NZ Politics Daily: 24 June 2024
NZ Politics Daily: 24 June 2024
FERRIES, KIWIRAIL
Tom Hunt (Post): Drop the politics – lives are on the line in the treacherous Cook Strait (paywalled)
Richard Harman (Politik): KiwiRail aground while Government obfuscates (paywalled)
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Interislander ferry Aratere grounding: Government to come under pressure
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Increased urgency to fund Interislander, with issues set to become more common
Luke Malpass (Post): Interislander grounding: A predictable event that could have been much worse (paywalled)
Virginia Fallon (Post): ‘The country is broken’: Tough questions emerge over Aratere grounding (paywalled)
Tracy Watkins (Post): How long till the next disaster? (paywalled)
Herald Editorial: New Zealand’s infrastructure issues caused by lack of long-term thinking (paywalled)
Liam Hehir (The Blue Review): Sunk ferries and sunk costs (paywalled)
The Standard: What the Aratere Grounding Means
RNZ: Interislander ferries: Finance Minister 'dragging her feet' on plan B, Labour says
RNZ: Greens, union blasts government canning new ferry contracts after Aratere grounding (paywalled)
Leighton Heikell (Newshub): Politicians' blame game begins over Aratere ferry grounding
Tom Hunt (Post): New Zealand to the back of the queue for new Cook Strait ferries (paywalled)
Newshub: Former Prime Minister Helen Clark takes dig at Government over Interislander running aground
Kate Nicol-Williams (1News): Dire strait: Aratere grounding exposed our stretched ferry services
Herald: Interislander’s Aratere ferry docks in Picton, investigation to begin after grounding
Newshub: KiwiRail chief executive Peter Reidy admits Interislander Aratere ferry grounding 'not good' for brand's reputation
David Williams and Ben Leahy (Herald): Interislander ferry successfully refloated, Transport Minister ‘very disappointed’ by grounding
1News: Govt 'very disappointed' in KiwiRail amid Aratere grounding — Brown
Ryan Anderson, Tom Hunt and Sam Sherwood (Stuff): Govt ‘committed to new ships’ - transport minister
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Maritime NZ investigation reveals cause of Interislander Aratere ferry’s 2023 power outage
RNZ: Aratere: Minimal damage found so far on grounded Interislander ferry
Nadine Roberts (Stuff): Aratere ferry: How a lame duck got floated
RNZ: Watch: The moment Interislander ferry Aratere was refloated after running aground
Ian Allen (Stuff): Port boss explains ‘thrill’ of seeing Aratere back off beach
RNZ: Aratere ferry grounding just the latest problem to hit Interislander's ageing fleet
Finn Blackwell (RNZ): Aratere ferry grounding: Trucking body wants assurances from government over inter-island connection
Mariné Lourens (Press/Post): Grounded ferry could have ‘serious implications’ for transport network (paywalled)
RNZ: Stricken Aratere to be placed under detention order barring it from movement after grounding
Post: Grounded interisland ferry Aratere refloated - but could be grounded for some time (paywalled)
1News: Ferry underwent maintenance weeks before grounding, officials confirm
Nick James (RNZ): Aratere ferry had steering overhaul three weeks before grounding in Picton
Newshub: Interislander boss quizzed on email boasting 'it's great to have Aratere back in service' sent on day of grounding
1News: Potentially catastrophic: 'Luck was at play' during ferry grounding
Maia Hart (Local Democracy Reporting): How the Aratere ferry grounding unfolded, a timeline
Sam Sherwood (Stuff): An unexpected night on the Aratere, and when it went ‘boom’
Nick James (RNZ): Aratere ferry grounding: Simeon Brown raised concern about KiwiRail maintenance
Ian Allen and Matthew Hampson (Stuff): Every man and his dog not impressed with ‘struggling’ ferries
Adam Burns (RNZ): Ferry grounding: Marlborough mayor calls for 'safe and resilient' Cook Strait service
Samantha Gee (RNZ): Aratere ferry grounding 'really embarrassing', Picton locals say
Herald: Interislander ferry Aratere runs aground near Picton, tug boat rescue plan shifted to this evening
RNZ: Aratere ferry grounding will cause 'issues' for inter-island freight - union
Newshub: Kiwis react to Aratere ferry grounding near Picton
Frances Chin (Post): Two ferries down, what now for Cook Strait crossings? (paywalled)
RNZ: KiwiRail board chair David McLean quits
Tom Hunt (Post): KiwiRail chair early retirement ‘unrelated’ to Aratere grounding (pawyalled)
FAST-TRACK, ENVIRONMENT, CONSERVATION
Kate MacNamara (Herald): Meet the Government’s ‘independent’ fast-track consenting advisors, their connections and interests (paywalled)
