Critical Politics – Lone Wolf Films

Equality, fairness, and cooperation look set to become the priorities underpinning the operations of the schooling system. They’re the values that are explicit in the radical new proposals to overhaul education and roll back the “neoliberal” Tomorrow’s Schools model that was imposed in the 1980s.The status quo, based on competition and a business model is deemed to have failed, creating inequality and poor outcomes.

This column rounds up the arguments in favour of this view, and in support of implementing the recommendations of the Tomorrow’s Schools Independent Taskforce. It follows on from yesterday’s column – The Case against major school reform – which gave the other side of the story.

The case in favour of major school reform was put very strongly by Peter O’Connor in his column yesterday. He condemns the status quo as being all about producing winners and losers, and exacerbating the class system in New Zealand society – see: End of the Tomorrow’s Schools neoliberal experiment.

O’Connor is an educationalist at the University of Auckland, and a spokesperson for the Child Poverty Action Group. He welcomes the proposed new reforms as being a “very real philosophical shift”, which if implemented would amount to one of the biggest rollbacks of all the neoliberal market reforms of the 1980s.

He argues that the new recommendations say “schools must be involved in levelling the playing field rather than tilting it even further towards the rich and privileged. The task force recommendations puts social justice and the battle for the rights of the most marginalised at the heart of its proposed reforms.”

Rightwing and self-interested voices opposing the changes are simply an indication, according to O’Connor, that the reforms are worth implementing. He even embraces some of the rightwing critiques as being accurate: “David Seymour was right when he said the review was an attack on the autonomy of schools. The old fashioned 1980s idea that schools should be autonomous competing business units deserves to be dismantled”.

Another educationalist – and former Alliance MP – Liz Gordon has an equally negative evaluation of the Tomorrow’s Schools model, and views the latest proposals as “a wonderful breath of fresh air” – see: Yesterday’s schools.

She explains the origins of the reforms under David Lange: “Exactly 30 years ago, a taskforce headed by a supermarket magnate, and urged on by an ideological Treasury and rampantly privatising Labour Government, came up with a report on schooling that led to the Tomorrow’s Schools reports. These reforms, owing nothing to good educational practice and everything to Friedmanite economics, have done their best in the resulting period to destroy our society and environment.”

Gordon is particularly dismissive of the Board of Trustees model, labelling it “inherently flawed” and drawing attention to an OECD report that labelled them “self-perpetuating oligarchies”.

Peter Lyons, an economics teacher at Saint Peter’s College in Epsom, says the competitive model has created too many losers and not enough winners – see: Education reforms chance to bring back fairness to system.

Lyons explains how the status quo is based on rightwing market ideology, and has failed: “In the 1990s, New Zealand’s schooling system was dominated by a market-driven philosophy. Competition between schools would ensure greater efficiency and improved performance. Winner schools could even ‘take over’ loser schools just like in the real world of business.”

But he argues that it hasn’t worked in practice: “there are some tragic flaws in this ideology. There was never a level playing field to start with. Winner schools have far greater access to additional funding. This may be through international fee paying students, wealthy alumni, affluent fee paying parents or even black tie dinners that can raise an additional $100,000 in a single evening. Winner schools could then poach higher quality staff or top performing students and sports stars.”

Carol Anderson is another education practitioner with plenty of experience of different sides of the schooling system, and she provides a useful reading of the new proposals, focusing especially on what they would mean for the current boards of trustees – see: How the education reform proposals might affect schools, trustees and parents.

Anderson, who is a lawyer at Education Law NZ, explains the role of the boards, suggesting they currently have too much responsibility, which produces problems: “Since 1989 New Zealand school boards have had to deal with more extensive and demanding legal, educational and financial responsibilities than school boards in other education systems around the world. In practice, the extra administrative burden has fallen largely on the principal, detracting from their role as educational leader of the school. The Tomorrow’s Schools system currently provides widely varying quality of governance. The Task Force considers that it has led to serious educational inequality”.

Her very good article explains how the reduction in responsibilities of the boards is meant to help the schools. And she also provides many useful clarifications of what the proposals might mean. For example, she says: “a closer reading of the report shows that there is potential for more flexible arrangements. Contrary to the impression created in the media, the full report makes it clear that while the Hub will have overall legal responsibility, it will have the flexibility to delegate some of those responsibilities back to individual schools.”

Another informative overview of these issues is provided in John Gerritsen’s Taskforce suggests huge school reform. Interestingly, he also reports the responses of the President of the School Trustees Association, Lorraine Kerr, who believes “the plan to take responsibilities away from school trustees was not necessarily a bad thing in the view of trustees.” He quotes her saying, “For boards, all those things that distract them, the compliance, the accountabilities and even the employment issues will hopefully sit over here so that boards can think about why they were there in the first place and that was around helping to improve student achievement.”

A significant focus of the proposed reforms relates to school zoning. Previously, school zones were viewed as a barrier to student choice and to school performance. But the zoning rules may be boosted and better regulated under the new model – to ensure that students can attend their local schools, reducing the ability of the schools to pick and choose their students. The current rules have been labelled as “racist and unfair” by the taskforce.

As if to reiterate the current problems with zoning, John Gerritsen reported yesterday that “Schools are illegally refusing to enrol children by saying their classrooms are too full or insisting on permanent addresses for families in emergency housing. Attendance services and the legal help organisation YouthLaw said the problem was increasing, and one school was trying to insist that children live in its zone for a year before they could enrol” – see: Schools illegally refusing to enrol local children.

Furthermore, in the weekend, more allegations of competitive behaviour by the schools came out, with Katarina Williams reporting that the Minister of Education, Chris Hipkins believes there is a problem. He is quoted saying “We don’t want school principals’ remuneration, in the future, to be based on their ability to poach kids from other schools” – see: Education leaders concerned school heads boost student rolls to line their own pockets.

Hipkins also announced in the weekend that he wants to fast-track one of the taskforce’s recommendations – getting rid of decile system funding, to be replaced by an “Equity index” system – see Colin Williscroft and Jonathan Milne’s Census problems force ‘frustrated’ Minister to urgently overhaul school funding.

According to the taskforce, the current decile funding system is a blunt and inappropriate instrument, and it simply produces further disadvantage for many schools and communities. Hipkins acknowledges this, with the above article reporting his belief that the flash new buildings were going to the wealthy schools. Hipkins says: “One of the challenges around property that we’re grappling with is that most of the new property money goes into areas where there’s population growth, which tends to be the higher socio-economic areas…. At the moment I think the school system contributes to the growth in inequality”.

The decile funding system was already ear-marked to be replaced by the last National Government, but due to current problems with census data, Hipkins has ordered that the new system be brought in as early as two years’ time, instead of five years’ time.

Finally, the Chair of the taskforce making the recommendations is educationalist Bali Haque. And earlier in the year he wrote an illuminating opinion piece about how he saw the current schooling model. This piece provides, perhaps, the best – and most ideological – arguments for reform – see: Tomorrows Schools review must deal with the market’s failure.

MIL OSI – Source: Evening Report Arts and Media

December 17, 2018

Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: The Case against major school reform

Political Roundup: The Case against major school reform

By Dr Bryce Edwards

Debate has now kicked off over the Government’s most radical reforms to date – the overhaul of the way our schools are run. With the release of the “Tomorrow’s Schools Independent Taskforce” proposals for change, there is now a polarised and highly-ideological battle involving important values that will inform the future of education in this country. Today I’ll round up opposition so far to the proposed reforms and tomorrow’s column will look at the case in favour of the reforms.

Tomorrow’s Schools architect Former Prime Minister of New Zealand, David Lange. Image copyright Selwyn Manning and Jason Dorday.

I wrote about this ideological battle in a column on Wednesday, in which I outlined the clear left-right divide on how education should be organised – see: The sound of ideologies clashing. This points out that the status quo results from the fact that “David Lange’s 1988 Tomorrow’s Schools reforms saw traditional rightwing values of competition, choice, and performance win the day.”

In contrast, the Government’s new taskforce report is putting forward “a very leftwing proposal for reforming how New Zealand runs its school system, based on values of collectivism, cooperation, and equality.” In the end, therefore, even though there is “much less black and white than many on the left and right might suggest”, the likely success of failure of the new proposals to get public support will depend simply on “on whether the leftwing or rightwing values resonate more. It’s a simple left or right choice.”

The details of the proposed reforms are well covered by Simon Collins who draws attention to the polarised nature of the debate: “Battle lines are drawn over a proposed radical shake-up of the education system which has brought excited praise from liberals but condemnation as ‘Stalinist’ from more traditional schools” – see his news report, ‘Stalinist’ or ‘exciting’: Battle begins over radical school reforms.

Summing up the proposals, Collins says: “The taskforce would reverse key changes made in the last big reforms known as ‘Tomorrow’s Schools’ in 1989, when regional education boards were abolished and every school was given control of its operations budget and staff appointments.” Collins reports that conservative forces have tended to condemn the proposals, with more liberal institutions being supportive.

Another useful account of the details can be found in Derek Cheng’s Tomorrow’s Schools Review: All you need to know about the proposed education shake-up.

The most fervent critique of the proposals so far, comes from Matthew Hooton, who says: “No one should doubt the proposed radicalism” of the reforms, which are so extreme they go to show the new “regime has a further, much more sinister character” than was previously apparent – see: Education plan seeks far-left reform.

Hooton views the debate over the future of schooling as very much a left-right battle: “The main ideological divide in education is about comfort with difference. Perhaps surprisingly, the political right tends to be more encouraging than the left of innovation in schools.”

Hooton says that on the other hand, “the left’s main educational value is equality. That includes trying to help disadvantaged communities but it also requires tackling perceived privilege and achieving greater standardisation.”

According to Hooton, ironically it’s the current system that has produced a less entrenched private schooling system: “The only winners from last week’s education proposals will be private schools and children with parents able to afford them. Before David Lange’s Tomorrow’s Schools in 1989, private schools were in such demand that children were put on waiting lists the day they were born. Thirty years later, private school enrolments have fallen from 4.1 per cent of all students to just 3.4 per cent and they now resort to advertising. The reasons are complex, but one is Lange’s vision of freeing state schools to better reflect the values and priorities of their communities.”

Therefore, Hooton emphasises the benefits of devolution in the current model, which would be put at risk by the changes: “Sometimes this involves fairly trivial matters, like new school uniforms. More importantly, it has been about schools adopting different pedagogies and programmes that meet the needs of their particular communities and students, without first needing to apply to some centralised district board.”

Hooton also challenges the independence of the so-called “Independent” review, pointing out that its chair is also “the chairman of the New Plymouth Labour Party”. An Otago Daily Times editorial questions this too: “Parenthetically, it can be noted the ‘independent’ claim for the taskforce is – as is often the case with inquiries – hardly convincing. Taskforce chairman Bali Haque wrote a book criticising the secondary school system, and he has also been on the PPTA executive and president of the Secondary Principals’ Association.”

Although not against the proposals per se, the Otago Daily Times raises strong questions about them – see: ‘Stalinist’ or ‘exciting’ education change. The editorial makes it clear that the proposals are a big deal, and relate to a large ideological gulf: “Should the review’s recommendations be carried out, they would represent an upheaval of major magnitude, larger some say than even the radical changes from 1989’s Tomorrow’s Schools. Little wonder, then, that those supporting ‘parental choice’ and those wanting a ‘fairer’ system could be a long way apart.”

The editorial has a long list of questions which is worth listing at length: “Will schools and teachers be less inclined to strive for the very best in a less competitive environment? Will connections with communities be weakened and voluntary support lessened? Will parents and pupils have fewer choices and will the diversity of schools’ flavours be reduced? Will school boards become just advisory bodies without real power? Supposedly, they and principals would have more time and energy to concentrate on pupil achievement. But are not the likes of the appointment of the principal and even board nitty-gritty fundamental to pupil success? What about the bureaucracies created by the hubs? Why could not their roles and their advice be provided by a strengthened ministry? Could collaboration rather than competition be fostered in other ways?”

Some education sector groups and individuals have come out in opposition to the reforms. For example, RNZ reports that “Auckland Grammar headmaster Tim O’Connor says proposed reforms to the education system are a direct and serious attack on state education” – see: Headmaster slams radical proposals for schools.

O’Connor is reported as believing “the proposed changes would set education back 30 years. He said parents would be disempowered if functions of school boards were moved to education hubs”. He is quoted as saying too much power will be taken away from parents: “So they lose all governance responsibilities; they have nothing to do with school finances; they have nothing to do with school property…. Effectively what they [the taskforce] need to be honest about is they’re not a board of trustees; they’re an advisory group at best”.

Similarly, this news report says, “Briar Lipson from the think tank, the New Zealand Initiative, is concerned that reducing competition between schools will reduce incentives for them to lift their performance.”

Another elite school principal, Brent Lewis of Avondale College, is quoted by Simon Collins as labelling the proposals as “Stalinist” due to their apparent attempts to regain bureaucratic and centralised control – see: Big schools vow to resist ‘Stalinist’ school bureaucracy. He’s reported as believing that “schools needed to be nimble to respond to social and economic changes”, and that “bureaucracies are almost the antithesis of that”.

Lewis also believes the proposals will be deeply unpopular with parents: “If we apply this model, we will force large numbers of people to go to schools they don’t want to go to…. The political cost of that will be extremely high. You can do many things in New Zealand, but if you mess with people’s children and their life opportunities, then good luck to you”.

The same article reports that the Principals Federation is uncomfortable with the “proposal to rotate principals around schools with only five-year terms in each school”. And Act Party leader David Seymour is quoted opposing the reforms: “This is an intrusion on the autonomy of schools and will undermine communities’ ability to develop their own property by removing it and placing it in the hands of a remote bureaucracy”.

Similarly, National Party blogger David Farrar opposes the proposals on the basis that they would take away power and choice of families: “this is basically to force kids to attend their local school no matter how shitty or crappy it is. No more choice. You will go to the school the Government tells you to attend and like it. This will send house prices even higher in areas with desirable schools” – see: Govt taskforce proposes stripping school boards of all meaningful roles.

Coming from a different perspective, principal of Te Wharekura o Manurewa, Maahia Nathan, says the proposals “will not benefit Māori students in mainstream schools” – see Mānia Clarke’s Wharekura principal critical of education review.

Nathan says, “The core of the mainstream education system is still there. Nothing has really changed… the pieces on the board game have been moved around, but it’s still the same.”

