NZ Politics Daily: 19 December 2024
FAST TRACK, MINING
Fox Meyer (Newsroom): ‘Luxon Hustle’ targets foreign tech and infrastructure investors
Fox Meyer (Newsroom): Zombies given new life as fast-track passes into law
Eva Corlett (Guardian): ‘Dark day for New Zealand’: outcry as bill to fast-track controversial mining projects is approved
Andrew Bevin (Newsroom): Winton’s Kāinga Ora lawsuit balloons to $305m-plus
Tim Scott (ODT): Mining company hails passing of Fast-track Approvals Bill (paywalled)
Roeland van den Bergh (Post): Santana Minerals welcomes passing of the Fast-track Approvals Bill (paywalled)
Maria Slade (BusinessDesk): Two fast-track projects collide (paywalled)
Stephen Ward (Waikato Times): Site of planned $100m-plus steel plant revealed (paywalled)
ECONOMY, COST OF LIVING
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Treasury gave Labour an open goal, somehow they missed it (paywalled)
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): NZ almost last in global economic comparison
Dan Brunskill (Interest): Balancing the budget without tax increases or austerity measures may require a Christmas miracle
Brent Edwards (NBR): Fixing the economy and fiscal situation no easy task (paywalled)
Sam Smith (Stuff): Political blame game begins over state of Government’s books
Grant Duncan: Nicola Willis's fiscal poetry contest
Cameron Bagrie (BusinessDesk): Did Treasury go far enough? (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): Barbara Edmonds not sure how coalition will meet spending limits (paywalled)
Robert McCulloch: Yes, Labour Recklessly Borrowed $100 billion. National's doing the same.
Steven Cowan: Christopher Luxon: ‘Merry Xmas, here’s some more brutal austerity'
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): The Government aren't fixing our economic mess
John MacDonald (Newstalk ZB): Kneejerk reactions won't fix the fiscals
Virginia Fallon (Post): ‘Well done everyone’: the PM goes to a foodbank (paywalled)
Amy Williams (RNZ): 'The government's turning down people' - declined food grants put more pressure on foodbanks
David Hargreaves (Interest): NZ's current account deficit narrows
Liam Dann (Herald): Current account deficit narrows as Kiwis import less (paywalled)
RNZ: Consumer confidence up, but still below long time average
Dita De Boni (Post): Economic optimism up but Xmas will still be frugal (paywalled)
GOVERNMENT, PARLIAMENT, YEAR IN REVIEW
Andrea Vance (Post): ‘Really disgusted’: Judith Collins rips into judge’s party behaviour (paywalled)
Andrea Vance (Stuff): ‘Really disgusted’: Judith Collins rips into judge’s party behaviour
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Peters considers legal action over judge’s ‘verbal attack’
RNZ: Attorney-general 'appalled' after Judge and former doctor verbally abuse Winston Peters at exclusive party
Herald: District Court Judge Ema Aitken, Dr David Galler disrupt NZ First party at Northern Club
Bryce Edwards (Democracy Project): The Act Party’s highly influential year
Ben Thomas (Post): Kiwi summer couldn’t come at a better time for the coalition (paywalled)
Geoff Neal (TheFacts): National Party’s performance rated 10 percentage points higher (+25%) than they poll
Russell Palmer (RNZ): Opposition parties move towards 'formalising' collaboration
No Right Turn: Open Government: The joke ends
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Why Christopher Luxon is my politician of the year
RNZ: Winston Peters spends much of of year speech criticising Te Pāti Māori, Waititi breaks into song
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Christopher Luxon gifts Chris Hipkins an Air NZ safety message as Parliament wraps up for Christmas
Thomas Manch (Post): Luxon ends Parliamentary year with unsparing roast
Stewart Sowman-Lund (Spinoff): The year in five news events
Liam Hehir (The Blue Review): Who, whom? The Luxon Piñata Shows We Can Never Escape the Playground
TRANSPORT
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Cook Strait ferry ministerial advisory group paid $300,000, Winston Peters goes back to the drawing board
No Right Turn: Can the government change its mind on the ferries?
