News Briefing: 28 February 2025
FOUR-YEAR PARLIAMENTARY TERM PROPOSAL
Andrew Geddis (Spinoff): The strings attached to the four-year parliamentary term proposal, explained
Jenna Lynch (Stuff): Four-year term of government: how would it work?
Luke Malpass (Post): Four-year terms, but what’s the catch? (paywalled)
Justin Wong (Post): Labour: Four-year parliamentary term legislation ‘convoluted’ (paywalled)
No Right Turn: Still against a four-year term
1News: Govt announces four-year parliamentary term legislation to be introduced
Jo Moir (RNZ): Four-year parliamentary term legislation to be introduced, would go to referendum
Stuff: Four-year parliamentary term legislation to be introduced
Dileepa Fonseka (BusinessDesk): Government puts four-year parliamentary term on the table (paywalled)
FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE
Matthew Hooton (Herald): China flotilla about keeping NZ and Australia in our box (paywalled)
Corin Dann (RNZ): Foreign Minister Winston Peters looks to build NZ's growing ties with South Korea
Corin Dann (RNZ): Analysis: Winston Peters walks a 'tricky' diplomatic line in Beijing
Richard Harman (Politik): China stands aside, now its Peters v the Cook islands Premier (paywalled)
Guardian: New Zealand’s top diplomat tells China sudden live-fire drills represent ‘failure’ in relationship
Naina Rao (Radio Guam): Cook Islands-China deal sparks diplomatic tensions with New Zealand
Alyssa Chen (South China Morning Post): New Zealand FM meets China’s Wang Yi in Beijing, raises PLA live-fire drills
RNZ: China navy ships: Collins 'aware' of nuclear submarine reports
David Williams (Herald): Chinese naval flotilla enters Great Australian Bight after live-firing exercises in Tasman Sea
1News: Aus Defence Minister downplays live-fire alert time lag
Philip Crump: Chinese Warships in the Tasman Sea: An Unprecedented Pacific Signal
Eugene Doyle (Scoop): Yellow Peril! Red Peril! “We Cannot Hide Anymore”. Chinese Warships In The Tasman Sea
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Giles Dexter (RNZ): Attempts to extradite officials not on Luxon's agenda in Hanoi
Olivia Wannan (Stuff): Will the PM put his trade mission at risk with this question?
Jason Walls (Newstalk ZB): Christopher Luxon floats sending Royal New Zealand Navy ship into South China Sea
Alan Granville (Stuff): New Zealand's new low-cost flight to ‘standout’ Vietnam is ‘great news’
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Anna Whyte (Post): Defence Force and civilian staff settle dispute (paywalled)
Peter Griffin (BusinessDesk): Big Tech’s Trump card and our digital dilemma (paywalled)
PARLIAMENT, GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC SERVICE
Denise McNabb (BusinessDesk): Police issue Te Pāti Māori individual formal warning over late accounts (paywalled)
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Government struggles with lack of visibility of big projects ahead of Budget 2025
Luke Malpass (Post): Bishop to announce levies system for infrastructure growth (paywalled)
Ryan Ward: NZ Initiative goes all in on privatisation
Tim Murphy (Newsroom): Greens’ next big thing is the economy
Brian Easton: Transforming New Zealand: Why is the Left failing?
Mary Argue (RNZ): Callaghan Innovation's new $10m software in limbo after shutdown news
Lillian Hanly (RNZ): Rawiri Waititi performs at Te Matatini, says haka is form of 'political expression'
Kelly Dennett and Anna Whyte (Post): Julie Anne Genter accused of ‘raising voice’ at Taxpayers’ Union volunteers
CITIZEN’S ARREST POWERS, CRIME, JUSTICE
RNZ: Brian Tamaki's enthusiasm among many concerns with new citizens arrest law
Adam Pearse (Herald): Legal expert says citizens' arrest restraining powers ‘very problematic’ (paywalled)
ODT Editorial: Arresting development ill thought out (paywalled)
Herald Editorial: Lack of employer support for new citizens' arrest law should give Government pause for thought (paywalled)
1News: Proposed citizen’s arrest laws for retail — calls for more detail
Katie Ham (Post): Citizen’s arrest: End to the ‘paradise for thieves’ or opening Pandora’s box? (paywalled)
Derek Cheng (Herald): Latest 2024 crime data: Overall crime and violent crime steady, but some forms of family violence doubled
Bryan Bruce: Episode 37 Dr. Tony Ellis Human Rights Lawyer
Catrin Owen (Stuff): Lawyer Sue Grey fined after she breached suppression in baby blood case
SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES, ENERGY
Craig Renney: Special Economic Zones – Special or not?