Finally, the Government’s taskforce is now seeking feedback on the proposals – you can get more information on this and the report here: Tomorrow’s Schools Review.

MIL OSI – Source: Evening Report Arts and Media

December 17, 2018

Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – December 17 2018

Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – December 17 2018

Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.

The Beehive and Parliament Buildings.

Environment and conservation
John Armstrong (1News): As NZ tries to lead world on climate change, Jacinda Ardern’s failure to shut down coal-generated power is an ‘absolute cop-out’
Russel Norman (Stuff): New Zealand needs a Climate Commission that can act independently from political pressures
Natalie Jones (Spinoff): NZ urged ‘high ambition’ on climate in Poland. Now let’s see that at home
Rod Oram (Newsroom): Beware the beef with smoked bacon
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): If this meaningless dribble is a ‘breakthrough’, we are doomed
Ben Strang (RNZ): Climate agreement ‘a big breakthrough’ – James Shaw
RNZ: Agreement in Poland on climate change rulebook
Jason Walls (Herald): Green Party co-leader James Shaw says new climate change rulebook is a ‘breakthrough’
Henry Cooke (Stuff):James Shaw confident ‘Paris rulebook’ can be established on climate change
Gia Garrick (RNZ): Climate talks: ‘The levels of concern are so different’ – Shaw
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Water scheme to cost ‘a bigger chunk’ than expected – David Parker
No Right Turn: ECan votes to poison people
Jennifer Eder (Stuff): Marlborough winery contaminates neighbours’ drinking water with grape waste
1News: Calls to close Auckland and BOP crayfishing areas due to collapse in numbers
Michael Neilson (Herald): Forest and Bird call for Auckland, Bay of Plenty crayfish fishing ban
RNZ: Plan to reverse kiwi decline focuses on protection
RNZ: Dozens of rowi kiwi released into the wild
Robin Martin (RNZ): Celebrity kiwi released into the wild
Amber-Leigh Woolf (Stuff): Department of Conservation’s advice for dog owners this summer
1News: Recovery programme sees two more takahē released onto Rotoroa Island
RNZ: Wasps among predators threatening the survival of NZ bats – Forest and Bird

Hawke’s Bay horticulture human trafficking, slavery involving Samoan workers
Steve Kilgallon (Stuff): Suspected ‘slave’ boss arrested
Herald: Illegal workers: Man arrested for human trafficking, slavery
1News: Man charged with human trafficking and slavery involving Samoans working in Hawke’s Bay horticulture industry

Net worth stats, inequality
Max Rashbrooke (RNZ): How can NZ close the gap between rich and poor?
Stuff: Net worth of richest 20 per cent rises nearly $400,000 since 2015
Zane Small and Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Inequality: New Zealand’s rich getting richer while poor remain static
RNZ: The richest households are now worth $1.75 million – survey
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Want to get rich? Buy a house (yes, still)
Catherine Harris (Stuff): Kiwis with a net wealth of $1.5m or more: ‘They’re just ordinary people’
RNZ: Grant Robertson: Child poverty a top priority

Year in review
Audrey Young (Herald): And the Politician of the Year is…
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): After a huge year in politics, one politician stands out
Greg Bruce (Herald): Kiwi cartoonists on what mattered in 2018
Newshub: Jacinda Ardern says having Neve was highlight of her year
Richard Swainson (Waikato Times): Brains and brawn abound in Kane Williamson and Anne-Marie Brady

State surveillance
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Spy agency’s ‘intrusive requests’ of banks didn’t sufficiently recognise Bill of Rights
Derek Cheng (Herald): Spy agency’s requests to banks for information ‘very intrusive’, report says
Gia Garrick (RNZ): SIS ‘very intrusive’ in some requests for bank customer info
No Right Turn: The SIS conducted unlawful searches
No Right Turn: Little lays down the law to the GCSB
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Well, well, well – Kim Dotcom was right – here is the mass surveillance

Foreign affairs, Huawei ban
Chris Keall (Herald): Revealed: NZ, other Five Eyes partners met before Huawei arrest
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Chinese fugitive makes ‘voluntary’ return from NZ
RNZ: Chinese fugitive left New Zealand voluntarily
Reuters (Newshub): Suspected corrupt Chinese official leaves NZ
Jason Walls (Herald): Foreign Minister Winston Peters ‘unashamedly’ calling on the US to do more in the Pacific
Bonnie Flaws (Stuff): Trump vs China: What does it mean for NZ?
Michael Reddell: The China Council takes the stage
Nina Hall and Max Harris (Spinoff): How Jacinda Ardern can map a foreign policy for the progressive world to follow
Todd McClay (Newsroom): UN migration deal ‘unworkable global standard’

Justice, corrections
Ruth Hill (RNZ): Prisoners to take right to vote fight to United Nation
RNZ: Supreme Court finds prisoner voting ban lawfully passed
Melissa Nightingale (Herald): Supreme Court says ban on prisoner voting was lawful
1News: Ban on prisoners voting is lawful, NZ highest court has ruled
Herald: Petition by mum of teen killed by hit-and-run driver nears 100,000 supporters
Charlotte Carter (Stuff): Hit and run petition nearing 100,000 signatures
Brittany Keogh (Stuff): Grieving mum of killed cyclist Nathan Kraatskow calls for review of justice system
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Mother of 15yo hit-and-run victim launches petition demanding killer’s sentence be appealed
1News: Mum of teenager killed in drunken hit-and-run wants tougher penalties for his killer
Dan Satherely (Newshub): Rouxle Le Roux case: Home detention ‘a hard sentence’, top lawyer claims
Katie Fitzgerad: Rouxle Le Roux: Social media posts claim ‘privilege’ at play in sentencing
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Justice system slammed on social media after sentencing of 15yo cyclist killer
Jamie Ensor, Zane Small and Alice Wilkins (Newshub): Woman who killed boy with car joked about having to catch bus on Instagram
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): 19yo woman sentenced to home detention, community service for dangerous driving killing 15yo cyclist
Bridget Grace (Newshub): Rouxle Le Roux: National calls for tougher sentencing after hit-and-run driver gets home detention
Benn Bathagate (Stuff): Prisoners help increasing number of in-need families whose children sleep on the floor
Martin van Beynen (Stuff): NZ’s longest serving inmate will do some more time

Grace Millane, name suppression
Peter Williams (Stuff): The internet has compromised justice
RNZ: Google taking measures after Millane murder-accused named
Derek Cheng (Herald): Minister to Google:- Fair trial rights should not be left to the whims of algorithms and machines
Graeme Edgeler (Stuff): Grace Millane case: Name suppression breach won’t endanger trial of accused
ODT Editorial: Court suppressions in an online world
Eric Crampton: Suppressed
Colin Peacock (RNZ): Heart-breaking news and suppression frustration
Martin van Beynen (Stuff): Grace Millane’s murder has tapped into an underlying fury
Bill Ralston (Listener): We care for Grace Millane – we should care for the others too
Paul Little (Herald): Grace Millane case highlights a terrible double standard
Phil Taylor (Herald): Grace Millane murder: Why we care and why we need to
Alison Mau (Stuff): We’ve all had the chance to mourn Grace Millane, but the court denies this other slain woman that humanity
Herald Editorial: Grace Millane’s death can move us to act against male violence
Katie Fitzgerald (Newshub): MP Jan Logie responds to open letter pleading for action on violence against women
Phil Taylor and Sam Hurley (Herald): A who’s who of prominent women challenge men and the Government to act in the wake of Grace Millane’s murder
1News: Helen Clark, other high profile women demand government action to end violence against women
Newshub: Grace Millane’s death prompts calls for men and the Government to end violence against women
RNZ: High profile NZ women demand more Govt action against violence
Kirsty Wynn (Herald): Do more for women: Government responds to letter about Grace Millane
Lizzie Marvelly (Herald): Being a woman carries additional risks

Education
Peter O’Connor (Newsroom): Equity and wellbeing in Tomorrow’s Schools review
John Gerritsen (RNZ):Schools illegally refusing to enrol local children
Katarina Williams (Stuff): Education leaders concerned school heads boost student rolls to line their own pockets
John Lewis (ODT): Esol cut leaves schools in lurch
Joel Maxwell (Stuff):It’s high time we ended segregation in our school system
1News: Calls for low decile schools to stay open over summer break so kids stay fed
RNZ: NZQA investigates reports of lost online exams
Josephine Franks (Stuff): No detention, no suspensions: Welcome to the school with no rules

Census
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Election 2020 at risk of being compromised due to census delays
Jonathan Milne (Stuff): As a schoolboy, the education minister took on failing leaders; he won’t hesitate to do it again
Colin Williscroft and Jonathan Milne (Stuff): Census problems force ‘frustrated’ Minister to urgently overhaul school funding

Child abuse
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Royal Commission apologises to abuse survivors over email mix-up
Michael Morrah (Newshub): Revealed: Thousands of Kiwis try to access underage sex sites daily

Parliament
Ian Welch (Herald): Why online voting will not be getting my vote
Phil Smith (RNZ): A year of changes from the Speaker, and more to come
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Jacinda Ardern picks up the John Key playbook
Peter Wilson (RNZ): Week in politics: Apologies, relief and unanswered questions
Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Brexit mess a warning to Opposition MPs – be careful what you promise
Peter McLeod (Stuff): Gordon Copeland: A life of achievement, driven by faith
Helen Harvey (Taranaki Daily News): Former MP and businessman remembered as a gentleman

Government
Chris Trotter (Interest):Jacinda Ardern: In charge, or just in front?
Brigette Morten (RNZ): Twyford’s efforts overshadowed by messy situation
Point of Order: Ministerial appointments monitor – jobs for the boys (and jobs for the girls, too)

Drug laws
Fiona Hutton (Newsroom): Drug reform more than political point scoring
Rob Mitchell (Stuff): Sharp suits v gang patches: The battle for NZ’s legal cannabis market
1News: Greens’ new synthetic rules ‘a backdown’ and ‘confusing’ – 1 NEWS political team
David Farrar: Its up to Parliament not Police to decide drug law
John Roughan (Herald): Labour violins play but ovation must wait
Damien Venuto (Herald): Kiwi startup Helius therapeutics launches nationwide cannabis advertising campaign
Catherine Harris (Stuff): New Zealand gets first cannabis advertising campaign
Zane Small (Newshub): ‘Cannabis is medicine’: Helius Theraputics launches rebranding campaign

Economy, budget
1News: Finance Minister on loneliness, fuel taxes and Budget priorities
Liam Dann (Herald): Markets in zombie mode as world staggers into 2019
Liam Dann (Herald): Economy Hub: Can the Government afford to spend more?
Herald: GDP growth tipped to have slowed
Liam Dann (Herald): AI computer to deliver real time GDP data

Jan Antolik/Karel Sroubek residency case
Derek Cheng (Herald): Precedent for releasing PM’s private text messages, law professor says
Newshub: ‘Probably time’ to change my phone number – Jacinda Ardern
David Fisher (Herald): Karel Sroubek says wife’s claim he is a threat just a nasty marital dispute over property
Pete Burdon: Government does a ‘Tiger Woods’ with Sroubek

Health
RNZ: Māori still more likely to die of cardiac arrest – report
Mere McLean (Māori TV): Māori hold highest rates for cardiac arrests
Brad Flahive (Stuff): The $8m doctor: ACC pays for ‘wholly speculative diagnosis that does not accord with the clinical facts’, judge says
RNZ: DHB not filling 58 vacancies to save money
Emma Russell (Herald): Hundreds of New Zealanders opt for an online doctor
Matt Rilkoff (Stuff): Realiability of sunscreen a public health issue
RNZ: Vaping firm defends ads after complaints arise
E-Tangata: The shameful treatment of gout in New Zealand
John-Michael Swannix (Newshub): Govt’s must plan for the increasing burden of brain diseases – Prof Theo Vos
John-Michael Swannix (Newshub): ‘NZ needs 88 neurologists, it has just 36’ – AUT brain expert Valery Feigin calls for doubling of resources
RNZ: MenW case confirmed in Manawatu
Mike Houlahan (ODT): 16 more nurses employed to manage safety
Hinemoa Elder (Stuff): Young Kiwis in poverty are deliberately harming themselves – and it’s not just a cry for help
Stuart Smith and Priyanca Radhakrishnan (Stuff): Virtue signalling or concrete action on mental health crisis?
Alex Ashton (RNZ): Pharmacy wins battle with govt for right to sell kombucha

Euthanasia
Ruby Macandrew and Thomas Manch (Stuff): Significant changes to End of Life Choice Bill proposed by David Seymour
Lucy Bennett (Herald): Act leader David Seymour recommends changes to End of Life Choice Bill
Zane Small (Newshub): Euthanasia: Lobbyists say David Seymour’s backing down, but is he?

