NZ Politics Daily: 8 August 2024

LOCAL GOVERNMENT, MĀORI WARDS
Anna Murray (1News): Could councils simply refuse to disestablish Māori wards?
Janine Rankin (Manawatū Standard): Council and chamber unite in favour of Māori ward
No Right Turn: Palmerston North supports Māori wards
Karanama Ruru (Stuff): Cops at the door, councillor’s head in hands as Māori ward dumped
Te Aniwaniwa Paterson (Te Ao Māori News): Mayor Craig Jepson says the ‘oppression’ of Māori is a false narrative
Nanaia Mahuta (Te Ao Māori News): A backward step into the NZ that used to be
RNZ: Kaipara District Council votes to disestablish Māori ward
Susan Botting (Local Democracy Reporting): Kaipara District Council votes to disestablish Māori ward
Isaac Gunson (Whakaata Māori): Kaipara council strikes down Māori ward in heated meeting, refuses to consult iwi and hapū
Isaac Gunson (Whakaata Māori): Ngāti Whātua files High Court proceedings over Māori ward vote in Kaipara
Te Aniwa Hurihanganui (1News): Legal proceedings filed against Kaipara council before Māori ward vote
Helen Harvey (Stuff): Ward issue once again exposes racial tension in New Plymouth
—————
Lane Nicholas (Herald): Auckland Council pays out $315m in ‘secret’ financial settlements on behalf of ratepayers (paywalled)
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau’s communications adviser Pearl Little quits after nine months
Tom Hunt (Post): Wellington mayor loses another staffer (paywalled)
Adam Burns (RNZ): Christ Church Cathedral rebuild: Councillor calls for independent review if further funding sought
1News: Chch ratepayers put $7m into cathedral rebuild amid uncertainty
Torika Tokalau (Local Democracy Reporting): Auckland’s new liquor policy approved after lengthy legal battle
Alexa Cook (RNZ): 'It will wipe out this village' - Porangahau fears for council's stopbank proposal
Niva Chittock (RNZ): 'The growth is there, the infrastructure is not' - Selwyn asks residents to imagine their future
Natalie Akoorie (RNZ): Group fights to save Cambridge Water Tower
Wayne Brown (Post): Some perspective on heritage buildings needed (paywalled)
Hamish MacLean (ODT): Cost makes wastewater plan ‘impossible’ (paywalled)
Laura Smith (Local Democracy Reporting): Rotorua residents petition for natural burial site

ECONOMY, UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, COST OF LIVING
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): 'Heads should roll' if OCR is cut next week - economist
Liam Dann (Herald): Jobs data offers ‘no smoking gun’ for interest rate cuts next week (paywalled)
Brianna McIlraith (Stuff): What we can expect from next week’s OCR announcement
Jonathan Mitchell (NBR): RBNZ unlikely to ‘panic’ and slash OCR this month: Rabobank (paywalled)
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): More eyes on the RB isn’t a bad thing
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): Income hit from job loss 'can take years to recover from'
RNZ: Unemployment rate soars: Young people bearing brutal brunt of job crisis
1News: Young Kiwis hit hard amid unemployment rise
Zane Small (Stuff): Unemployment rate rises to 4.6%, young Kiwis make up almost half annual increase
Dan Brunskill (Interest): Unemployment climbs to 4.6% in June
Anan Zaki (RNZ): Unemployment rate rises to 4.6%
RNZ: Higher unemployment another sign of economic stress
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): Unemployment rises less than feared to 4.6%, but job options dry up for youth (paywalled)
Rachel Maher (Herald): Soaring food prices mean poorest Kiwi kids going without healthy food, study finds
Bryan Bruce: Dr Ganesh Nana: Former BERL Research Director and Chair of the now disestablished Productivity Commission about the direction of the NZ Economy (paywalled)

PUBLIC SECTOR CUTS
Azaria Howell (Herald): Public sector cuts: $58 million spent so far in redundancy payouts at 24 government agencies (paywalled)
Herald: Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says there’s no urgent need for pay rises for public servants
Russell Palmer (RNZ): Finance Minister Nicola Willis directs public sector restraint over worker pay, spending
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Nicola Willis warns many departments will get no extra money in 2025, confirms Māori language bonuses can stay (paywalled)
Richard Harman (Politik): Standby – more spending cuts to come (paywalled)
Lauren Crimp (RNZ): Change proposal at MBIE could see some jobs 'significantly impacted'

“NZ Politics Daily” continues below. Paid subscribers can access the following categories of news and analysis: HOUSING; ORANGA TAMARIKI, CHILD WELFARE; PARLIAMENT; EDUCATION; CROWN-MĀORI RELATIONS, TE REO MĀORI; BUSINESS, EMPLOYMENT; BANKS; FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE, SECURITY AGENCIES; ENERGY; HEALTH; ENVIRONMENT; TRANSPORT; CARTOONS

To subscribe to the full version of Democracy Project email newsletters - which helps keep this service going - click on the link below: