate pushback on citizen’s arrests (paywalled)
Catherine McGregor (Spinoff): Retailers split on controversial citizen’s arrest plans
Adam Pearse (Herald): Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith announces new citizen’s arrest powers
RNZ: Retailers to be handed wider power to detain shoplifters
RNZ: Details of new citizen's arrest rules unveiled
RNZ: Expanded citizen's arrest powers to be announced
Kerre Woodham (Newstalk ZB): Reasonable force and citizen's arrests
John MacDonald (Newstalk ZB): I'm 50/50 when it comes to citizen's arrests
—————
Alice Neville (Spinoff): Has violent crime really dropped for the first time since 2018?
RNZ: Call for independent commissioner, 'one-stop shop' for victims
Glenn McConnell and Paddy Gower (Stuff): Police bust ‘Gandalf’, leaving hundreds without medicinal cannabis
RNZ: Police arrest 11 for gang patch breaches at Mongrel Mob tangi
—————
Stuff: Judicial review in March for judge who reportedly gate-crashed NZ First function
Andrew Gunn: Franks Ogilvie Law - Standard Threatening Letter Template
Bill Hickman (RNZ): Law firm stands behind gender affirming care letter as official complaints made
Gwen McClure (RNZ): The Detail: SovCits are fighting the law, but the law's winning
FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE
Corin Dann (RNZ): Chinese navy live-fire drills saga marks failure in China-NZ relationship - Peters
Stuff: Winston Peters discusses live firing exercises, Pacific relations in ‘constructive’ talks with China
Thomas Manch (Post): Winston Peters did not ask China ‘why’ live fire drills in Tasman Sea (paywalled)
RNZ: Acting Prime Minister David Seymour calls China flotilla a 'tactical error'
Laura Walters (Newsroom): Defence capability plan pushed back as tensions rise in the region
Mick Hall: Chinese naval exercises and Cook Islands deal used to push military spending plans
Corin Dann (RNZ): Watch: RNZ’s Corin Dann in Beijing ahead of foreign ministers meeting
RNZ: Labour leader Chris Hipkins says Prime Minister must prioritise visiting China
—————
Jenna Lynch (Stuff): Defence Minister Judith Collins responds to China submarine claim, hits back over Australia alerts speed
Stewart Sowman-Lund and Thomas Manch (Post): Questions being asked over whether NZ should have acted faster on Chinese ships alert (paywalled)
Rachel Mayer (Herald): Chinese warships enter Australia’s economic zone, officials assume taskforce backed by nuclear submarine
AAP: China weapons drill: NZDF alerted ADF an hour after airline pilot
Herald Editorial: China’s live-firing naval exercises in Tasman Sea cause for alarm but calm heads must prevail (paywalled)
Jenna Lynch (Stuff): New images of warships released as HMNZS Te Kaha departs monitoring of China navy task group
—————
Talaia Mika (Cook Islands News): Cook Islands PM accuses NZ media, experts of thinking ‘we are too dumb’
Thomas Manch (Post): Cook Islands PM Mark Brown lashes out at NZ; Luxon rejects criticism
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Cook Islands Crisis: Mark Brown writes to Christopher Luxon (paywalled)
RNZ: Cook Islands PM breaks silence in communications to Luxon
RNZ: No-confidence vote against Cook Islands PM fails
Agence France-Presse: Cook Islands PM beats no confidence vote, slams New Zealand
RNZ: No-confidence motion against Cook Islands PM Brown moves forward
—————
Giles Dexter (RNZ): New Zealand and Vietnam sign Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
Benedict Collins (1News): NZ and Vietnam agree to upgrade diplomatic relationship
Giles Dexter (RNZ): Prime Minister calls for more transparency in the Indo-Pacific at 'future forum' in Hanoi
Benedict Collins (1News): PM Luxon: NZ 'clear-eyed' about rising risk of conflict in region
Jason Walls (Herald): Christopher Luxon tells major summit NZ is ‘clear-eyed’ about risk of conflict in Southeast Asia
PARLIAMENT, GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC SERVICE
Janet Wilson (Post): Troubling questions abound in Manurewa Marae saga (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): Procrastination over performance reporting coming to an end (paywalled)
Jamie Ensor (Herald): Christopher Luxon admits he doesn’t always get communication right after Mike Hosking interview
Paddy Gower (Stuff): Mike Hosking’s takedown of PM’s corporate waffle has done us all a favour
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): ‘A talking robot’: Expert urges Luxon to rethink his media strategy
ODT Editorial: Minister Bayly bails (paywalled)
RNZ: Christopher Luxon: 'I'm lucky, I'm an extrovert... I'm very wired by engaging with people'
Herald: Greens to deliver alternative budget that promotes manaakitanga, Chlöe Swarbrick takes battle to ‘right-wing’
Lillian Hanly (RNZ): Watch: Greens co-leaders deliver State of the Planet update
Stuff: Green Party to release alternative budget
Lauren Crimp (RNZ): Kāinga Ora management tells staff to stay 'positive', 'make a choice!' while axe hangs over jobs
Bryce Wilkinson (Herald): What Crown assets should we sell? (paywalled)
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): New Zealand trembles beneath barrage of wake-up calls
No Right Turn: A reversal on secrecy?