State sector
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): State sector governance under the spotlight
Lucy Bennett (Herald): Public sector bosses’ pay raises slowing: State Services Commissioner
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Public sector chief exective pay slows its growth, but many making more than $700,000

Transport, roading, road toll
Marty Sharpe and Damian George (Stuff): Vision Zero: Towards a revolutionary approach to lowering the terrible toll on our roads
Marty Sharp (Stuff): Vision Zero: Life-saving median barriers coming to a road near you
RNZ: Road toll: ‘We have the tools available to reduce it’
John Anthony (Stuff): Cheaper NZ fuel prices results in higher road toll, Australian researchers find
Katie Fitzgerald (Newshub): High fuel prices lower the road toll – study
1News: Road Safety expert says more needs to be spent on educating drivers, as Government plows $1.4 billion into road safety
Bernard Orsman (Herald): Government spending $1.4 billion over three years to save lives on roads
Jessica Long and Damian George (Stuff): $1.4 billion safety upgrades for roads in ‘desperate need’ of repair
RNZ: $1.4b for safety upgrades of most dangerous highways
1News: Government announces $1.4b plan to improve road safety
Laura Tupou (Newshub): Government announces $1.4 billion investment in road safety
1News: ‘The least any govt should be doing’ – Simon Bridges hits out at $1.4b road safety announcement
RNZ: SH1 realignment in Southland on track for 2020 opening
Dennis Maga (Stuff): Unions can say ‘we told you so’ on NZTA
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Why I hate cycleways
Bernard Hickey (RNZ): Wheels in motion for ride sharing revolution
Alice Peacock (Herald): Staff from Auckland company Beca told to carry out ‘risk assessment’ before using Lime scooters
Andrew McRae (RNZ): Mayor says rail service needs to happen and will build up passengers
RNZ: Uber to close Christchurch hub which aids drivers
Stuff: New Zealand’s first fully-electric ferry
Alex Baird (Newshub): Wellington to get first electric ferry in Southern Hemisphere
RNZ: Air NZ to trial direct flights between Invercargill and Auckland

Media
Mark Jennings (Newsroom): The best people in the wrong jobs
Duncan Greive (Spinoff): NZME: the media giant still at war after all these years
Duncan Greive (Spinoff): RNZ in 2018: will well-meaning government interference end its dream run?
Duncan Greive (Spinoff): The media in 2018: Spark and the risks and rewards of entering the rights race
Colin Peacock (RNZ): Mediawatch: Tough times for training journalists (audio)
TVNZ: Watch: Legendary broadcaster Peter Williams signs off after nearly 40 years on Kiwi screens
Sophie Bateman (Newshub): ‘Everything must finish’: Peter Williams’ emotional goodbye, guard of honour at TVNZ before move to Magic Talk
Herald: Newsreader Peter Williams signs off after 40 years with TVNZ
Charlotte Carter (Stuff): Veteran broadcaster Peter Williams signs off from TVNZ
Duncan Garner (RNZ): Thanks to RadioLIVE and its listeners for all the madness
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): ‘Everything descended into chaos’: Lizzie Marvelly, Sean Plunket, Richie Hardcore in Hamilton media club incident
Michael Daly (Stuff): Sean Plunket, Lizzie Marvelly let loose on social media after rising tension at Hamilton event

Local government
Todd Niall (Stuff): Investigation into Auckland Council’s openness ‘looking in the wrong place’
RNZ: Auckland CBD to trial pedestrian-only street next week
Newshub: Cars to make way for Christmas partiers on Auckland’s High St
Eva Corlett (RNZ): Court quashes rich-lister’s bid to build heli-pad near public beach
RNZ: Piha flood victims still waiting for decision on water-damaged homes
RNZ: Timaru ratepayers want to keep Alpine Energy stake
RNZ: Council spends $230k in bid to prevent potential gang headquarters
James Dann (Spinoff): Does Lianne Dalziel deserve a third term as Christchurch mayor?
Bridget Grace (Newshub): Council investigating pōhutukawa tree poisoning in Opito Bay

Housing
Anne Gibson (Herald): We audit KiwiBuild: Hammering out the wins and losses after 6 months on the job
Ben Leahy (Stuff): More than 40 needy Kiwi families have moved into new homes in time for Christmas
Alice Webb-Liddall (Newshub): Time running out for landlords to insulate rental properties
Kate Nicol-Williams (1News): Homelessness on the rise in Lower Hutt attributed to lack of affordable housing
RNZ: Council backs contentious housing development near Wanaka

National Party
Jane Patterson (RNZ): Bridges: ‘It’s that overall sense of team that carries us through’
Damien Grant: Simon Bridges may be needed when the economic wheels fall off
Claire Trevett (Herald): National MP Chris Finlayson’s farewell tour
1News: Simon Bridges reveals his worst moment of 2018, which he won’t say by name
Dan Satherley (Newshub): ‘Blood and guts and sex, that’s the way to go’ – Simon Bridges

Treaty settlements, Waitangi Tribunal
Leigh-Marama McLachlan (RNZ): Government accused of ignoring Waitangi Tribunal reports
Te Aniwa Hurihanganui (RNZ): Iwi not to blame for Ngāpuhi settlement delay – Treaty expert
RNZ: Waikato iwi and Crown sign deed of settlement
Regan Paranihi (Māori TV): Ngāti Tūwharetoa Claims Settlement Bill passes third reading

Hiwi Tauroa
Rukuwai Tipene-Allen (Māori TV): He maimai aroha: Te Rangihiwinui Tauroa
Herald: Funeral underway for former Race Relations Commissioner Hiwi Tauroa

Financial sector
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): NZ’s least trusted financial services sector
Rob Stock (Stuff): New Zealanders feel treated with ‘respect’ by our financial service providers
Gareth Vaughan (Interest): Credit card providers should ‘charge fees that are fair and reasonable’
Rob Stock (Stuff): Banks asked to take on bigger share of market risk
Liam Dann (Herald): Borrowing costs set to rise as banks face tougher rules if Reserve Bank proposal becomes reality
RNZ: Banks should hold onto profits to back loans – Reserve Bank
Thomas Coughlan (Newsroom): Reserve Bank’s $20 billion insurance policy
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Faafoi: If tech companies take from banks, they need to give too

MSD
Sarah Robson (RNZ): First refitted Work and Income office opens in Ōtara
Heta Gardiner (Maori TV): MSD takes preventative approach to staff safety

Employment
Andrea Fox (Herald): Holidays Act nightmare: 34,000 workers paid out $18.9m so far
Dileepa Fonseka (Stuff): Company was within its rights to fire worker with epilepsy, says Employment Court
Bruce Cotterill (Stuff): The year bullying was called out

Super, retirement
Rob Stock (Stuff): Data gap in debate over linking NZ Super age to ‘health expectancy’
Sarah Catherall (Listener): A retiree explains why you can’t generalise about the retirement age
Sarah Catherall (Listener): Do we need to raise the retirement age to cope with the demographic storm?

Bomb threat emails
Chris Keall (Newshub): Take bomb-threat emails seriously, govt cyber agency says
RNZ: Bomb threat email recipients urged to contact police
Alice Webb-Liddall (Newshub): Bomb threat emails being sent to New Zealanders at work
Herald: Bomb threat email to Kiwi work places under investigation

Tourism
1News: Visit the Kiwi way, slogan for new DOC campaign aimed at educating tourists
RNZ: Freedom camping banned at Punakaiki
ODT: Brochure backed despite concerns

Water safety
John Anthony (Stuff):Deadly waters: New Zealand’s drowning problem more than a disturbing statistic
Jessica Long (Stuff): New Zealanders’ ‘she’ll be ‘right’ attitude failing people on our waters

Christmas
Liz Gordon (Daily Blog): Making life a little better
Steve Braunias (Herald): Secret diary of Xmas
Nicole Lawton (Stuff): Children expecting Santa letters get indecipherable code instead
Leah Te Whata (Māori TV): Reo-speaking Santa hears children’s Xmas wishes
Newshub: Waiheke Island Christmas Parade goes carbon neutral

Rocket Lab
1News: We have lift off! Rocket Lab launch first mission for NASA
Herald: Rocket Lab launches second commercial payload from Mahia today
RNZ: Lift off for second Rocket Lab commercial rocket

R Kelly tour
Herald: R. Kelly says Australian and NZ tour is ‘fake’
Stuff: R Kelly claims advertised tour to Australia and New Zealand was faked
Herald: R. Kelly’s New Zealand show ‘disgraceful,’ says victim advocate
Herald: Tour promoter defends R. Kelly concert

Other
Dominion Post Editorial: All for one – the one per cent?
Richard Harman (Politik): Do you know who he was
RNZ: Rising number of dairy polluters worries council
Damian George (Stuff): Saving Wellington: Civil Defence lays out plan to get capital back on its feet after major earthquake
RNZ: Christchurch district plan change will make some rebuilds easier
Kaitlin Ruddock (1News): Fundraising on a faultline: earthquake-hit communities call on NZ’s spare change
RNZ: Environment Canterbury workers to strike Monday
John-Michael Swannix (Newshub): ‘I want every cat to be safe’ – The Opportunities Party’s new leader Geoff Simmons
Fran O’Sullivan (Herald) Act now to save the seeds of NZ’s future
Grant Shimmin (Stuff): The week in good news
Guyon Espiner (E-Tangata): No shortcuts to the reo
Māmari Stephens (E-Tangata): The Empathy Gap and Me
Jason Walls (Herald): Survey of top energy executives shows NZ has become a lot less attractive for investors
Sam Hurley (Herald): Noel Leeming fined $200k for misleading consumers over faulty goods rights
RNZ: Noel Leeming fined $200,000 for misleading customers
RNZ: Women fighting back against ‘tough guy’ rulers – Amnesty International
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Businessman gets immigration adviser licence back after fraud concerns

MIL OSI – Source: Evening Report Arts and Media

December 14, 2018

Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – December 14 2018

Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – December 14 2018

Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.

The Beehive and Parliament Buildings.

Drug policy changes
Russell Brown: Just quietly, this is a big deal
Sarah Robson (RNZ): Addiction services back govt move on synthetic cannabis
John Gibb (ODT): Drug policy changes ‘game-changer’ in wake of deaths
Newshub: Synthetic crackdown: Will it reach those most at need?
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Cannabis legalised for people with terminal illness
Zane Small (Newshub): Chlöe Swarbrick confident weaker drug laws won’t encourage new users
Dan Satherley (Newshub): New drug law forces police to be social workers – Judith Collins
Lucy Bennett (Herald): Police concerns over Government moves on synthetic drugs
Lucy Bennett (Herald): Health approach to be taken for users of synthetic drugs, harsher penalties for suppliers
Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Government clamp-down on synthetic cannabis dealers extends to all drugs
Jo Moir (Stuff): Two of the most common synthetic drugs to be classified as Class A
Anna Whyte (1News); Government crackdown on synthetic drugs sees two common types classified as Class A
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Discretion the question in synthetics response
Scott Palmer (Newshub): Government announces major crackdown on synthetic drug dealers
Regan Paranihi (Māori TV): Government crackdown on drugs
James Borrowdale (Vice): New Zealand Government Signals “Paradigm Shift” In Drug Policy
Sam Smith (The Big Q): Is it time for a law change on cannabis use in New Zealand?

Name suppression, justice, corrections
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Onus was on Google to be aware of Grace Millane name suppression, but it may escape sanction
Ruth Hill (RNZ):Proposed suppression law hard to enforce – lawyer
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Grace Millane case: No prosecutions yet despite flagrant suppression breaches
Sam Hurley (Herald): Grace Millane case: Suppression flouted by Google and others, prosecutions to follow?
1News: Justice Minister says Google has to be called to account for breaching suppression in Grace Millane case
Dominion Post Editorial: The challenge of suppressing wild, wild west of social media
Catrin Owen (Stuff): Grace Millane: Trial of accused murderer could be threatened
Sam Hurley (Herald): Bar Association says ongoing suppression breaches in Grace Millane murder case endanger trial
RNZ: Grace Millane case: Suppression breaches could endanger trial
Tommy Livingston (Stuff): Grace Millane case: Top lawyer says name suppression breaches ‘alarming’
Collette Devlin and Tommy Livingston (Stuff): Grace Millane: Google breaks name suppression in mass email
Sam Hurley and Derek Cheng (Herald): Grace Millane murder: Suppression laws labelled ‘nonsense’ after Google’s breach
Sophie Bateman (Newshub): Ministry of Justice launches new guide for sexual violence victims
Anneke Smith (RNZ): Family of NZer who died in Samoan prison plead for justice
Laura O’Connell Rapira (RNZ): Opinion: Don’t forget how you felt the next time this happens
Sophie Bateman (Newshub): Opinion: ‘Not all men’ is an astonishingly selfish reaction to women’s pain
1News: Jacinda Ardern sends message to Millane family as Grace’s dad prepares to take daughter back to England
Derek Cheng (Herald): New Corrections dogs to sniff out synthetic cannabis

Budget
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Why the Government won’t boost benefits in next year’s ‘Wellbeing’ Budget
Audrey Young (Herald): Grant Robertson maintains his credibility as plans for next Budget gather pace
Richard Harman (Politik): Robertson and his radical plan for the Budget
Liam Dann (Herald): Grant Robertson’s cautious approach should reassure business
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s numbers spare the Government’s blushes
Jenna Lynch and Mitchell Alexander (Newshub): ‘Too many people left behind’: How the ‘Wellbeing’ Budget will work
Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Even with lower growth, Treasury predicts more tax for spending
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Growth forecast softens as migration falls, but wages will shoot ahead
Thomas Coughlan (Newsroom): Treasury sees $27b of surpluses over 5 years
Jason Walls (Herald): Finance Minister Grant Robertson says ‘timing issues’ caused lower than expected surplus
Bernard Hickey (Newsroom): Robertson holds fire for Wellbeing Budget
Moana Makapelu Lee (Māori TV): ‘Wellbeing outcomes’ to be included in 2019 Budget
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s wellbeing budget to smash silos between government departments
Anna Whyte (1News): Opening the books: Government targets mental health, creating opportunities for Māori and Pacific people in 2019 Budget priorities

Foreign affairs, Huwawei ban
Chris Uhlmann & Angus Grigg (Sydney Morning Herald): How ‘Five Eyes’ cooked up campaign to kill off Huawei
Yanek Fan (Herald): Huawei hit back: 5G ban not the ‘kiwi way’ of doing things
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): MFAT boss defends NZ-China relationship
Nina Hall (Newsroom): Why is National joining the nationalists?
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Aboriginal elder disappointed with deportation order: ‘He belongs to this country’

Jan Antolik/Karel Sroubek residency case
Herald: Jacinda Ardern plans to change phone number after Richie Hardcore row
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): National tries to put smoking gun in PM’s hand over Sroubek case
1News: ‘What does that mean? Winston Peters confuses National, has Government MPs in fits of laughter in Sroubek debate
Derek Cheng (Herald): National to PM – release the text from Karel Sroubek supporter
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): ‘Dishonest’ Jacinda Ardern ‘must release’ Richie Hardcore’s Karel Sroubek text – Simon Bridges
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Opposition leader says Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s account of text message from Sroubek supporter ‘dishonest’
Lucy Bennett (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says Richie Hardcore’s Sroubek text was unsolicited
David Farrar: So why did the Sroubek supporter text the PM?