Charlie Mitchell (Press/Post): Extinction has always been our policy (paywalled)
Danyl McLauchlan (Listener): Bowing to Ag sector demands could have dire consequences (paywalled)
Grant Duncan: One poll, two different takes on Fast-Track Bill
RNZ: Fast Track bill has more supporters than opponents - Taxpayers Union-Curia poll
Newshub: Taxpayers' Union poll shows strong support for Fast-track Approvals Bill
Jeffrey McNeill (The Conversation): Resource management is always political – the Fast-track Approvals Bill is just honest about it
Arena Williams, Stuart Smith (Stuff): We need to do things quicker in NZ
David Williams (Newsroom): Inside DoC’s restructure on the Chatham Islands
Emma Ricketts (Listener): New push to extract minerals raises thorny issue: could it lead to greener future? (paywalled)
Tom Powell (Stuff): A big bill coming due
PARLIAMENT
Brian Easton (Pundit): Mainstreaming Māori
Grant Duncan: Why Labour lost
Anne Salmond (Newsroom): In this waka together
Mike Grimshaw (Plain Sight): Buggered, knackered, no.8 – and she’ll be right…
Whena Owen (1News): Q+A: Branded van raises new questions amid Manurewa Marae claims
Andrea Vance (Post): Manurewa Marae subject of complaints during local council elections (paywalled)
Herald Editorial: What does the Matariki and the new year hold for Māori politics? (paywalled)
Peter Wilson (RNZ): The Week in Politics: Scrutiny Week takes off while PM's plane gets grounded
Tom Pullar-Strecker and Thomas Manch (Post): The highs and lows of ‘scrutiny week’, an opportunity not fully seized by MPs (paywalled)
Alexia Russell (RNZ): The Detail: Scrutiny Week's scoreboard
Greg Dixon (Listener): Waiting for the great leap forward (paywalled)
James Nokise (Post): Plenty to check out as ‘Skrutz Week’ comes to an end (paywalled)
Newshub: Green MP Darleen Tana reportedly in charge of migrant exploitation-accused business' wages
RNZ: Former Green MP Golriz Ghahraman to be sentenced for shoplifting
Catrin Owen (Stuff): Former MP Golriz Ghahraman to be sentenced for shoplifting
Bruce Cotterill (Herald): MPs behaving badly: why do we sweat the small stuff? (paywalled)
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Steve Abel, the influential Green MP who chained himself to a helicopter
PUBLIC SECTOR
Rob Stock (Post): How coalition Government is resetting Crown entities to end Labour’s social agenda (paywalled)
Lauren Crimp (RNZ): Government still hasn't slashed enough public service jobs - David Seymour
Chelsea Daniels (Front Page): Public sector cuts: The latest on thousands of jobs as redundancies hit the millions
Felix Desmarais (1News): Public service bosses can't run from questions
Bill Hickman (RNZ): Ministry of Education staff 'constantly in tears' during 'unfair' job loss process
Teuila Fuatai (E-Tangata): A difficult time to be a Māori public servant
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Winston Peters (Herald): Where were Don Brash and Helen Clark during Labour’s engagement on Aukus? (paywalled)
Anneke Smith (RNZ): Christopher Luxon gets a 'C' on Japan trade trip
Ian Taylor (Herald): Christopher Luxon and the C-Listers: An open letter to the Prime Minister about trade delegations (paywalled)
Steve Braunias (Newsroom): The secret press conference of the PM
Victor Billot (Newsroom): An Ode to .. C-listing Luxon
1News: Q+A: Full interview: Judith Collins on NZDF challenges, AUKUS, PM's plane
Te Aniwaniwa Paterson (Te Ao Māori News): Rimpac goes against ‘every core value we have as Māori’, activist says
Louisa Cleave and Paula Penfold (Stuff): 'Red flags': Experts' concern over NZ security company takeover
Louisa Cleave and Paula Penfold (Stuff): Former Chinese Consulate-General staffer claims ongoing surveillance after ‘escape’
Suzannah Jessep (Newsroom): Why Asia is so critical to New Zealand’s future
RNZ: Samoa citizenship bill: Committee receives over 24,000 public submissions
Dileepa Fonseka and Murray Jones (Newsroom): Business of Education: Indian students face stark rejection rates in NZ (paywalled)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
1News: New Zealand's recent local government drama
Moana Ellis (Local Democracy Reporting): Concern councillors facing growing workload, pressure and abuse earn under $30k
Helene Ritchie (Post): Wellington City Council should hold onto airport shares
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Herald): Ratepayers suffering from Wellington City Council fumbling over airport stake (paywalled)
Deborah Morris (Post): You can’t park there, or there ... or there (paywalled)