Dita De Boni (Post): ‘Delight’ at Government plans for Marsden Point special economic zone (paywalled)
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): Competition task force recommends ‘anti-discrimination’ rule for power giants (paywalled)
PRIMARY AND EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES, ENVIRONMENT
Fox Meyer (Newsroom): Industries back continued discharges into waterways, but better compliance
David Williams (Newsroom): Hard limits needed to protect water, court told
Raphael Franks (Herald): Mining protest ends in police escort: OceanaGold in Coromandel slates ‘dangerous, reckless’ acts
Hamish MacLean (ODT): ‘Reasonably likely’ toxic liquid entering stream
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Standards won’t be eased: govt
Jamie Ensor (Herald): Government agrees to regulatory advice to cut agriculture, horticulture product approval times
Brent Edwards (NBR): Govt speeds up approval time for agricultural products (paywalled)
Stuff: Government cuts red tape delays to adopting new farm products
SCHOOL LUNCHES; EDUCATION
Gordon Campbell (Scoop): On School Lunches, And The Coalition Government Eating The Young
Fox Meyer (Newsroom): Compass has until Term 2 to fix school lunches or risk losing contract
Michael Daly (Stuff): Principals' Federation says 'time has now come' to revert to previous school lunches arrangement
RNZ: David Seymour responds to school lunch programme controversy
Matthew Littlewood (ODT): Uncertainty over future leaves polytechnic staff at ‘peak anxiety’ (paywalled)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Ashleigh McCaull (RNZ): Local Government minister Simon Watts tells local governments to ask for help if needed
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): New minister goes face-to-face with councils unhappy at capping rates rises
Thomas Manch (Post): Local government minister soothes councils after Government blasting (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): Rate capping doesn’t work, local government officials told (paywalled)
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Local body elections: Who’s running for the mayoralty in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch?
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Councillor ‘carries’ shooting threat for life, as realities of life on the front-line of democracy hit home
Harriet Laughton (Post): Councillors vote to bring back car parks at Botanic Garden (paywalled0
Emily Ireland (Local Democracy Reporting): Water race redress gets green light
David Hill (Local Democracy Reporting): Lower rates or better roads? The choice for Hurunui ratepayers
Zita Campbell (Local Democracy Reporting): Gisborne councillor quits to take up role within council
Laura Smith (Local Democracy Reporting): Tarawera sewer scheme 'feels like an open cheque' — ex-Fonterra chair
Linda Hall (Local Democracy Reporting): Hastings Civic Square revamp to cost close to $1m
Hamish MacLean (ODT): Queenstown Lakes residents sick of ‘hopium’
Linda O’Reilly (Local Government): Rating Maori Land
AUCKLAND
Simon Wilson (Herald): Live at the St James, again: Auckland Council approves funding for iconic venue
RNZ: Auckland Mayor reluctantly re-commits $15m to restore St James Theatre
Sam Smith (Stuff): St James Theatre restoration set to continue after years of delays
Desley Simpson (Herald): Auckland bed tax: City needs this levy to attract world-class sport and cultural events
Herald: Auckland Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson announces shingles infection, urges vaccination
Finn Blackwell (RNZ): 'It's really dangerous' - Still no answers after falling debris incident on Auckland's Queen Street
Patrick Reynolds: Auckland, what is it good for?
Erin Johnson (Stuff): Auckland Eyesores: The car park splitting a town centre for decades
Jack Horsnell (1News): Map shows where speed limits are changing on Auckland streets
Torika Tokalau (Local Democracy Reporting): Auckland residents fed up with ‘race track’ roads
TRANSPORT, INFRASTRUCTURE
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Deadline for private sector Cook Strait Interislander ferry proposals is tonight
Oliver Lewis (BusinessDesk): Treasury looking for lawyers to assist with Cook Strait ferries tender (paywalled)
Sam Smith (Stuff): Bluebridge cancels Cook Strait sailings
Emily Ireland (Local Democracy Reporting): Carterton to call in an NZTA promise
1News: Wellington public transport fares to increase from July
Bernie Wanden (Local Government): Open letter to Minister Bishop
HEALTH, DISABILITY
RNZ: One in six New Zealanders disabled, higher rates for some groups - Stats NZ
1News: Half a million disabled New Zealanders need more assistance
Maddy Craod (Press/Post): Poor support for half a million disabled people ‘concerning’
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Agencies plan for next pandemic, despite Govt pause
Mahvash Ikram (RNZ): Five years on from New Zealand's first Covid-19 case - have we changed?
Chris Lynch: ‘Racism on steroids’: Industry veterans slam Pharmacy Council’s forced cultural competency rules as Health Minister demands explanation
Waseem Alzaher (Post): The magic green fairies can offer medicinal cannabis industry
ECONOMY, EMPLOYMENT
Cameron Bagrie (BusinessDesk): The rising cost of everything (paywalled)
Andrew Bevin (Newsroom): Cost of living to dominate Australian election as Kiwis flock there
RNZ: Job market begins showing signs of recovery, according to advertising data
David Hill (Local Democracy Reporting): 15 young workers supported into Kaikōura jobs
Brianna McIlraith (Stuff): The industries hiring and the ones that are not
SUPERMARKETS, BUSINESS
Max Rashbrooke (Spinoff): We need to stop shadow-boxing on competition
Marko Garlick: Supermarkets: More stories of how councils accidentally on purpose banned competition
Rebecca Stevenson (BusinessDesk): Simplicity’s Sam Stubbs urges continuation of capital market reforms after Bayly resignation (paywalled)
Tom Raynel (Herald): Government-backed food research organisation signs deal with Canadian counterpart (paywalled)
RNZ: Business confidence keeps inching up, as interest rates go down
Rob Stock (Post): National backs bill to help keep company directors safe from stalkers (paywalled)
MEDIA
Amanda Gillies (RNZ): The Detail: Changes are underway for the media industry, but it's a messy process
Shayne Currie (Herald): Media Insider: Ryan Bridge to host new morning video news show; Sky TV chair opens up on rugby rights and DAZN threat; Hosking-Luxon interview - six ways to avoid a train wreck (paywalled)
Jamie Ensor (Herald): TVNZ, 1News' decision to quit X/Twitter explained: ‘Notoriously toxic’ social media website provided little engagement
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): OneRoof could be half the value in NZME: ForBarr (paywalled)
Nicholas Pointon (NBR): OneRoof sale could generate ’significant capital return’: Forbar (paywalled)
RESERVE BANK
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Reserve Bank funding cut? Finance Minister Nicola Willis says ‘there is room for savings’
Michael Reddell: Why is such rank dishonesty tolerated?
TREATY PRINCIPLES BILL, TE AO MĀORI
Joel Maxwell (Stuff): Watch: Treaty Principles Bill hearing - ‘I wouldn’t say no’ to MP’s sarcastic support hug
Lyric Waiwiri-Smith and Joel MacManus (Spinoff): Treaty principles bill hearings, day 11: Live, from Te Matatini, Lake Rotokākahi and Mitre 10
INTERNETNZ
Tm Brown (RNZ): Censorship fears over revamp of InternetNZ's constitution
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): InternetNZ swamped by new members amid row with Free Speech Union
HOUSING, PROPERTY INDUSTRY
Nicholas Pointon (NBR): Consumer NZ squares off with Metlifecare over contracts (paywalled)
Mike Jones: Housing balance tilts towards supply
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): ANZ report says interest rates likely to plateau, homeowners should fix loans for longer
Riley Kennedy (BusinessDesk): Inside Kāinga Ora’s decision to exclude wool carpet in tender for homes
CONSERVATION, ANIMAL PROTECTION
Inside Government: Study finds flaws in animal protection laws
Andy Brew (Stuff): Hector's dolphin conservation tour marred by 'tragic' death
OTHER
Peter Dunne: The unwelcome case of Peter Thiel
Moana Ellis (Local Democracy Reporting): From protest to partnership: Pākaitore legacy 30 years on
Rob Stock (Post): Kiwibank half-year profit falls12% (paywalled)
Jenny Ruth: Does Kiwibank want us to think it’s already “a maverick”? (paywalled)
Samantha Hayes (Stuff): US country music star Luke Bryan’s manager buys Sir John Key’s $1m helicopter
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