Smokefree 2025 goal in jeopardy
Newshub: Not enough Kiwis quitting smoking – study
Ruby Macandrew (Stuff): New Zealand not on track to meet ‘ambitious’ Smokefree 2025 goal
Mike Houlahan (ODT): NZ Smokefree goal too optimistic: reports
Amy Wiggins (Herald): 17,000 more Kiwis need to quit smoking each year to hit Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 target

Health
Cate Broughton (Stuff): OECD report calls for extension to ACC
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Need outstrips mental health workforce: report
Indira Stewart (RNZ): Older Pasifika migrants more resilient to mental illness
Helen Harvey (Stuff): Five staff assaulted at Taranaki Base Hospital mental health ward
Oliver Lewis (Stuff): Mental health nurse says Christchurch’s Hillmorton Hospital isn’t safe to work at
RNZ: Stalled midwife talks may trigger mass resignations – union
Herald: New case of meningococcal disease reported at West Auckland school
Herald: False sunscreen information dangerous for consumers – expert
Natalie Akoorie (Herald): Advocate calls for hub and guidelines for Ehlers-Danlos patients
Mike Houlahan (ODT): ‘Living memorial’ proposed
Newshub: Tens of thousands could die in modern-day influenza pandemic – health expert
Ruby Macandrew (Stuff): New Zealanders overwhelmingly in support of women breastfeeding in public
Felicity Reid (Stuff): Parking charges and time restrictions ‘penalise’ hospital visitors
Sophie Bateman (Newshub): Why surgery is only part of the journey to transition
Farah Hancock (Newsroom): New healthcare guidelines for gender diverse
Madeleine Chapman (Spinoff): Why is Christchurch Hospital displaying photos of staff in blackface?
1News: ACT’s David Seymour and Maggie Barry clash over euthanasia bill changes

IGIS questions GCSB surveillance
David Fisher (Herald): Andrew Little says the collection of Kiwi communications by the GCSB requires high-level sign off
David Fisher (Herald): New oversight report critical of spies for failing to detail methods and targets under new law
Gia Garrick (RNZ): Spying warrants under scrutiny by watchdog
No Right Turn: The GCSB appear to be breaking the law again

State sector
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Public servant numbers jump under Labour
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Robertson downplays, Adams amplifies RBNZ’s plea for more staff
David Hargreaves (Interest): RBNZ to study climate change impact on NZ house prices
Michael Reddell: Funding the Reserve Bank: focus on your statutory mandate

Environment and conservation
Mike Joy (Stuff): Reduction in farming intensity a single solution to multiple problems
Paul Gorman and Tina Law (Stuff): ECan approves higher level of nitrates in Christchurch drinking water
Paul Gorman and Tina Law (Stuff): Council spat deepening over the future of Christchurch’s drinking water
Jono Galuszka (Stuff): Council and Crown at odds over who pays for Ōhakea water scheme
Eloise Gibson (Newsroom): Climate right for Government to take on water tool
Nigel Paragreen (ODT): Statutory role in protecting waterways
Jono Galuszka (Stuff): Horizons Regional Council issues itself infringement notice to itself
Eloise Gibson (Newsroom): Shaw: NZ’s not seeking easy way out
No Right Turn: Climate Change: Ignoring the cow in the room
Nicole Lawton (Stuff): First major Waitākere Ranges kauri track due to reopen
RNZ: Call for ban on dog walkers along coastlines with little penguins
Alison Ballance (RNZ): NZ falcons thriving in logged pine plantations

Air transport
Michael Morrah (Newshub): Air traffic staff told to work when tired, sick
RNZ: Air NZ engineers’ strike called off: ‘Nothing really about it has been particularly clear’
David Hargreaves (Interest): Insurers’ air travel warning

Transport
RNZ: Another WOF vehicle inspector suspended
Lucy Bennett (Herald): NZTA chairman Michael Stiassny speaks to parliamentary committee on WOF scandal
Sam Farrell (Newshub): More resignations likely over botched WoF scheme, say
Andrew McRae (RNZ): Hamilton-Auckland commuter train likely to get go ahead today
Gerald Piddock (Stuff): NZTA board due to decide whether to fund Hamilton-Auckland passenger rail service
Simon Wilson (Herald): Speed limits, the fast and the furious
Zane Small (Newshub): Judith Collins, Julie Anne Genter clash over Auckland Transport’s speed limit proposal
Tom Hunt (Stuff): No knees please: Wellington bus drivers banned from wearing shorts
RNZ: Petrol delivery strike canned

Education
Matthew Hooton (Herald): Education plan seeks far-left reform
Bryce Edwards (Newsroom): The sound of ideologies clashing
Frank Greenall (Whanganui Chronicle): Full speed ahead for Yesterday’s Schools
Brad Lewis (Newshub): Rugby: Ex-All Black Ian Jones part of panel probing Auckland college poaching fiasco
RNZ: College Sport to investigate St Kentigern’s spat
Hawkes Bay Today: Nursing students benefiting from two years free education
RNZ: Otago University Students’ Association reveals plans for bar they bought

Quote of the year
Herald: Political slip of the tongue claims top spot in this year’s Quote of the Year
RNZ: Quote of the Year: Simon Bridges’ Paula ‘Benefit’ gaffe

Media
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Shake up for NZME community newspapers
RNZ: Guyon Espiner moves from Morning Report in RNZ changes
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Guyon Espiner leaves RNZ’s Morning Report
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): RNZ shake up: Panel host Jim Mora and Sunday’s Wallace Champan switch roles
Newshub: Duncan Garner’s touching tribute to departing RadioLIVE friends
Duncan Greive (Spinoff): MediaWorks in 2018: Starving itself to prepare for a sale?
Newstalk ZB: Watch: Leighton Smith talks to Hosking about retiring after 33 years

Primary industries
Stuff: Coromandel farmer fined for illegal work on a wetland near Whitianga
RNZ: More famers feeling financial pressures

Housing
Susan St John (Newsroom): Tax Working Group unlikely to sort housing inequality
Yvonne Tahana (1News): ‘An indictment for us as a nation,’ PM says of Māori homelessness rate while announcing $1 million for marae
Julie Iles (Stuff): Lack of housing supply makes renting in Wellington as expensive as Auckland
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Hundreds of thousands of rentals still uninsulated with just 6 months til deadline

Local government
Cherie Sivignon (Stuff): Chief Ombudsman investigates TDC’s official information practices
Scott Palmer (Newshub): Revealed: How much Auckland Council’s Christmas celebrations will cost you
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Proposal to have electric vehicle chargers in Wellington’s suburbs stalls
Laura Dooney (RNZ): Opposition stops electric charging stations plan in its tracks
Laura Dooney (RNZ): Wellington convention centre finally given the go-ahead
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Revised plans for $179 million Wellington convention centre given the green light
Virginia Fallon (Stuff): Councillor opposes victim’s restraining order, more complaints revealed
Tina Law (Stuff): Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel reveals husband’s cancer diagnosis
RNZ: Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel intends to stand for a third term

Sport
Gregor Paul (Herald): How Black Ferns’ Kendra Cocksedge has shattered rugby’s biggest lie
RNZ: Cycling and football unscathed by damning reviews in latest funding

Other
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Labour MP names Judith Collins politician of the year
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Royal Commission admits email mix-up with abuse survivors
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): The Salvation Army’s Latest Report: Identifying the Sins – but not the Solutions
RNZ: Checkpoint: MSD’s treatment ‘didn’t make me feel human’
Gia Garrick (RNZ): Mental fatigue becomes major focus in govt’s workplace strategy
David Rankin (Herald): Disillusioned Ngapuhi will fight ake ake
Morgan Godfery: Controversial Waitara Lands Bill passes third and final reading
Tom Pullar-Stecker (Stuff): Online voting ‘no silver bullet’ for low turnout, study finds
Heta Gardiner (Māori TV): TOP Wants to work with Māori Party for 2020 election
RNZ: Insurance payouts for extreme weather events hit $226m for 2018
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): NZ Post and Kiwibank grilled over branch closures
Charlie Dreaver (RNZ): State-of-the-art National Geohazards Monitoring Centre opens
RNZ: Death highlights risk of old buildings in quakes – Coroner
RNZ: Methane purge begins at Pike River Mine
RNZ: Police use of pepper spray on man unlawful – IPCA
RNZ: Financial sector worth more than agriculture, report shows
Alice Webb-Liddall (Newshub): ‘Go back to the gas chamber’: Auckland men targeted in appalling homophobic rant
Te Karere: Trans woman speaks of cousin’s inspirational words before receiving moko – ‘This is us cuz’
James Croot (Stuff): Once Upon a Deadpool: NZ Censor breaks with Australia and bans under-13s
Martin van Beynen (Stuff): Roger Sutton on a mission to help Christchurch’s downtrodden
Herald: Jacinda reveals Neve’s Christmas costume

MIL OSI – Source: Evening Report Arts and Media

December 14, 2018

Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – December 13 2018

Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – December 13 2018

Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.

The Beehive and Parliament Buildings.

Government
Derek Cheng (Herald): Karel Sroubek supporter texted PM after residency initially granted
Pete George: Sroubek -> Hardcore -> Ardern – pressure builds for full disclosure
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Of all the people to attack, Richie Hardcore isn’t one of them!
Pattrick Smellie (Stuff): Living Standards Framework on it own isn’t going to transform anything
Colin James: Digging “wellbeing” out of Steven Joyce’s fiscal hole
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Budget 2019 priorities leaked to National, include focus on mental wellbeing and call to find lowest 1% of spending
David Farrar: Government doing right thing looking for spending cuts
VUW (Newsroom): The secrets of a good coalition

Parliament, Year in review
Claire Trevett (Herlad): Air NZ strikes bad news for most, good news for Simon Bridges
John Tamihere (Herald): Marking the Government’s cards
Peter Dunne (Newsroom): Next year crucial for both Govt and Nats
Alice Webb-Liddall and Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Political superlatives 2018: Tova O’Brien reviews the political year
1News: The political highs and lows of 2018 according to Labour’s Kieran McAnulty, National’s Chris Bishop
Stuff: ‘Paula Benefit’ gaffe wins quote of the year
Phil Smith (RNZ): The House: Parliament’s to do list: medicinal cannabis, tax rates, & Reserve Bank rules
RNZ: The House: Parliament’s to do list: 12 Dec – (most) politics is local
Phil Smith (RNZ): Keeping it supreme: signing off on subordinate legislation
Daniela Maoate-Cox (RNZ): The House: Listening to citizens: the finance and expenditure committee

State sector
Derek Cheng (Herald): Extra week’s leave sweetens pay cut for public sector chief executives
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Extra week of leave for public service bosses attacked, but SSC say it’s a good deal
Chris Bramwell (RNZ): Public service bosses get extra week annual leave
Scott Palmer (Newshub): Nick Smith flays public service bosses over extra week of leave
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): QC appointed to head Maxwell bullying inquiry
Lucy Bennett (Herald): QC appointed to lead investigation into bullying claims against Retirement Commissioner Diane Maxwell
Rob Stock (Stuff): Investigator named for Retirement Commissioner bullying probe
Herald: Employment lawyer Maria Dew to investigate Diane Maxwell bullying allegations
Kathy Spencer (Stuff): Continual restructuring – it’s such a waste
Thomas Coughlan (Newsroom): RBNZ says it’s underfunded and understaffed
Jason Walls (Herald): An under-resourced RBNZ a ‘pretty significant’ concern, National’s Finance spokeswoman says

Salvation Army ‘State of our Communities’ report
Imran Ali (Northern Advocate): Drugs and gangs in Northland major concerns for law-abiding citizens
Regan Paranihi (Māori TV): Communities call for action
Joanne Holden (TImaru Herald): Survey finds residents concerned about diversity, drug damage and social issues in Timaru

Justice, family violence, name suppression
Press Editorial: Intervention is better than imprisonment
Emma Hatton (RNZ): Early intervention crucial in reducing family violence numbers
Chris Morris (ODT): Survivor shines light on dark past
Tony Wall, Kirsty Lawrence and Blair Ensor (Stuff): Corrections apologises for placing a sex offender with a young family for the second time
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): NZ courts banned naming Grace Millane’s accused killer. Google just emailed it out
Point of Order: Andrew Little sounded a warning about murder-case reporting to local media, too – but were they listening?
Herald Editorial: Court suppression no longer works
Tommy Livingston (Stuff): Grace Millane case: Accused’s name searched more than 100,000 times on Google despite it being suppressed
Herald: NZ users search name of Millane’s accused more than 50,000 times
RNZ: Grace Millane’s father speaks out on daughter’s death
Stuff Editorial: “Incredible compassion” no substitute for credible action
Afua Hirsch (Guardian): Jacinda Ardern’s heartfelt apology spoke volumes about compassion
Kirsty Johnston (Herald): Grace Millane and my year reporting on rape
Michael Reddell: Human costs of big dislocations?
RNZ: Thousands gather for Grace Millane vigils across NZ
ODT: Grief must be followed by action
Newshub: All men need to help stop gender-based violence – Mark Longley
Anneke Smith (RNZ): Checkpoint: Samoa’s Attorney General didn’t want witness to give evidence
Edward Gay (Stuff): Aucklander’s mental condition deteriorated before being found dead in Samoan prison cell
Edward Gay (Stuff): Medical team approved of trip for man later found dead in Samoan cell – Mum
Edward Gay (Stuff): Man’s mental health issues not shared with Samoan authorities before death

Greyhound Racing New Zealand report
Lincoln Tan (Herald): NZ greyhound racing industry ‘killing a dog a day for gambling profits’
Stuff: Anger over greyhound racing as 353 dogs euthanised this year
RNZ: Hundreds of greyhounds euthanised last season

Air NZ strike, industrial action
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Politics is about perception
Peter Dunne: Spectre of Don Goodfellow’s infamous response of all those years ago still looms
Grant Bradley (Herald): Unions and Air New Zealand need to do their disagreeing at a different time of the year
Herald: Strike notice lifted for Air New Zealand after airline and unions reach agreement
RNZ: Air New Zealand strike notice lifted
Stuff: Air NZ engineers’ strike action called off, negotiations were successful
1News: PM denies Government’s stance on unions has ’emboldened’ them to carry out strikes
1News: PM urges Air NZ dispute to reach resolution – ‘No one wants to see this go ahead’
RNZ: Air New Zealand engineers’ strike: What you need to know
John Anthony (Stuff): Air NZ strikes triggers travel cover warning from Insurance Council of New Zealand
John Anthony (Stuff): Air NZ and unions playing game of ‘who blinks first’, industrial relations expert says
Michael Neilson and Grant Bradley (Herald): Thousands of Kiwis’ holiday plans up in air as Air NZ engineers threaten strike days before Christmas
Simon Shepherd (Newshub): ‘I can’t do anything but wait’: Families left in limbo over Air New Zealand strike
RNZ: Air NZ engineers’ strike could affect 100,000 people – travel agent
Grant Bradley (Herald): Strike threatened Air New Zealand passengers anxious, Jetstar still has seats
Katie Fitzgerald (Newshub): How the Air New Zealand strike will affect Christmas travel plans

Health
Ruby Macandrew (Stuff): Health organisations join calls for a review into government drug-buying agency
Mei Heron (1News): Government moved too slowly on regulating e-cigarettes, lead respiratory doc warns
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Government divided over possible ban on smoking in home
Ryan Dunlop (Herald): Medication errors prompts Health and Safety Commissioner to call for nationwide electronic system
Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Ministry of Health changes travel policy after blowout Las Vegas trip
Martin Johnston (Herald): Child with meningococcal disease admitted to Palmerston North Hospital
RNZ: Heart disease breaking up young Pasifika families
Farah Hancock (Newsroom): The race to eliminate hepatitis C
Helen Harvey (Stuff): ‘Serious adverse medical events’ result in two deaths at Taranaki hospitals
Karen Brown (RNZ): Rotorua seeing major benefits of new Children’s Health Hub
Danielle Clent (Stuff): Youth cancer charity calls on Australian counsellors after 17 local jobs cut
Natalie Akoorie (Herald): Psychiatrist downplays role of Ehlers-Danlos – Dr Rachel Palmer bedridden and broken
Donna-Lee Biddle (Stuff): Syphilis among STIs keeping Hamilton health clinics busy this summer
Joanne Carroll (Stuff): CDHB procedures left ‘wanting’ before 28-year-old man died of heart attack
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Maternity petition put on hold
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Treatment push for juvenile eating disorders in South
Jane Matthews (Stuff): More than $20,000 donated Taranaki boy in need of $2.5m surgery
ODT: Otago students advised to get immunised over break
RNZ: A third of nurses have fallen asleep while driving home – study

Sunscreens fail Consumer NZ test
RNZ: More than half of sunblocks don’t protect as well as labelled
Sarah Templeton (Newshub): Consumer NZ testing shows six out of 10 sunscreens aren’t up to scratch
Stuff: Sunscreens fail Consumer NZ SPF test
Cameron Smith (Herald): Sunscreen left red-faced by consumer test being canned
1News: Consumer NZ finds many sunscreens don’t meet their label claims

Medicinal cannabis bill passed
Deena Coster (Stuff): Medicinal cannabis campaigner’s ‘mixed feelings’ on law changes
Talisa Kupenga (Māori TV): Passing of Medicinal Cannabis Bill prompts iwi discussions
ebecca Reider (Spinoff): We won, sort of: A medicinal cannabis user at yesterday’s historic vote

Transport
Amanda Cropp (Stuff):1300 vehicles recalled after Tokoroa WOF inspector suspended
Collette Devlin (Stuff): A Wellington regional fuel tax could have covered $500m in transport projects
Belinda Feek (Herald): NZTA debacle: Dream car sits idle after $15k compliance work
RNZ: Motorists against 30km/h Auckland CBD limit
Jason Walls (Herald): The Opposition says Auckland Transport’s CBD speed reduction plan is ‘anti-car zealotry’
Gerald Piddock (Stuff): Councillor pushes for speed limit cut on rural roads in Waikato
Herald: Vehicle registration costs to change in mid-2019: How much will you have to pay?
RNZ: ‘Deja vu’ for Wellington Airport extension
Christine McKay (Hawkes Bay Today): National MP Alistair Scott pushes for cycleway and walking path across ranges
Alex Loo (Stuff): Landowners to meet with officials regarding expressway in Horowhenua

KiwiSaver
Madison Reidy (RNZ): MSD tells KiwiSavers to pull funds to survive
No Right Turn: WINZ undermines KiwiSaver
Anna Whyte (1News): National reach out to speed up KiwiSaver changes for life-shortening conditions

Environment and conservation
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Does the taxpayer fund climate compensation for beachfront homeowners?
Kate Gudsell (RNZ): Environmental watchdog warns of shortcomings in farming nutrient programme
Eloise Gibson (Newsroom): Water-quality tool seriously flawed: watchdog
Richard Harman (Politik): Simon Upton is back and still fighting heavy-handed Government
Jamie Morton (Herald): Govt to cap units, bring permanent forestry into ETS
David Hall (Stuff): Paris riots show importance of getting climate policy right
No Right Turn: Climate Change: Forfeiting the profits of fraud
Jamie Morton (Herald): Stagnant master plan to save gulf ‘could have been done better’
Marty Sharpe (Stuff): Report calls for giving Te Mata Peak same status as a person, and closing some areas to public
RNZ: Te Mata Peak should get legal status as person – iwi
Laurilee McMichael (Taupo & Turangi Weekender): Kinloch’s poisoned native trees an act of ‘eco-te rrorism’
Samantha Gee (Stuff): Worker pleads guilty after killing kea at Motueka Valley construction site

Water bottling plant
Paul Gorman (Stuff): Cloud Ocean Water’s deep-bore bottling plan approved without public input
1News: Controversial Chinese company given consent to take water from deeper bore in Christchurch

1080
Nita Blake-Persen (RNZ): Anti-1080 float wins top prize at Taupo Christmas Parade
1News: Alternatives to 1080 explored, but poison ‘remains a critical tool’
Herald: Native birds used in a 1080 protest all were killed by unnatural means – but not poison
Brooke Hobson and Vita Molyneux (Newshub): Bird dumped at Parliament by 1080 protesters was shot by rifle – autopsy
1News: Weka left on Parliament steps by 1080 protesters was shot, autopsy finds
RNZ: No birds at anti-1080 protest died from poison
Stuff: Weka dumped at Parliament by anti-1080 protesters was shot, autopsy says
Esther Taunton (Stuff): EPA to investigate 1080 drop which killed eight cattle

Foreign affairs and trade
Chris Trotter: Dances With Elephants
Gordon Campbell: On the Brexit & Huawei clusterfudges
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Deportation of Aboriginal man from Australia ‘ridiculous’
RNZ: Family ‘horrified’ as Aboriginal man faces deportation to NZ

Census
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Census data won’t make Budget 2019
Eric Crampton: Census woes

Education
Adele Redmond (Stuff): Schools ‘cautiously optimistic’ about Tomorrow’s Schools review recommendations
Adele Redmond (Stuff): 800 overseas teachers ready for schools to hire for 2019, Ministry of Education says
Derek Cheng (Herald): Up to $50 million paid for fees-free students who either failed or withdrew

Local government
Todd Niall (Stuff): Online voting trial for 2019 elections scrapped
RNZ: Councils halt online voting trial for local body elections
1News: Online voting trial for 2019 local body elections halted because of rising costs
Newshub: Online voting trial shut down over cost
No Right Turn: A win for democracy
Thomas Manch and Julie Iles (Stuff): Engineer claims Wellington City Council ignored seismic warning on BNZ building
Herald: Auckland Council among four local Governments to be investigated by the Ombudsman
Steve Kilgallon (Stuff): Calls to investigate top official for ‘hoodwinking’ council over signed racing helmet
Kendall Hutt (Stuff): Residents want a 15m cell tower moved, because it’s an ‘eyesore’
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): Auckland council car park to skyrocket $40 a day
Debrin Foxcroft (Stuff): Victory for dock workers as Ports of Auckland forced to include start times in rosters
Stuff: Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel seeking third term
Matthew Littlewood (Timaru Herald): Pressure mounting on council to abandon Alpine Energy share sale proposal
Bayley Moor (Stuff): Far North sewage treatment plants breach consent conditions
Rachael Kelly (Southland Times): Gore’s proposed new water restrictions ‘a good start’, council told at hearing

Primary industries
Pat Deavoll (Stuff): From 70 million to less than 30 million: Where have all the sheep gone?
Guy Trafford (Interest): Solving the riddle of why farmer confidence is low when prices are high
Eric Frykberg (RNZ): Fonterra offers farmers fixed price for milk
Angie Skerrett (Newshub): Petition numbers grow to keep Tip Top New Zealand-owned
Herald: Feds thank Andrew Little for getting tough on rural crime
Angie Skerrett (Newshub): Rural Women NZ leader to chair Landcare Trust
Al Williams (Timaru Herald): Timaru woman charged with making a false complaint over needle found in supermarket strawberry
RNZ: Woman arrested after false complaint of needle in strawberry

Christmas
Nita Blake-Persen (RNZ): Anti-1080 float wins top prize at Taupo Christmas Parade
Moana Makapelu Lee (Māori TV): Māori Santa accepts invitation to Wellington
Stuff: Māori Santa from Nelson parade coming to Wellington
Edward Rooney (Herald): Raetihi Christmas parade has a Māori Santa – and no one bats an eye
Eleanor Ainge Roy (Guardian): Māori Santa invited to Wellington parade after racist boos in hometown
Martyn Bradbury (Waatea News): ‘How Santa Parades became a flash point for racism‘
Laine Moger (Stuff): Winking, finger-waving Santa could be restored in Auckland
Nicole Lawton (Stuff): 1000 Auckland soup kitchen regulars treated to early Christmas dinner

Housing
Mānia Clarke (Māori TV): South Auckland marae to receive $1mil from Māori Housing Fund
Deena Coster (Stuff): Taranaki tenants speak out about ‘lifelong’ health concerns connected to cold, damp rentals
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Letting fees ban takes effect – what next for rent?
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Ring-fencing, law reform: What will it take to slow investors down?
Kelly Mahika (Herald): Night shelter must move, says fed up Rotorua publican
BusinessDesk: Sydney house price downturn could dampen Auckland prices

Police
Ryan Dunlop (Herald): Police use of pepper spray unlawful, Independent Police Conduct Authority find
Luke Kirkness and Heath Moore (Herald): Camera catches Auckland police playing table tennis during property raid in West Auckland
Whanganui Chronicle: Former police officer imprisoned for series of historical sex crimes

Media
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Stuff sale on agenda, says new owner Nine
Duncan Greive (Spinoff): Sky in 2018: the media monster we’ve all assumed will fail
Glen McConnell (Stuff): Radio NZ cuts Music 101 presenter Alex Behan, plans more staff and music changes
David Farrar: Karl du Fresne on media

Hiwi Tauroa has died
RNZ: Former Race Relations leader Hiwi Tauroa dies, aged 91
Raniera Harrison (Māori TV): Whangaroa hapū prepare to farewell Te Rangihiwinui Tauroa
Herald: Former race relations commissioner and Māori All Black Hiwi Tauroa dies aged 91
Natalie Polley (Stuff): Former race relations commissioner, and All Black, Hiwi Tauroa dies

Other
Gia Garrick (RNZ): Long-running land dispute resolved as Parliament passes Waitara Lands Bill
Liz McDonald and Michael Hayward (Stuff): Earthquake Commission: No agreed claim deal for future disaster
Meghan Lawrence (Herald): Extreme weather costs insurers $226m for 2018 year: Second highest since 1969
Phil Pennington (RNZ): A tale of two steels: Auckland’s Seascape vs Wellington’s Dixon St project
Martin van Beynen (Stuff): New Christchurch courts building already needs repairs
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Christchurch Cathedral reinstatement progresses with steel framing to be removed
Jamie Morton (Herald): New centre to keep 24/7 watch on quakes, tsunami
RNZ: Christmas appeal for children’s beds in Northland
David Chaston (Interest): The myth is that households are getting less and less of the national income
No Right Turn: Member’s Day
Debrin Foxcroft (Stuff): Beware the health claims about bottled water, warns Consumer NZ
John Anthony (Stuff): Harcourts promises not to repeat ‘culturally offensive’ ad portraying marae for sale
Liam Dann (Herald): IMF’s dire warning on global economy
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Lauding it – film subsidies have worked in NZ
Raniera Harrison (Māori TV): Connecting Māori musicians with funding

MIL OSI – Source: Evening Report Arts and Media

December 12, 2018

Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – December 12 2018

Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – December 12 2018

Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.

The Beehive and Parliament Buildings.

‘Every Four Minutes’ Report on family violence, justice, name suppression
Derek Cheng (Herald): New Zealand lacks comprehensive strategy to counter family violence – new report
Alice Webb-Liddall (Newshub): ‘Every 4 minutes’ report on domestic violence prevention presented to Government
Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Protecting children from family violence will prevent them perpetrating it later – report
Jo Moir (RNZ): Domestic violence found in all communities – report
Talisa Kupenga (Māori TV): Colonisation trauma linked to family violence – Report
Andy Fyers (Stuff): Most victims of violent crime in New Zealand are women
Michele A’Court (RNZ): The things we do to keep ourselves safe
Liam Martin (Herald): Prison numbers are dropping but home detention is too harsh
Derek Cheng (Herald): Grace Millane case: Justice Minister Andrew Little calls for international media to stop naming murder-accused
Thomas Coughlan (Newsroom): Andrew Little’s plea to British media
Sophie Bateman (Newshub): Breaching Grace Millane murder accused’s name suppression could mean her killer walks free – Justice Minister
Jamie Ensor (Stuff): Grace Millane: PM Jacinda Ardern won’t support Millane’s alleged killer being granted secrecy
Derek Cheng (Herald): PM: Name suppression laws not about to change
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Justice Minister Andrew Little urges British media to ensure justice for Grace Millane
Graeme Edgeler (Public Address): Name suppression appeals
Deena Coster (Stuff): Talks underway to bring iwi justice panels to Taranaki
Sam Hurley (Herald): Mystery doctor gives evidence in inquest into Kiwi’s Samoan prison death
Sam Hurley (Herald): Samoan Government refuses to disclose evidence over Kiwi’s prison death, but NZ doctor had documents
Anneke Smith (RNZ): NZer found dead in Samoan jail may have been forced into drum

Child welfare, state care, poverty
David Fisher (Herald): No change to law protecting children despite coroner’s urging to close ‘loophole’
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Police inquiry into teacher-student relationship deficient – IPCA
Jamie Ensor and Michael Morrah (Newshub): Police investigation into inappropriate teacher-student relationship ‘flawed’ – IPCA
Te Kuru o te Marama Dewes (Māori TV): IPCA finds investigation deficient
Herald: Children’s Commissioner Andrew Becroft says porn most concerning issue for young people
No Right Turn: A convenient failure
RNZ: Child poverty reduction bill will help cut number of deprived children – PM
Ian Shirley (Briefing Papers): At last – A fundamental shift in social policy
MIchelle Duff (Stuff): 10,000 child removal orders in five years: Is this system working?
MIchelle Duff (Stuff): The number of newborn babies removed from their parents is rising
MIchelle Duff (Stuff): Catherine loves her kids, but they will never be in her custody again
MIchelle Duff (Stuff): They learn to recognise the whiff of a p-house: Life as a social worker
MIchelle Duff (Stuff): Jess, Gabriel and Dad