Mary Afemata (Local Democracy Reporting): Widow recalls Efeso Collins’ ‘beautiful smile’ at mural unveiling
ABUSE IN STATE CARE, ORANGA TAMARIKI
Laura Walters (Newsroom): Oranga Tamariki not meeting minimum care standards five years on
Lillian Hanly (RNZ): Number of children being abused in state care has increased, report finds
Adam Pearse (Herald): Children ‘getting the bash’ from Oranga Tamariki staff as abuse in care rises
Hanna McCallum (Post): More children abused in care, report finds (paywalled)
EDUCATION
1News: Round two of charter school applications open
John Gerritsen (RNZ): 'How many days in a row can you eat this?' - Schools slash lunch orders
RNZ: School lunch provider's boss says it's 'mission critical' to meet KPIs
Ruby Shaw (ODT): Healthy lunches ‘not just about the food’ (paywalled)
Ellen O’Dwyer (RNZ): MPI investigating complaint over school lunch programme
Barrie Saunders: School lunches saga – time for a re-think
Serena Solomon (RNZ): Are private schools better than public schools in New Zealand?
Hamish MacLean (ODT): Book to mark century of ‘Critic’
Omid Aliasghar (The Conversation): Ignore the ‘ivory tower’ clichés – universities are the innovation partners more Kiwi businesses need
ENERGY
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): Warning low-income households 'left behind' as power companies innovate
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): More power price hikes to come as Energy Minister ‘watching closely’ (paywalled)
RNZ: What's behind the incoming power price rises?
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Power issues - Here we go again
Esther Taunton (Stuff): Mercury’s payout to shareholders is rising, but so are its power prices
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): Meridian boss: let us lower the lake levels (paywalled)
RNZ: ‘We took a hit for New Zealand’: Meridian reports $121 half-year loss
Ian Llewellyn (BusinessDesk): Meridian hopes history never repeats as it delivers worst ever result (paywalled)
Tim Hunter (NBR): Meridian ‘dusting off’ old hydro projects
HEALTH
Lauren Crimp (RNZ): 'Physical contact' complaint against ACC boss seconded to Health NZ
Paula Penfold (Stuff): Top ACC staffer seconded to Health NZ in spite of ‘physical contact’ complaint, topless video call
Paddy Gower (Stuff): Father of boy, 5, who died without specialist end-of-life care makes plea to health minister
Public Health Communication Centre Aotearoa: Slight drop in youth vaping but stark ethnic disparities remain
Emma Andrews (RNZ): Why health promotion matters at events like Te Matatini
TREATY PRINCIPLES BILL, TE AO MĀORI
Julia Gabel (Herald): Treaty Principles Bill attempting to ‘erase the treaty from the soul of our nation’, Annette Sykes says
Lillian Hanly (RNZ): Treaty Principles Bill is legislation of 'consequence' - Ruth Richardson
Joel Maxwell (Stuff): Treaty Principles Bill: Ruth Richardson scorns mātauranga Māori, partnership with iwi
Lyric Waiwiri-Smith and Joel MacManus (Spinoff): Treaty principles bill hearings, day 10: Ruth Richardson criticises ‘Treaty overreach’
Herald Editorial: Protecting haka: Cultural IP at risk in global corporate workshops (paywalled)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
RNZ: Councils team up for Three Waters work
Simon Wilson (Herald): Wayne Brown said Victoria St’s Te Hā Noa upgrade was ‘bloody good’, now he wants to stop it. What’s going on? (paywalled)
Jacob Jones (Herald): 2025 Auckland local elections: Five councillors confirm runs, Desley Simpson and others still undecided
Finn Blackwell (RNZ): Hundreds more community patrols pay off for central Auckland
Tom Hunt (Post): Negotiations hold up $40m Wellington City Council move (paywalled)
Harriet Laughton (Post): Car-free Cuba Street if council plan goes ahead (paywalled)
Natalie Akoorie (RNZ): Bylaws to stop showering in water fountains labelled 'waste of money' by Hamilton councillor
RNZ: Hamilton grapples with people showering in town square
Alisha Evans (Local Democracy Reporting): Tauranga’s marine precinct sale could cause ‘irreversible harm’, court told (paywalled)
Grant Miller (ODT): Mayor hopeful of rates rises under 10% (paywalled)