Oliver Lewis (BusinessDesk): Gap between transport spending and revenue a ‘key risk to the fiscal position’ – Treasury (paywalled)
BusinessDesk: Congestion charges a step closer with bill's introduction (paywalled)
Oliver Lewis (BusinessDesk): NZTA recommended toll for Manawatū highway (paywalled)
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Transmission Gully: New plan to tackle long-standing fight
LAKE ALICE TORTURE REDRESS PAYMENT
Laura Walters (Newsroom): Cabinet sets aside $22.6m for survivors tortured at Lake Alice
Glenn McConnell and Bridie Witton (Stuff): ‘It’s pathetic:’ Lake Alice survivor says government payment of $150,000 not enough
Anneke Smith and Jimmy Ellingham (RNZ): Lake Alice survivor realises house bus dream with redress payment
RNZ: Watch: Lake Alice survivors to get $150,000 each in redress
Anna Whyte (Post): Three part torture redress for Lake Alice survivors announced (paywalled)
EMPLOYMENT
1News: Minister to consult on possible regulations for engineered stone
RNZ: Government consults on engineered stone benchtop ban
Frances Chin (Post): Wellington job loss data was inflated, Stats NZ says (paywalled)
Neil Sands (Law News): Unions furious at dumping of draft holidays legislation, warn of ‘danger’ to workers
Sarah Bills (Herald): Māori and Pasifika face job barriers despite New Zealand’s diversity push
Lucy Xia (RNZ): Labour hire firm under migrant exploitation investigation in liquidation
HEALTH
Natalie Akoorie (Herald): Former National MP joins push for University of Waikato's third medical school
RNZ: Submission calling for Pharmac boss to be sacked presented at Parliament
RNZ: Construction of mental health unit goes to tender before approval
RNZ: Whooping cough campaign a success, says Health NZ director
Mariné Lourens (Press/Post): NZ has second highest incidence of early-onset cancer (paywalled)
RNZ: Menopausal woman to learn fate of hormone replacement patch
LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WATER
Thomas Manch (Post): Simeon Brown lays the groundwork to intervene in councils’ water plans
Gwynn Compton (Local Aotearoa): The long read: Who's afraid of the big bad water meter?
Emily Ireland (Local Democracy Reporting): Submitters support user-pays water charge in Masterton
Kate Green (RNZ): Waimate's water safe to drink again
Gwynn Compton (Local Aotearoa): Blaming the wellbeings for higher council rates is a longbow to draw
ODT Editorial: Controlling council spending (paywalled)
Grant Miller (ODT): Spending on basics claims ‘misleading’ (paywalled)
Julie Jacobson (Stuff): Titanic boost for Wellington ‘vision’aries
Peter Biggs (Post): Vision for Wellington - what we want to achieve (paywalled)
Herald Editorial: Business resignations another blow for Tory Whanau’s leadership (paywalled)
Sam Smith (Stuff): Sam Neill calls decision to demolish Wellington bridge ‘shameful piece of vandalism’
Tom Hunt (Post): Complaint after Wellington City councillor’s ‘racist’ comment (paywalled)
Libby Kirkby-McLeod (RNZ): Tauranga council giving out 'crumbs' of information - MP
Emily Ireland (Local Democracy Reporting): Council report focuses on cyclone recovery and ‘the basics’
Alisha Evans (Local Democracy Reporting): Tauranga fluoride debate: Fluoride-free water supply a ‘waste of time’ - campaigner
Sinead Gill (Press): City councillors may renege on decision to rule out car parking on valuable CBD arts precinct land (paywalled)
EDUCATION
Paul Spoonley (Post): Research cuts put revival of international education in jeopardy (paywalled)
RNZ: Kindergarten group fears rule overhaul will lower standards
Kate Judson (Wairarapa Times-Age/Post): 45 jobs gone as school lunch contract ends (paywalled)
BUSINESS
Andrew Bevin (Newsroom): Redundant Ruapehu infrastructure lands on DoC’s plate
RNZ: Commerce Commission looks to clamp down on card payment fees