Medicinal cannabis bill passed
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Medicinal cannabis law great for drug dealers and Helen Kelly
Anna Whyte (1News): People in palliative care will have legal defence for using marijuana after Parliament passes medicinal cannabis bill
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Medicinal cannabis bill passes, with regulated market promised within a year and a legal defence until then
Sophie Bateman (Newshub): Parliament passes medicinal cannabis Bill, promises regulated market and legal defence
Lucy Bennett (Herald): Medicinal cannabis bill passes third reading
RNZ: Medicinal cannabis bill passes final hurdle in Parliame nt
Eleaor Ainge Roy (Guardian): New Zealand passes laws to make medical marijuana widely available
Nic Beets (Newsroom): Cannabis: make it legal, don’t make it pay

Health
Cate Broughton (Stuff): Communities in $40m obesity prevention scheme ‘not doing any better’
Lois Williams (RNZ): 5000 people vaccinated in Northland for men-W
Herald: Consumer NZ report shows most sunscreens not living up to label claims
Southland Times Editorial: Dementia village an answer to mounting need
Astrid Austin (Hawkes Bay Today): Mental health nurse remains off work after Hawke’s Bay choking incident at Hawke’s Bay Hospital
Teuila Fuatai (Newsroom): Funding hospitals limits early suicide prevention (interview)
ODT: Swift action wanted on GP shortage
Alice Angeloni (Stuff): Man refused hip surgery told to talk to iwi – look at retraining, come back in a year
Natalie Akoorie (Herald): Georgie Ferris’ weight dropped to 33kg – now she wants to help other EDS sufferers avoid the factitious disorder label
Anusha Bradley (RNZ): Napier’s dirty water blamed on maintenance work
Ruby Macandrew (Stuff): Innovative cancer research gets a $600k leg up from Kiwi Freemasons
Ben Strang (RNZ): Former cop left waiting for months for post-traumatic stress payout
Yvonne O’Hara (ODT): Mental health services access key
1News: Grateful heart transplant recipient pleads for Kiwis to have the ‘donor’ chat with their families this Christmas
Bob McCoskrie: Overwhelming Opposition Confirmed On Assisted Suicide Bill

Salvation Army State of our Communities report
RNZ: Towns throughout NZ worried about drugs and housing crisis
Katie Fitzgerald (Newshub): Salvation Army report reveals ‘massive issues’ with drugs, racial tensions

Government
Anna Bracewell-Worrall (Newshub): Treasury concerned over Shane Jones’ spending, but he signed off millions anyway
Scott Palmer (Newshub): Shane Jones ‘handing out cash’ like Pablo Escobar – National
Jason Walls (Herald): Ministers ordered to cut low-priority spending in preparation for next year’s Budget
Point of Order: The reports are coming in – and they bring fresh challenges for the Ardern Govt

Waitara Lands Bill
Lucy Bennett (Herald): Long-running land dispute at Waitara close to resolution
Taranaki Maori Women’s Network: To: Members of the New Zealand Parliament: Re: The New Plymouth District Council (Waitara Lands) Bill

Housing
RNZ: Checkpoint: MSD ordered to wipe debt of seriously ill beneficiary
RNZ: Twyford: KiwiBuild boss’ absence an unwelcome distraction
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Housing Minister Phil Twyford confirms KiwiBuild head hasn’t been at work for weeks
Lucy Bennett (Herald): Twyford refuses to comment further on KiwiBuild boss Stephen Barclay
1News: Public deserves to know what’s going on as Kiwibuild boss remains absent from work – Simon Bridges
Gia Garrick (RNZ): Letting fees come to an end
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Officials warn tenants could take impact of end of tax breaks for landlords
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Letting fee ban could make renting more expensive

Foreign affairs and trade
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): US warning to New Zealand on China
Don McKinnon (Herald): Huawei ban shows limits of China’s influence
Stephen Hoadley (Stuff): Could the South China Sea be a flashpoint that could ignite a US-China war?
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): China looms large ahead of Peters’ US trip
Jason Walls (Herald): Foreign Minister Winston Peters to meet with US Vice President Mike Pence this week
Michael Reddell: Human rights, Helen Clark, and the PRC
Dominion Post Editorial: A safer route for migrants could be a risky one for politicians
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): If you’re afraid of the United Nations, you’re afraid of ghosts
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Government decision on signing United Nations migration pact delayed further
John-Michael Swannix (Newshub): Should New Zealand sign a new international agreement on migration?

Environment and conservation
Charlie Mitchell (Stuff): ‘We speak out at our peril’: Science on water quality has been ignored, scientist says
Steve Urlich (Stuff): A shot of cash can help save our natural capital
Paul Callister, Deirdre Kent and Robert McLachlan (Stuff): There’s no easy way to cut aviation emissions, except by flying less
David Williams (Newsroom): What Canterbury’s water-bottling case tells us
Paul Gorman (Stuff): Court decides industrial consents not to be used for water bottling
Katie Todd (RNZ): Court victory for opponents of water bottling plant in Christchurch
RNZ: Community group loses appeal against poison drop
Tom Furley (RNZ): Iconic Waitakere track may reopen this summer
Jenny Suo (1News): Upgrades made to West Auckland track will handle walkers without spreading kauri dieback – council
Jennifer Eder (Stuff): Yealands Wines founder Peter Yealands pleads guilty to polluting stream
Tracy Neal (RNZ): Waimea Dam to aid eels on journey to Pacific – scientist
Andrew McRae (RNZ): Pet dogs trained to sniff out invasive fish species

Education
Peter Lyons (ODT): Education reforms chance to bring back fairness to system
Adele Redmond (Stuff): 800 overseas teachers ready for schools to hire for 2019, Ministry of Education says
Dennis Slade (Stuff): St Kentigern College lacks ethics in sporting arms race
Meriana Johnsen (RNZ): Bill proposes one of 10 ‘priority’ languages be taught in primary schools
Henry Cooke (Stuff):Labour will support National bill on language classes at primary school
Jason Walls (Herald): NZ First will be the only party in Parliament to oppose National’s ‘own’ language policy
Zane Small (Newshub): Should schools reinforce second languages? New Zealand First doesn’t think so
David Farrar: Government to support Kaye bill on second languages
Audrey Young (Herald): Asia NZ Foundation welcomes chance for NZ to make decisions about language learning
Brian Rudman (Herald): Christmas issues strike our schools
Geoff Lewis (Stuff): Wintec’s central Hamilton site ripe for redevelopment
George Block (ODT): Scarfies buy Starters Bar
Hamish McNeilly (Stuff): Otago University Students’ Association buys Dunedin pub

Transport, roading
Thomas Coughlan (Newsroom): Time to change NZTA review
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Trucks, buses also drawn into dodgy WOF saga
Katie Fitzgerald (Newsroom): Auckland Transport gets approval for 30km/h speed limits, but AA isn’t happy
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Car regos: the winners and the losers from ACC change
1News: Rego costs will change from mid-2019 – will you pay more or less?
Amber-Leigh Woolf (Stuff): Air New Zealand strikes extended to three days before Christmas
Newshub: Air New Zealand strike extends to three days in the lead up to Christmas
RNZ: Air NZ engineers vote to strike for three days next week
Amanda Cropp (Stuff): Industry welcomes resignation of NZ Transport Agency boss
No Right Turn: Accountability
Alex Loo (Stuff): Route for Ōtaki to north of Levin expressway revealed
Gary Farrow (Stuff): Extension of expressway from Cambridge to Piarere won’t happen within a decade
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Who says we all want more cycle ways?
RNZ: Major disruptions to Auckland train services today
David Farrar: How much the Government gets for you to fill up your car

KiwiSaver
Lucy Bennett (Herald): Minister Kris Faafoi seeks advice on KiwiSaver changes for people with life-shortening conditions
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Government looks to right ‘unfairness’ highlighted by Down syndrome KiwiSaver
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): KiwiSaver providers field self-harm threats from those who want early access to their money

Local government
Emma Hatton (RNZ): Lower Hutt pool stayed open despite quake risk
Nicholas Boyack (Stuff): Council kept Lower Hutt pool open for months knowing it was a quake risk
Leigh-Marama McLachlan (RNZ): Iwi gutted council snubs them for homeless contract
Nick Truebridge (Stuff): Water quality whitewash? Auckland mayor under fire over clean beaches claim
Stuff: Horizons chairman Bruce Gordon hits out at his own council
Virginia Fallon (Stuff): Debt-laden Kāpiti council’s investment plan ‘unusual’, auditor-general cautions
Jessie Chiang (RNZ): Rotorua flooding: Serious council oversights highlighted
Logan Church (RNZ): Some Kaikōura residents ‘disgusted’ at decision to move properties

Parliament
Victoria University of Wellington (Newsroom): Women MPs reveal death threats, bullying and harassment
Bill Ralston (Listener): The bullying allegations show that Parliament needs transparency
Daniela Maoate-Cox (RNZ): Parliament’s collaborative committees

Year in review
Rachel Stewart (Herald): Environment, Facebook, free speech among big issues of 2018
Russell Brown: Public Address Word of the Year 2018

Ngāpuhi Treaty claims
Mikaela Collins (Herald): Hapū reject evolved Ngāpuhi mandate but still have concerns
RNZ: Wahine to have greater role in Ngāpuhi negotiations

Primary industries
Angie Skerrett (Newshub): Call for national plan for improved water storage
Megan Sutherland (Newshub): Needle found in strawberry in Timaru supermarket
Gerard Hutching (Stuff): Fonterra to reward and punish farmers over animal welfare and environment
Esther Taunton (Stuff): Farmers want to cut emissions but don’t know how, report finds
Angie Skerrett (Newshub): Banking survey shows more farmers feel under financial pressure
Angie Skerrett (Newshub): ‘Like a cup of cold sick’: Nathan Guy’s attack on suggested farmers tax

Christmas
1News: ‘Māori Santa’ set to appear at Wellington Christmas event after crowdfunding effort
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): More than 3000 people interested in bringing Māori Santa to Wellington
Amber-Leigh Woolf (Stuff): Christmas glitter, tinsel and ‘pointless plastic’ an environmental danger
1News: Christchurch SPCA urgently needs your help to house animals during busy Christmas period
Herald: The Grinch who stole Christmas: Auckland Council ban pair from selling Christmas trees

Fireworks petition
1News: Should private fireworks be banned? Petition with 18k signatures presented
Felix Desmarais (Stuff): Petition to ban private sale of fireworks presented to parliament
Sophie Bateman (Newshub): Nearly 18,000 people sign private fireworks ban petition

Media
Duncan Greive (Spinoff): Stuff: the media monster no one wants to own
Fran O’Sullivan (Herald): NZ inquiry needed into Google and Facebook
Thomas Coughlan (Newsroom): Health Promotion Agency spends big on Facebook
Karl du Fresne (Stuff): News media should be a champion of free and open debate

Other
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Statistics NZ pushes Census 2018 deadline further as issues continue
Chris Hutching (Stuff): No let up in foreign investment despite tighter rules
ODT Editorial: Out of touch educated elites
Sarah Templeton (Newshub): Kiwi woman launches ‘safe dating’ forum for women
David Farrar: NZ still top for freedom
Jane Bowron (Stuff): The joys of being young again, now that I’ve changed my identity
Tracy Neal (RNZ): A step too far: Great Walks fall out of favour with overseas tourists
Māori TV: Ngāi Tahu tourism boss receives PM’s award
RNZ: Gondola proposed as a traffic solution for Queenstown
Steve Hepburn (ODT): Lack of paid admin adds to club pressures: survey
Gavin Evans (BusinessDesk): Greater transparency sought in gas sector
Colin Williscroft (Stuff): Steel and rubble removal to kick-start Christ Church Cathedral rebuild
Nikki Mandow (Newsroom): Call for law society resignations after members veto sale
1News: Government allocates $600,000 to racecourses nationwide to improve safety
ODT: Funds boost safety of race tracks in South
Emma Dangerfield (Stuff): New bottle shop proposal could take Rangiora’s off-licence tally to 11

MIL OSI – Source: Evening Report Arts and Media

December 11, 2018

Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – December 11 2018

Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – December 11 2018

Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.

Education
Carol Anderson (Stuff): How the education reform proposals might affect schools, trustees and parents
Dominion Post Editorial: All parties must work together to fix education
ODT Editorial: ‘Stalinist’ or ‘exciting’ education change
Audrey Young (Herald): Ex-education minister Nikki Kaye signs up sitting Minister Chris Hipkins to progress bill for teaching languages
John Gerritsen (RNZ): More than 60 schools broke laws and regulations – auditor
Herald: Trips to Canada, South Korea, Gold Coast and Hawaii catch Auditor-General’s attention
Iona Holsted (Stuff): Workforce review will focus on freeing teachers so they can teach
Newshub: Should Christian traditions be taught in schools?
Virginia Fallon (Stuff): Porirua’s Mana College to get a $15 million redevelopment
1News: Major $15 million revamp for Wellington’s Mana College
Talisa Kupenga (Māori TV): Mana College gets $15mil renovation boost from Govt
1News: Visit a small King Country school that’s sadly closing for good
Kirsty Gunn (Dominion Post): A change of VUW’s title will change how I describe myself to the world

Child poverty, welfare
Ryan Boswell (1News): Welfare benefits involving children should be linked to wages – Children’s Commissioner
Dan Satherley (Newshub): New Zealand ‘rather late’ to wake up to the reality of child poverty – Children’s Commissioner Andrew Becroft
Māori TV: Health outcomes appalling for high-income country – CPAG
RNZ: Oranga Tamariki doesn’t collate mental illness figures

Housing
1News: Prime Minister won’t give reason why Kiwibuild boss isn’t at work, saying it’s ‘an employment issue’
Anne Gibson (Herald): KiwiBuild boss Stephen Barclay in employment dispute with Housing Ministry
Henry Cooke (Stuff): KiwiBuild head in employment dispute with Government, has not resigned
Dan Satherley (Newshub): KiwiBuild boss hasn’t resigned after all
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): KiwiBuild chief executive Stephen Barclay’s absence raises questions
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Ardern: Barclay’s absence nothing to do with KiwiBuild policy
1News: Q+A: Housing Minister tight-lipped on reported resignation of KiwiBuild chief executive
Catherine Harris (Stuff): Kiwibuild could ‘underwrite rental and social housing’
Michael Reddell: Where have real house prices risen and fallen?
Benedict Collins (1News): Wellington’s first KiwiBuild homes to be constructed next year near city’s heart
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): Shared ownership home loans no silver bullet for affordability, say brokers
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): BNZ to launch shared-equity scheme for first-home buyers – but there are catches