Julie Jacobson (Post): Fight on to save City-to-Sea Bridge (paywalled)
Frances Chin (Post): Leak covers major Wellington road after water main bursts (paywalled)
ODT Editorial: A damp squib on the winter solstice (paywalled)
Evan Harding, Louisa Steyl and Debbie Jamieson (Stuff): Invercargill mayor gives ‘middle finger’ to council decision
Ben Tomsett (Herald): Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark denies request from councillors to resign over Code of Conduct complaints
RNZ: Invercargill mayor Nobby Clark refuses to resign
Matthew Rosenberg (Local Democracy Reporting): Who is Nobby Clark? A brief history of Invercargill’s controversial mayor
Max Frethy (Local Democracy Reporting): The hunt for a cemetery big enough to last 100 years
Lauren Crimp (RNZ): Libraries cut hours as councils face double-digit rates hikes
Susan Botting (Local Democracy Reporting): Whangārei councillors slam mayor over Palestine refusal
RNZ: Auckland orchestra shocked over proposal to halt restoration of heritage buildings
ECONOMY, TAX
David Hargreaves (Interest): We're halfway through 2024 and New Zealand is doing it tough
Janet Wilson (Post): Recession or not, NZ must solve its productivity crisis (paywalled)
Murat Ungor (Newsroom): No long-term prosperity without productivity
Matthew Hutching (RNZ): 'Such a burden': Parents hit with unanticipated tax bill (paywalled)
Terry Baucher (Interest): New Zealand Tax Podcast – The Minister of Finance hints at review of charitable tax exemption; Inland Revenue targets smaller liquor outlets; How effective marginal tax rates act as disincentives
Good Ideas: Some Kiwis are about to face a tax rate of 128%. What do we do about this? (paywalled)
HEALTH
Malcolm Mulholland (Post): When a budget is a matter of life or death (paywalled)
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Big Budget 2024 health spending question may be answered next week (paywalled)
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): How the Government is likely to fix its broken cancer drug promise
RNZ: Hope, uncertainty among patients as Cabinet considers Pharmac funding boost
Rachel Thomas (Post): ‘I need that promise’: Cancer patient fears for Government drugs policy (paywalled)
RNZ: Cabinet to consider Pharmac boost for promised cancer drugs
RNZ: Call for more meningococcal vaccines to be included in Pharmac funding boost
Rob Campbell (Post): We need to look at health funding through a health lens (paywalled)
Steve Maharey (Post): Social insurance of health would contribute to social solidarity(paywalled)
Isaac Davison (Herald): Hiring freeze ‘absolutely’ affecting frontline jobs, union says, as doctor vacancies go unfilled
Benedict Collins (1News): Scarce hospital jobs for grad nurses 'great problem to have' - health boss
Tony Wall (Stuff): ‘Terribly short-sighted’: Govt cuts struggling health watchdog’s budget
ODT Editorial: Questions remain on hospital rebuild (paywalled)
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Smoothing down feathers and riding out budget blowouts (paywalled)
Ruth Hill (RNZ): Pharmacy group warns patients may face more consultation charges
Pokere Paewai (RNZ): Trust, understanding vital to lifting Māori and Pasifika vaccination rates - researcher
RNZ: Environment, inflation contribute to 'sharp increase' in Pacific child obesity - researcher
Jimmy Ellingham (RNZ): Internal investigation confirms pregnant woman died after delayed ICU admission
HOUSING
Janhavi Gosavi (Re:News): NZers can’t afford to keep their homes warm and it affects renters more
Claire Dale (Newsroom): Tiny house or granny flat? What a difference a name makes
Miriam Bell (Post): The return of the granny flat: the lowdown
Timo Neubauer (Stuff): We subsidise suburbia. But should we invest in affordable housing instead?
Kymberlee Gomes (RNZ): Rents dropping, housing stock on the rise: What is happening with the NZ housing market this week?
POWER
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Transpower's power pylon maintenance 'backlog'
RNZ: Energy Minister orders Electricity Authority review into pylon collapse
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Why Transpower's press conference backfired this morning
Wayne Brown (Post): Heads should roll over ‘dumb’ pylon failure (paywalled)
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): The $60 million cost of the Northland power cut
RNZ: Northland power cuts: Temporary tower being installed
RNZ: Storms forecast, power restored to Coromandel
Newshub: Entire Coromandel Peninsula loses power
Juha Saarinen (Interest): Could the massive Northland power outage have been mitigated with large capacity batteries?