Matthew Rosenberg (Local Democracy Reporting): Council workers face increasing abuse, threatening behaviour
HOUSING, PROPERTY INDUSTRY
Rob Stock (Post): Court action urged on ‘unfair’ retirement village chattels clauses (paywalled)
Eric Crampton (Newsroom): Let the Natural Hazards Commission charge risktakers higher premiums
Brianna McIlraith (Stuff): Gender pay gap holding women back from property wealth
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): 'The opportunities are not as available' - male property investors still outnumber women
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): Refixing borrowers swamp banks
Dan Brunskill (Interest): House prices unlikely to surge as long-term interest rates remain steady despite cuts to the Official Cash Rate, Treasury’s chief economist says
Greg Ninness (Interest): Build costs for stand alone houses at a record high while construction costs of retirement village units and apartments plummet
TRANSPORT, INFRASTRUCTURE
Oliver Lewis (BusinessDesk): NZTA appoints infrastructure delivery manager to steer massive work programme (paywalled)
Emma Ricketts (Stuff): Wellington off-peak transport fares could go up 42%
Mountain Tui: Cycleways only COST 1% of the entire transport budget and reap significant benefits economically, environmentally, and health wise
Krystal Gibbens (RNZ): Restore Passenger Rail protesters created 'unreasonable risk' to the public, jury told
RNZ: Auckland transport asks public for feedback on kerbside space plans
Matthew Littlewood (ODT):
First stage of trail to be completed by October (paywalled)
ECONOMY
Robert MacCulloch: Is Productivity Low in NZ not because of the Government but because our Big Business CEO's and Corporate Boards are so Utterly Useless?
Robert MacCulloch: The NZ Initiative's Exec Director Insults DownToEarth Kiwi. So can the PM now come clean and tell the Media how often he's talked with the Initiative?
RNZ: Rural areas to carry NZ economy until lower interst rates filter through
Richard Harman (Politik): At last, some good news
David Hargreaves (Interest): Economists forecast NZ dollar will continue to perform badly
Michael Reddell: Is compulsory saving the answer?
EMPLOYMENT, BUSINESS
Maryana Garcia (Rotorua Daily Post): Kinleith Mill: Taupō MP Louise Upston to meet with MSD, South Waikato District Council
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Business recovery lags as tariffs and trade wars breed caution
Austin Ellingham-Banks (Post): Forget a tax cut, this is the change that businesses really need (paywalled)
Madison Malone (Herald): Recession rut: The major New Zealand companies doing it tough
MEDIA
Nona Pelletier (RNZ): Media company NZME reports $16 million full-year net loss
Shayne Currie (Herald): Media Insider: NZME financial results - $54.2 million in earnings, net loss after tax of $16m after impairment; OneRoof may be spun off into new company (paywalled)
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): NZME reports $16 million loss after write-down (paywalled)
Nicholas Pointon (NBR): NZME hints at more cost cutting (paywalled)
Greg Dixon (Listner): Lights, camera and bare-faced lies: The Canadian who fooled NZ (paywalled)
OTHER
Jenée Tibshraeny (Herald): Inland Revenue sets sights on taxing 9000 clubs, societies and other not-for-profits (paywalled)
Steven Cowan: Nick Mowbray: Scapegoating the poor
Kelly Dennett (Post): Fleur Fitzsimons apppointed to co-lead public service union (paywalled)
Daniel Perese and Tini Molyneux (Te Ao Māori News): Te Matatini 2025: Nicola Willis commits to continued funding
André Chumko (Post): Creative spaces reduce strain on social services ‒ report (paywalled)
Nona Pelletier (RNZ): How 'living bequests' could increase the rate of legacy gifts
Rob Stock (Post): New report shows just 6% of wills contain charity bequests (paywalled)
Murphy (RNZ): One in five trans and non-binary people threatened with physical violence
Tim Scott (ODT): Institutions weigh up displaying artworks
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): Young KiwiSaver members have more than $80,000 saved
Verity Johnson (Stuff): Five things to ask yourself to work out if you should move to Australia
Cartoons