Transport
Jason Walls (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the NZ Transport Agency had ‘dropped the ball’
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): NZTA head resigns amid review into dodgy warrants of fitness
Lucy Bennett (Herald): New Zealand Transport Agency boss Fergus Gammie resigns as review into vehicle warrants continues
1News: NZTA boss quits amid widespread problems with Warrant of Fitness assessments
RNZ: NZTA CEO resigns amid pressure over faulty warrant checks
Stuff: Embattled NZTA boss resigns

Opinion polls
Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): What the public is saying about Simon Bridges, according to Labour’s pollsters
David Farrar: Now this is dirty politics
Pete George: UMR polling history

National Party
MItchell Alexander and Tova O’Brien (Newshub): The lengths Simon Bridges went to find out who leaked his travel expenses
MItchell Alexander and Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Exclusive: Simon Bridges urged top cop to reveal expenses leaker’s identity
Newshub: Chris Finlayson reviews his career

Foreign Affairs
Richard Harman (Politik): The cynical politics of immigration
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Government will be seeking further advice before signing United Nations Global Compact on Migration
Todd McClay (Spinoff):The real reasons we oppose the UN Global Compact on Migration
MIchael Reddell: The China Council disgraces themselves and shames us

Government
Thomas Coughlan (Newsroom): Twyford under pressure as NZTA chief resigns
Lucy Bennett and Jason Walls (Herald): Government staying quiet on chief executives Fergus Gammie and Stephen Barclay
Colin James (ODT): Digging ‘wellbeing’ out of a fiscal hole
Brian Ng (Newsroom): Govt ministers to proactively release diaries
Lucy Bennett (Herald): Prime Minister rejects National’s claim of $700,000 a day spending on reviews
Alice Webb-LIddall (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern’s lowlights and highlights of 2018

Health
Linday Laird (Northern Advocate): Vaccinating Northland: The fight for ‘herd immunity’ to prevent meningococcal disease spreading wider
Cathy Stephenson (Stuff): Mental health inquiry is a step forward but many more are needed
Russell Brown: A complicated pathway to wellness
Newshub: Breast cancer sufferer fighting for life-extending drugs wants Pharmac inquiry
Natalie Akoorie (Herald): EDS sufferer Nichola Smith is fighting to get factitious disorder diagnosis deleted from her medical notes
Karen Brown (RNZ): Increase in tongue-tie cuts result of hospital rush – GP
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Board to consider outsourcing to speed up rebuild
Mike Houlahan (ODT): 66 harm-related incidents reported by SDHB
RNZ: Nine to Noon:Pacific nurses say pathway to practise too hard
Tema Hemi (Māori TV): Will campaigns like ‘Hang Tuff Don’t Puff’ be enough?
Brianna McIlraith (Stuff): CanTeen’s Taranaki branch to close down by the end of the week
Lucy Bennett (Herald): Medicinal cannabis bill expected to pass third reading today
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): ‘It is not enough’: Campaigner blasts Government’s medicinal cannabis bill as weak, clueless

ACC
Lucy Bennett (Herald): Government to reduce ACC work levies for businesses and self-employed
Zane Small (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern confirms ACC levies won’t increase, some will drop
RNZ: ACC lowers work levy, scraps vehicle risk rating
1News: ACC levies will not rise, Work Levy to decrease
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Government vetoes ACC’s proposed motor vehicle levy hike, reduces work levies and scraps the vehicle risk rating programme
Thomas Coughlan (Newsroom): Government says no to ACC levy increase

Parliament
Bevan Rapson (North & South): Finally, a trio of chunky referendum issues to spice up the next election
Liam Hehir (Stuff): We can still elect small parties, if we want to
Mitchell Alexander (Newshub): Ticked Off: The Speaker of the House

Primary industries
Tony Wall (Stuff): The Government has slammed the forestry industry over its response to phasing out methyl bromide
Heather Chalmers (Stuff): MPI optimistic on M. bovis progress, despite three new Canterbury farms
Angie Skerrett (Newshub): Numbers of M Bovis restricted farms dropping
Angie Skerrett (Newshub): Primary sector exports on track for record growth, says new report
Sally Rae (ODT): Leaders discuss sustainable farming
Andrea Fox (Herald): Fonterra shocks farmers with milk advance payment clawback

Employment
Scott Simpson (Stuff): No reason to cheer bad employment relations reform
Esther Taunton (Stuff): Court rules locked out Affco workers must be paid lost wages

Consumer and small business protection
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Government to consider tightening business and consumer protections
Jason Walls (Herald): Government Ministers concerned small businesses are being treated unfairly
RNZ: Govt to consult public on commercial sharp practice
Zane Small (Newshub): Government targets ‘unfair’ business tactics in new proposal
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Govt considers crackdown on ‘unfair commercial practices’

Environment and conservation
Tina Law (Stuff): Council considers pushing for changes to ‘crazy’ water bottling rules
David Williams (Newsroom): Council’s surprise snub of rare shrub
Lois Williams (RNZ): Company surrenders resource consents after court challenge
Aaron Leaman (Stuff): Waikato mining company fined $60k for polluting Wainui Stream
No Right Turn: Climate Change: Punching above our weight
Stuff: A Kiwi scientist’s haiku version of the latest global warming report
Tracy Neal (RNZ): ‘Negative impacts’ of climate change on NZ freshwater explored
Skara Bohny (Stuff): Freshwater conference embraces Māori values as it looks to the future
Marty Sharpe (Stuff): Owner of land at centre of Te Mata Peak track debacle says he’s still waiting to hear from the mayor
Anusha Bradley (RNZ): Hastings District Council to foot Te Mata Peak bill
Newsroom: Bird with wonky bill inspires big project
Warren Gamble (Stuff): Tōtaranui suggested as alternate Māori name for Abel Tasman National Park

Air NZ
Dan Lake (Newshub): Union says Air NZ is releasing ‘misleading information’ ahead of Christmas strike
Jessie Chiang (RNZ): Air NZ strike would be ‘almost unprecedented’ – travel agent
Debrin Foxcroft (Stuff): Negotiations between Air New Zealand and workers could go on for days
1News: Urgent talks begin between Air NZ and unions to try to avert engineers’ strike
1News: Shane Jones’ criticism of Air NZ chair not New Zealand ‘way’ – Sir John Key

Poverty and inequality
Eva Corlett (RNZ): City Mission to double efforts for Christmas due to unprecedented demand
Tom McRae (Newshub): ‘Very, very disturbing’: Auckland City Mission food parcel demand soars
David Cormack (Herald): Poorness charges interest

Christmas
TVNZ: Marae: Māori Santa recounts ‘shocked look on the faces of’ Pakeha during Nelson parade
Tim O’Connell (Nelson Mail): Nelson Santa parade fallout ‘pretty tough’ on man who was Hana Kōkō

Local government
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Engineers warned council over quake-damaged building’s design
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Powered parks for the privileged? Wellington City Council moots EV carparks for the suburbs
Chris Morris (ODT): DCC investigating suspected fraud cases
RNZ: Decision looms on Lancaster Park’s fate
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Super yacht ‘oligarchs’ to be charged for America’s Cup close-up
Gary Farrow (Waikato Times): Cambridge train still a possibility as part of Hamilton-Auckland Growth Corridor Plan
Meriana Johnsen (RNZ): Hapū welcomed as refurbished Martinborough town hall reopens
Deena Coster (Stuff): Hapū call out council for lack of action over ‘health hazard’ houses near cliff

Media
Bryan Gould: Public television
Duncan Greive (Spinoff): The edge of the cliff: inside the major NZ media companies in 2018
Duncan Greive (Spinoff): TVNZ in 2018: the public broadcaster finally remembers who owns it
Newshub: MediaWorks and QMS confirm merger details
BusinessDesk: QMS to pocket $35m in merger with MediaWorks

Tourism
TVNZ: Q+A investigates: Is over-tourism in Aotearoa causing locals to be ‘crowded out?’
Annabelle Tukia (Newshub): Tourism New Zealand rolls out instructional video for freedom campers

Police
David Fisher (Herald): Inquiry finds police failures during investigation into teacher’s relationship with former student, 13
1News: IPCA finds flaws in Police’s handling of inappropriate student-teacher relationship case

Justice, name suppression
Chelsea Boyle (Herald): Police warning to social media users on Millane accused: Breaching court ordered name suppression is against the law
Scott Palmer (Newshub): Grace Millane murder-accused ‘innocent until proven guilty’ – law expert
Jamie Ensor (Stuff): Grace Millane: PM Jacinda Ardern won’t support Millane’s alleged killer being granted secrecy
Scott Palmer (Newshub): Victims’ advocate slams Grace Millane case name suppression

PM on death of Grace Millane
RNZ: Domestic violence: ‘There’s a huge amount of work that needs to be done’ – PM
Catrin Owen (Stuff): Grace Millane: PM Jacinda Ardern apologises on behalf of New Zealand for death
1News: Watch: Jacinda Ardern fights back tears as she apologises to family of Grace Millane on behalf of NZ – ‘overwhelming sense of hurt and shame’
Sophie Bateman (Newshub): Watch: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern chokes up while apologising to Grace Millane’s family
Derek Cheng (Herald): PM Jacinda Ardern chokes up about Grace Millane death: ‘On behalf of all NZers, I’m sorry’
Herald: PM addresses media following Cabinet meeting
RNZ: PM apologises to family of dead British backpacker Grace Millane

Other
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Recruitment bill skyrockets at Maxwell’s commission
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): 600,000 questions about this Whānau Ora payout
1News: Tax expert warns of ‘teething issues’ as IRD face major changes affecting thousands of Kiwis
David Farrar: Simmons wins easily
RNZ: Ngāpuhi lawyer says govt was warned mandate would not fly
TVNZ: The Story with John Campbell: The Pride Divide
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): How a poor credit score can cost you thousands
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): Kiwis unsure how much to save for retirement – survey
RNZ: Tahiti keen on business ties with NZ’s Tainui
Eva Corlett (RNZ): Migrant women’s refuge struggling to stay afloat
John Jones (Gisborne Herald): Cannabis battle lines being drawn
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Feeling rich? Kiwis’ household assets hit $1.5 trillion
BusinessDesk: Is this the calm before a storm of credit card thrashing?
1News: Sir John Key defends ANZ’s $2b profit, regional branch closures
RNZ: Failed construction company Corbel owes $4.5m
RNZ: Firefighters extinguish blaze at Callaghan Innovation
1News: Watch: Take a sneak peek at Wellington’s earthquake-proof Transmission Gully roading project

MIL OSI – Source: Evening Report Arts and Media

December 10, 2018

Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – December 10 2018

Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – December 10 2018

Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.

Education
Liz Gordon (Daily Blog): Yesterday’s schools
Simon Collins (Herald): ‘Stalinist’ or ‘exciting’: Battle begins over radical school reforms
John Minto (Daily Blog): A breath of fresh spring air shows the way out of a dark age in education
John Boynton (RNZ): Māori education: ‘We certainly have got a lot of work to do’
Katarina Williams and Piers Fuller (Stuff): Review poses ‘very big question marks’ over intermediate schools’ place in education
CPAG: Tomorrow’s Schools Taskforce provides “bold, brave blueprint For radical change”
Katie Kenny and Josephine Franks (Stuff): School v school: Principals push back against proposals to neuter competition
Zane Small (Newshub): ‘Disempowering parents’: Mixed reactions to education shake-up
Mānia Clarke (Māori TV): Wharekura principal critical of education review
Simon Collins (Herald): Big schools vow to resist ‘Stalinist’ school bureaucracy
RNZ: Headmaster slams radical proposals for schools
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Simon Bridges wants input into NCEA review
David Farrar: Govt taskforce proposes stripping school boards of all meaningful roles
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Taskforce suggests huge school reform
Derek Cheng (Herald): Tomorrow’s Schools Review: All you need to know about the proposed education shake-up
Simon Collins (Herald): Biggest education shake-up in 30 years proposed
Adele Redmond (Stuff): What is an Education Hub? Unpicking the new vision for NZ’s school system
Zane Small (Newshub): Education overhaul recommended, as New Zealand schools found to be ‘slipping’
RNZ: Government-appointed taskforce calls for transformation of NZ’s school system
Adele Redmond (Stuff): Radical schools report recommends stripping boards of trustees’ powers
Laura Walters (Newsroom): Education hubs could take over most school governance
1News: Simon Bridges says it would be ‘a shame to lose’ religious instruction in state schools
John-MIchael Swannix (Newshub): In The Zone: Terrance Wallace takes Auckland school zone project home to Chicago
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Fee-free policy having little impact on school-leavers’ decisions
Bruce Munro (ODT): The lore of the man
RNZ: NZ’s richest man donates $10m for South Auckland dental school
Stuff: Graeme Hart gives University of Otago $10 million for new dental school
Isaac Davison (Herald): Rich-listers get their wallets out for research
Siouxsie Wiles (Stuff): Funding research is disheartening
Cate Broughton (Stuff): Joint Lincoln facility delay ‘disappointing’: Hipkins
ODT Editorial: Scarfie culture change deserves praise

Child poverty
Belinda Feek (Herald): One in five Kiwi kids still live without access to food: report
Katie Doyle (RNZ): Child poverty: 100,000 children ‘doing it really tough’
Tom Hunt (Stuff): More than 160,000 Kiwi kids don’t get enough good food
CPAG: CPM 2018: Inadequate incomes and high cost housing to blame for rise in food poverty

School sport
Steve Kilgallon (Stuff): Why our school sport system is completely broken
Dominion Post Editorial: Rugby ‘poaching’ highlights clash of cultures
Anendra Singh (Herald): Opinion: Auckland principals guilty of bullying in bid to boycott St Kents, King’s College 1st XVs
Kerre McIvor (Herald): Why not use your rugby skills for a better future?