POLICE, CRIME, YOUTH WELFARE
Julia Gabel (Herald): Labour, Greens respond to new youth offender sentencing category, boot camps
Dianna Vezich (Newshub): Labour, Greens fired up over Government's young offender crackdown, boot camp plans
1News: Q+A: Section 7AA: Children's Minister pressed for evidence on repeal
1News: New measures announced to curb anti-social behaviour, youth crime
Newshub: Government announces more cops in Auckland CBD, reveals how boot camps will work
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Cops back on the beat: Police set up new Community Beat Teams
RNZ: $1m investment pays off with sharp drop in crime in Rotorua - mayor
Sam Smith (Stuff): Why central Auckland is crying out for more police
Jarrod Gilbert (Herald): Police need to set a higher standard, even if the crooks don’t change (paywalled)
SUPERMARKETS
Rob Stock and Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): North and South Island Foodstuffs merger decision postponed until October (paywalled)
Ella Somers (Interest): ComCom pushes out Foodstuffs merger decision – again
RNZ: Foodstuffs North and South Islands proposed merger on hold
Gregor Thompson (BusinessDesk): ComCom extends decision on Foodstuffs merger ... again
Ella Somers (Interest): Foodstuffs South Island’s annual net revenue surges $267 million
BUSINESS
Dan Brunskill (Interest): Bayly tells Commerce Commission to take more aggressive legal action against suspected anti-competitive behavior, even if it ends up losing some court cases
Hamish McNeilly (Stuff): Dunedin casino seeks 15-year licence renewal
Chris Keall (Herald): Megaupload’s Mathias Ortmann, Bram van der Kolk banned from being company directors until 2028
Joel MacManus (Spinoff): Windbag: Wellington thinks it has found its next superstar industry – climate tech
EMPLOYMENT
Virginia Fallon (Post): Big Boss is watching: An employer’s right to spy (paywalled)
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): Applicants say job hunting like 'The Hunger Games' as labour market tightens
Ashleigh McCaull (RNZ): The three industries with job gaps Māori are key to filling
MEDIA
Colin Peacock (RNZ): Mediawatch: Pressing On - papers past and future
Shayne Currie (Herald): Media Insider: Dame Jacinda Ardern film - former PM backs official new US documentary, raising questions over NZ Film Commission’s taxpayer-backed project (paywalled)
Tim Selwyn (Daily Blog): The late late news – Goodbye TV Journalism
Duncan Garner (Listener): I spent two days down a rabbit hole - here’s what I found
Sam Smith (Stuff): Bringing back gonzo journalism with the Department of Information
EDUCATION
Stephanie Martin and Dr Michael Johnston (Newsroom): The teaching profession straying from university capture
Emma Stanford (Stuff): Education Ministry won’t budge on pilot student loans, despite struggles to meet demand
KEITH LOCKE HAS DIED
RNZ: Former Green MP Keith Locke dies, age 80
David Farrar: RIP Keith Locke
1News: Former Green MP and activist Keith Locke dies
Anna Whyte (Stuff): Former Green MP Keith Locke dies
OTHER
Adam Pearse (Herald): Winston Peters’ demand Sport NZ re-writes transgender policy disappears in ‘no comment’ vortex
Newshub: National denies breaching Coalition agreement on 'disgraceful' NZ First transgender sport policy
Damien Grant (Stuff): Free speech is about protecting ideas and values
Joel Maxwell (Stuff): Grit your teeth and repeat after me: I am grateful this Matariki
Annabel Ahuriri-Driscoll (RNZ): Does One NZ’s new ad campaign connect? Many adopted people might not think so
Soumya Bhamidipati (RNZ): District Courts will do their best to speed up - chief judge
Stuff: More deaths and injuries expected on Auckland roads due to Government's plans
Andrew Bevin (Newsroom): A small win for youth in care just the start for bank account access
Newshub: King Charles, Queen Camilla to skip New Zealand in down under tour - reports
Poppy Clark (Stuff): PM gives King Charles and Camilla an ‘open invite’ to Aotearoa
Stuff: Extra $3.1m for visitor centre on Taranaki Maunga
RNZ: Christ Church Cathedral lowers seismic rating to lessen $114m rebuild shortfall
Cartoons
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The reverse Midas touch, the enshitification of New Zealand