Gareth Vaughan (Interest): Commerce Commission says it 'seems likely' surcharging regulation will be needed despite reduction in Mastercard & Visa fees for businesses
Dita De Boni (Post): ComCom advises lower cap on fees to Mastercard, Visa (paywalled)
Jonathan Mitchell (NBR): Mastercard not happy with the Commerce Commission (paywalled)
Jenny Ruth: Mixing business and politics: a toxic brew? (paywalled)
MEDIA
Colin Peacock (RNZ): Mediawatch: The good, bad and weird media in 2024
Duncan Greive (Spinoff): Ten stories that defined New Zealand’s media in 2024
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): RNZ accused of ‘splashing cash,’ latest TVNZ cuts to be confirmed ‘in the next few days’
Jo Moir (RNZ): Final decisions on TVNZ restructure to be announced in coming days
Shayne Currie (Herald): Media Insider: RNZ boss Paul Thompson defends increases in salaries, bonuses and staff numbers amid media industry challenges (paywalled)
Nicholas Pointon (NBR): ‘We’re going to have another couple of bumpy years’ - TVNZ (paywalled)
KIWIBANK
Ella Somers (Interest): Boosting Kiwibank 'won't level the playing field’
Dan Brunskill (Interest): Can Kiwibank achieve Jim Anderton’s dream via the share market?
Jonathan Mitchell (NBR): ’Never say never’: Kiwibank doesn’t rule out rural tilt (paywalled)
CRIME
Jacob Johnson (1News): Company, director sentenced in NZ's first criminal cartel prosecution
Craig Kapitan (Herald): Auckland construction company MaxBuild, director Munesh Kumar sentenced for cartel conduct bid-rigging
RNZ: Company director escapes jail in NZ's first criminal cartel case
1News: Company, director sentenced in NZ's first criminal cartel prosecution
RNZ: Five of 20 being sanctioned by US body have criminal links with New Zealand
GAMBLING
Andrew Bevin (Newsroom): Allegations against TAB’s operator spark money laundering scrutiny
RNZ: Programme launched to combat impacts of gambling-like games
PLACE NAMES
Moana Ellis (Local Democracy Reporting): ‘A long time coming’: Iwi’s bid to have central North Island village renamed approved
RNZ: Chris Penk rejects bid to change Petone's name to Pito One
Sam Smith (Stuff): Lower Hutt suburb Petone to keep its name as proposal for change rejected
Azaria Howell (Herald): Land Information Minister Chris Penk declines proposal to change Petone’s name to Pito One
VANUATU QUAKE
RNZ: Vanuatu quake: NZDF Hercules diverted after engine fire warning
RNZ: Vanuatu earthquake: NZ rescue crews head to quake-hit nation as search for survivors continues
RNZ: Vanuatu quake: Missing MFAT staff found safe, NZ offers search and rescue help
Freddie Wilkie (Stuff): Support for Vanuatu RSE workers following earthquake
OTHER
Elianne Albath, Chris G. Sibley, Danny Osborne, John Kerr and Mathew Marques (The Conversation): How feelings of disconnection and lack of control fuel conspiracy beliefs – new research
Daniel Perese (Te Ao Māori News): New report reveals more than 2500 Treaty settlements yet to start
RNZ: Privacy Commissioner expects biometrics rules to be made more robust in new code
Peter Griffin (BusinessDesk): Tech regulation wake-up call needed in 2025 (paywalled)
Ian Powell: Haka, Hikoi and the Empowerment of the Kohanga Generation
Tony Wall (Stuff): Navy commander faces military trial next year
Luisa Girao (ODT): Southland’s licensing trusts wary of MP’s motivation (paywalled)
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Police backtrack on plan for new road spikes
Asia Pacific Report: Civil society groups call on NZ to bar new Israeli envoy over ‘flagrant’ Gaza genocide
AJ Hendry: Community Leaders raise alarm over Boot Camp Bill
David Farrar: I wish more journalists would do research
Denise Piper (Northern Advocate): New Zealand’s largest wind turbines to be built in Northland near Dargaville
Cartoons