National Party
Jason Walls (Herald): Opposition leader Simon Bridges is not worried about the latest National Party leak
Dan Satherley (Newshub): I’m not ‘dud jockey’, says Simon Bridges
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): National’s dilemma – can someone do better than Bridges?
Richard Harman (Politik): Bridges: more than barking
Jason Walls (Herald): Documents detailing National Party’s policy interests have been leaked
Bryce Edwards (Herald): Political Roundup: Simon Bridges’ leadership still being undermined
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): I was wrong about Judith Collins – what the latest leak really says about the factions inside National
Audrey Young (Herald): Can National’s strong performance survive the strong death-wish for Bridges?
Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Heat taken out of dreaded barbecue season for National
Steve Braunias (Herald): Secret Diary of Simon Bridges
1News: Sir John Key confident after National’s ‘phenomenally good’ party polling and backs Simon Bridges as leader
Pete George: Media intent on popularity politics dump on Bridges

Government
Jo Moir (RNZ): Government ministers’ meetings to be made public from next year
Stuff: Government to release ministerial diaries from January
No Right Turn: A victory for transparency
RNZ: Is Labour wasting money on working parties and govt reviews?
Herald Editorial: Inquiries can be a substitute for action
Phil Taylor (Stuff): Government spending $700,000 a day on inquiries, Opposition claims
Point of Order: Ministerial appointments monitor – jobs for the boys (and jobs for the girls, too)

Parliament
Kirsty Johnston (Herald): Maggie Barry whistle-blower threatened with legal action, as more bullying alleged
RNZ: Doubts over Speaker’s impartiality need to be sorted quickly – Borrows
Peter Wilson (RNZ): Week in politics: National’s woes continue, tensions in chamber
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Herald): Mallard, the Ardern protector
Richard Griffin (Stuff): Political clichés as relevant now as ever
Guy Williams (Stuff): John Key, Jacinda Ardern: Before they led the country they did awkward spots on comedy shows
1News: New mum Julie Anne Genter says being a parent is ‘hardest job I’ve done’ as she returns to Parliament
Carly Gibbs (Herald): Former MP Tony Ryall on life after politics

Housing
Anne Gibson (Herald): KiwiBuild chief gone after just five months: Barclay leaves top role
Stuff: KiwiBuild chief executive Stephen Barclay has resigned
Pete George: Q+A: Phil Twyford “not my job to know” why KiwiBuild CEO not working
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): They’re lining up to slam KiwiBuild
Newshub: National wants answers on KiwiBuild boss departure
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): KiwiBuild problems ‘more than just teething issues’
Emily Cooper (1News): Housing Minister Phil Twyford calls National’s claims it could do more housing ‘laughable’
Henry Cooke (Stuff): KiwiBuild comes to Wellington with six-storey apartment block in Mt Cook
1News: Wellington’s first KiwiBuild homes to be constructed next year
Tom Rowland (Herald): Hamilton councillor calls dream of owning home impossible
Katy Jones (Stuff): Rental squeeze sees rising numbers of man’s best friends kicked to the kerb
Tracy Neal (RNZ): Nelson people team up to tackle housing problem
Josh Walton (ODT): Housing for workers a perennial problem
Liz Craig (Southland Times): Accelerating action on housing
Newshub: Healthy homes site proves a hit
Isaac Davison (Herald): ‘The best deal in town’ – New installation House of Cars encourages landlords to house rough sleepers
David Chaston (Interest): Loading up on housing debt?
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Ring-fencing rental losses to cost property investors $190m a year
Sam Farrell (Newshub): Petone’s ‘Bronx’ in line for an upgrade after gruesome decapitation

NZ’s political culture
Debrin Foxcroft (Stuff): The French are rioting, but they have it better than Kiwis
Gia Garrick (RNZ): Secret recording ‘comes down to the harsh reality of humanity’
Andrew Gunn (Stuff): The most egregious calamity of our time’

2018 in review
Martin van Beynen (Stuff): 2018 – the year of quiet revolution
David Slack (Stuff): What lessons have we learned this year? Take my 2018 year end quiz and find out
Herald: New Zealander of the Year 2018: People’s Choice Award
Newshub: Quote of the Year: Simon Bridges hits the lead
The Spinoff: Alternative Quote of the Year 2018

Mental health
Emma Russell (Herald): Over 200 suspected suicides associated with DHB failings
RNZ: Nicky Stevens’ parents push for apology after coroner finds deficiencies in care
Phillipa Yalden (Stuff): Family seek apology from DHB after damning report finds son’s death was ‘avoidable’
Libby Wilson (Stuff): No option but to do something about Waikato mental health inpatient unit, DHB says
Rob Stock (Stuff): Financial impact of mental health on individuals, and the country
Hinemoa Elder (Stuff): Māori suicides are on the rise, but no one wants to pay attention to the evidence
Lizzie Marvelly (Herald): Mental health report a huge wake-up call
Indira Stewart (RNZ): Together Alone: New Zealand’s silent Pasifika mental health crisis

Health and disability
Lucy Bennett (Herald): Kiwis support medicinal cannabis for many conditions: Poll
Damien Venuto (Herald): Kiwis want cannabis law to go further – study
Natalie Akoorie (Herald): Kiwi with disease cannot get treatment, doctors say she’s faking her symptoms
Natalie Akoorie (Herald): NZ woman’s ‘life at stake’ in medical diagnosis row, accused of faking her symptoms
Jake McKee Cagney (Stuff): Hauraki District Council exploring public smoking ban
Te Kuru o te Marama Dewes (Māori TV): Kaiti School students transform community space to smoke-free zone
Hannah Martin (Stuff): More than 600 people injured while in New Zealand hospitals this year
Herald: Starship children’s hospital in Auckland receives $9m in largest ever donation
Sam Hurley (Herald): Proposed law change forcing doctors to dob in unfit drivers could breach patient confidentiality
Vaimoana Tapaleao (Herald): Nurse burned by boiling water thrown by patient calls for better safety measures for nurses
Emma Blackett (Stuff): Midwives pushing for better conditions, but too busy to strike
Brad Flahive (Stuff): New Zealand’s premature babies have better chance to survive and thrive, study shows
Julie Iles (Stuff): HeartKids celebrates 30 years in the capital with a picnic at Government House
Cate Broughton (Stuff): Mesh destroys ‘intimacy in marriage’ but Kiwi victim cannot sue
David Loughrey (ODT): Services sooner with split build
Tim Brown (RNZ): Poor condition of Dunedin Hospital means fast-tracked rebuild
Stuff: Concern over Dunedin Hospital’s condition leads to rebuild fast-track
1News: Section of new Dunedin Hospital fast tracked, current state won’t ‘last the distance’
RNZ: Pool safety laws too lax – doctor
Stacey Kirk (Stuff): Disability and support sector at funding breaking point ‘waiting on a tragedy’
RNZ: Supporting disabled costs far more than government pays – group
Ruby Macandrew (Stuff): After 20 years of needing help, Wellington man in line for ‘life-changing’ robotic arm

Environment and conservation
Andy Fyers (Stuff): New Zealand’s out-sized climate change contribution
Gen Toop (Stuff): Banning New Zealand’s hidden climate killer – synthetic nitrogen fertiliser
Vincent Heeringa (Idealog): Climate change has a PR problem. How can we get people to care more about what’s at stake?
Chris Bramwell (RNZ): National accuses Shane Jones of misleading benefits of billion trees programme
Paul Gorman (Stuff): Flood-prone South Dunedin’s future depends on science not propaganda
AP: ‘For every electric vehicle …we import 24 Ford Rangers’: Car fumes NZ’s top emissions problem
Rob Stock (Stuff): Use less carbon and be happier, healthier and wealthier
Paul Harrison (Herald): Businesses must act as globe warms
Andrew Booth (Stuff): How long will we keep kicking the can on climate change?
Jacob Anderston (Herald): Five ways you can help save our oceans
Jamie Morton (Herald): How we’re eating the plastic we put in the ocean
Kate Gudsell (RNZ): US water scientist shocked by NZ’s water quality
Faith Hancock (Nerwsroom): Avocado growers in Environment Court water fight
Michael Neilson and Jamie Morton (Herald): 1080 madness: DoC ranger slept with gun under his bed
RNZ: Mining company fined $60k for diesel leak in Waikato
RNZ: Removal of remaining Te Mata Peak track to cost $200,000
Amber-Leigh Woolf (Stuff): ‘No doubt’ that NZ’s recycling is ending up in illegal dumping sites overseas
Ruby Macandrew and Amber Leigh-Woolf (Stuff): Soft plastic recycling scheme rejected by ‘handful’ of Kiwi supermarkets
Tom Kay (Stuff):Protecting nature offers big opportunities for Wellington
Libby Wilson (Stuff): Stoat kills seven native seabird chicks almost ready to fledge
Mark Quinlivan (Stuff): Outrage as endangered little blue penguin hit and killed by car in Timaru
Katie Fitzgerald (Newshub): Little penguin allegedly run over in front of children in Timaru
RNZ: Penguin death sparks petition for road speed reduction
1News: DOC criticised over euthanising eight pygmy whales stranded in Far North

Employment
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Workplaces across New Zealand ask job applicants for their mental health details
RNZ:Job applicants face mental health discrimination – Greens
Joel Ineson (Stuff): Cerebral palsy never stopped Blair Nevin working, but a MSD funding cut might
Liam Dann (Herald): Strike action on the rise as power balance shifts – is Labour to blame?
Katie Todd (RNZ): A hub to match job seekers with employers in Ashburton
Donal Curtin: In their prime

CEOs
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Bosses making bank: Over-sized pay, or fair for a big job?
MIke Taylor (Stuff): The $2m Club: What fund managers think of CEO pay
Andy Fyers (Stuff): NZ chief executives are generally paid less than for similar roles overseas
Matt Brown (Stuff): The money of power: Marlborough Lines boss gets six-year back pay with hefty pay rise

Foreign Affairs
Laura Walters (Newsroom): China-funded centres, and academic freedom concerns
RNZ: PM to ask minister to follow up on professor’s case
Mark Jennings (Newsroom): Don’t be scared to stand up to China
Ben Strang (RNZ): Andrew Little to raise NZ citizens’ concerns over treatment in Australia at talks
Zane Small (Newshub): Andrew Little responds to Australia passing anti-encryption law
RNZ: Simon Bridges on UN migration pact: We already have ‘good, if not excellent’ immigration policy
Gia Garrick (RNZ): Sovereignty concerns shroud NZ’s bid to sign UN migration pact
Sam Bookman (Spinoff): Simon Bridges needs to stop pandering to the alt-right on the Global Compact
Simon Draper (Stuff): South Korea is a friend, and we need friends
RNZ: NZ could fund repairs to new Cooks water supply system

Huawei
Fran O’Sullivan (Herald): NZ won’t escape fallout from Huawei affair
RNZ: Huawei welcome to bid for 5G in Samoa – regulator

Anglican Church apology for betrayal over Māori land
Loyd Ashton (E-Tangata): With heads hung low
Alistair Reese (E-Tangata): A betrayal of trust
Tom O’Connor (Waikato Times): Sorry seems to be the hardest word

Waitara Lands Bill
Christina Persico (Stuff): Waitara Lands Bill approved for third reading at Parliament
Robin Martin (RNZ): Leaseholders and hapū oppose Waitara Lands Bill

Whānau Ora
Lucy Bennett (Herald): Whānau Ora Minister Peeni Henare considers removing incentive payment clauses
Lucy Bennett (Herald): Questions over $600,000 surplus paid by Whānau Ora to shareholder
RNZ: Whānau Ora Minister Peeni Henare hopes $600k payout will bolster services

GDP, tax
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): 115,000 Kiwis to get tax bill for first time
Tom McKinlay (ODT): Making it count
Tom McKinlay (ODT): Measuring the market: spoiling the planet
Rob Stock (Stuff): Marilyn Waring: Women’s work still ignored

Abortion
Dal Dalgety (RNZ): Abortion protesters: ‘We will not be silent’
Ruby Macandrew (Stuff): Hundreds of pro-life advocates take to Wellington’s streets in opposition of abortion reform
Giles Dexter (Newshub): Sir Bill English joins anti-abortion activists in march through Wellington
1News: Hundreds march to Parliament in rally against abortion

Auckland Pride, gender, sex
Melanie Earley and Mandy Te (Stuff): ‘Repoliticising’ Auckland Pride: Moving forward after police uniform ban
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Pride Parade decision huge win for Pure Temple Exclusion over Broad Church Inclusion
Stuff: Damien Grant v Alison Mau: Gender agendas and faux outrage

Jan Antolic/Karel Sroubek residency case
Lucy Bennett (Herald): Drug smuggler Karel Sroubek received $18,000 legal aid but paid it back
Derek Cheng (Herald): National MP to lay privileges complaint against Winston Peters

Justice
Eugene Bingham and Paula Penfold (Stuff): The curse of injustice and what it does to people
Philippa Tolley (RNZ): Insight: Battling to turn around the lives of young criminals
Jason Walls (Herald): Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis hits back at claims made by Brian Tamaki at Parliament
Sam Hurley (Herald): Gender pay gap working group part of Government’s offer to striking Ministry of Justice staff
ODT Editorial: Change needed to curb violence
Hamish McNeilly (Stuff):The Xmas trees, the Maori Santa and the ex-cons bringing goodwill to Dunedin
Mere McLean (Māori TV): Rotorua rehabilitation programme prepares for graduation this month

Police
Dave Macpherson (Daily Blog): Bad call by Govt to scrap mental health training for cops
RNZ: Police ‘wonderful at calming’ the mentally ill and distressed
Northern Advocate: Dargaville, Wellsford police station hours talk is ‘spin’, Northland MP says

Transport
RNZ: Checkpoint: NZTA inspectors tried to warn of non-compliance issues
Mike O’Donnell (Stuff): Scooters and bikes are the thin edge of a carless wedge, if history is correct

Air NZ strike
RNZ: Air NZ, unions begin urgent talks as strike looms
Grant Bradley (Herald): Comment: Damage already from Air New Zealand stoush with engineers
Southland Times Editorial: Fight or flight? A question to appal Christmas travellers
Herald Editorial: Spirit of Xmas absent in Air NZ staff’s strike
Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Public sympathy for strikes may be undermined if Christmas is disrupted
Lucy Bennett (Herald): PM Jacinda Ardern concerned at strike action for Air NZ
1News: Air New Zealand workers’ strike days before Christmas would be a ‘real tragedy’ for passengers – Sir John Key
Herald: Air NZ engineers to strike just before Christmas, thousands of passengers affected
Herald: Union hits back at Air New Zealand over ‘misleading information’
RNZ: Air NZ strike could affect thousands