Today’s content

2021 reviews, 2022 predictions, Parliament, parties
Luke Malpass (Stuff):  ’Tis the season for crystal ball-gazing: here are the political issues to watch in 2022
Stuff:  The best and the rest: Stuff’s politician of the year and other political awards for 2021
Claire Trevett (Herald):  The award goes to … the Politician, Minister and Opposition MPs of the year (paywalled)
Magic: Who are the best and worst in politics this year? Peter Dunne shares his answers
Martyn Bradbury (Waatea News): Māori MP of the Year
Justin Giovannetti (Spinoff): The news that will matter in 2022
Liam Dann (Herald): Yippee-ki-yay, it’s a Die Hard Christmas (paywalled)
Fran O’Sullivan (Herald): If Labour thought 2021 was tough… (paywalled)
Martyn Brabury (Daily Blog): 2021 – The Year a Bat won Bird of the Year & why being Left wing was so hard
Morgan Godfery (Guardian): From Covid-free to Delta and back: New Zealand’s year of living (almost) normally
Bruce Cotterill (Herald):  Here’s to 2022 — let’s make it a better year (paywalled)
Janet Wilson (Stuff): Just like soldiers in WWI, it’s time for a truce and a thanks
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Herald):  Nothing has turned out as bad as predicted (paywalled)
Steve Braunias (Herald):  The Secret Diary of . . . Xmas songs
Public Address: Word of the Year 2021: Covidiot
Victor Billot (Newsroom): An Ode for .. 2021
Bruce Cotterill (Herald):  Here’s to 2022 — let’s make it a better year (paywalled)
RNZ: Focus on Politics: An end-of-year chat with the minor party leaders
Peter Wilson (RNZ): The Week in Politics: ‘Outrageous’ spending and traffic light settings
Phil Smith (RNZ): The House: ‘I wish you a wonderful break. You bloody deserve it!’
Bridie Witton (Stuff):  Ayesha Verrall: Rookie politician’s big year of policy
Carolyne Meng-Yee (Herald): Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford wedding: Billionaire’s homestead venue, Lorde to sing
Claire Trevett (Herald): Christopher and Amanda Luxon on life as leader, what lies ahead – and Luxon’s bad habits (paywalled)
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Luxon reflects on 2021 successes, failures and summer plans 
Bill Ralston (Listener/Herald):  Christopher Luxon’s timing was perfect both for him and National (paywalled)
Arielle Kauaeroa (Stuff): Member’s bill to increase accessibility to Māori electoral roll faces uphill battle
Herald: ‘Jessica, then Tova’: Jacinda Ardern grills reporters in ‘reverse press conference’ on The Hits with Jono and Ben
Taylor Rice (Herald):  A new right? Why Act can maintain a strong presence despite National’s rise (paywalled)

Govt management of Covid-19
Josh Van Veen (Democracy Project): Omicron could topple Jacinda Ardern
Derek Cheng (Herald): It looked liked Jacinda Ardern was shunning public health advice, but the opposite is true (paywalled)
Ian Taylor (Herald): Politicians and officials go on holiday at arguably the most dangerous time in this pandemic
Alida Shanks (Stuff): Move the focus from conflict to what brings us together
Michael Hanne (Newsroom): Comparing Covid: How New Zealand stacks up
RNZ: Prof Peter McIntyre: refocusing Covid-19 vaccine strategies
Herald: Republican Arizona Senator Wendy Rogers trolled after saying Kiwis are emailing her about Jacinda Ardern and Covid camps

Omicron
John Anthony (Stuff): Ministry of Health assessing border settings in light of Omicron
Michael Daly (Stuff): How long can MIQ keep Omicron out of New Zealand?
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Call for tighter borders
Alice Wilkins (RNZ): Michael Baker wants to delay reopening New Zealand’s border in bid to keep Omicron out
Brittney Deguara (Stuff): Experts warn there could be an ‘explosion’ of Omicron cases in MIQ as variant spreads
RNZ: Summer Omicron outbreak would mirror NSW’s huge jump in community cases – expert
Jo Lines-MacKenzie (Stuff): ‘Each day there’s a better understanding’ – Health Minister eyes Omicron
Vaimoana Tapaleao and Lynley Ward (Herald): Ministers to discuss new strategies in fight against Omicron
John Weekes (Herald): Omicron on collision course with summer as document dump shows holiday challenges, Asian Bubble talk
Herald Editorial: Variant could be first political stress test for National’s new leader (paywalled)
Stuff Editorial: The Covid-19 sequel is worse than the original 
Herald Editorial: The critical information policy makers need about Omicron (paywalled)
Michael Neilson (Herald): Dr Ashley Bloomfield says ‘mixed strategy’ dealing with new variant
Ethan Te Ora (Stuff): Omicron in the community would be a ‘game-changer’ for Christmas plans
Alice Bracwell-Worrall (Newshub): Close contacts of NZ’s first Omicron cases stunned high-risk travellers put on their MIQ floor, have stay extended
Nicole Bremner (1 News): Omicron not a concern while in MIQ – Baker
Herald: Everything you need to know about the new variant
RNZ: Prof Gary McLean on rise and (eventual) fall of Omicron
Siouxsie Wiles (Spinoff): The worrying rise of omicron

Border, MIQ
Miriam Burrell (Herald): MIQ cracks revealed as experts urge tighter control with rising numbers of new variant
RNZ: Returnees owe $36m in overdue MIQ fees
Nicholas Jones (Herald): Revealed: Why critical healthcare workers couldn’t get into NZ
Amelia Wade (Newshub): Nearly half of self-isolation pilot spots went to waste, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern initially unaware James Shaw got one
Katie Harris (Herald): Man visiting dying father stuck in MIQ longer due to being on same floor as Omicron case
Benn Bathgate (Stuff): Omicron at Rotorua Ibis keeping son from father with brain tumour
Steve Kilgallon (Stuff): Immigration says sorry, and welcome back – but won’t let her into NZ
Andrew Macfarlane (1 News): Kiwis in Australia call for clarity on border reopening
Nadine Porter (Stuff): Trans-Tasman travellers fearful border reopening plans will be canned

Covid-19 outbreak
Michael Morrah (Newshub): 732 people infected with COVID-19 made to wait more than a day for a medical assessment
Sahiban Hyde (Hawkes Bay Today/Herald): 15,000 cases predicted for Hawke’s Bay in 2022
Jake McKee (RNZ): Māori and Pacific over-represented in NRHCC hospitalisation figures in Delta outbreak
Moana Ellis  (Local Democracy Reporting): Māori urged to ‘take action and work together’ to combat increased Covid risk
RNZ: Claustrophic housing puts Queenstown hospitality sector at risk of Covid-19 outbreak
—————
RNZ: Child is youngest person with Covid-19 to die in NZ – MoH data
Herald: Young child who died was unknowingly infected
Matt Burrows (Newshub): Young boy who died with COVID-19 was not a known case prior to his death
1 News: Child under 10 tested positive for Covid-19 ‘post-death’ – MOH
Jonathan Guildford (Stuff): Asymptomatic Covid-19 case went to Christchurch Hospital’s ED to be treated for injury

Health
Jane Patterson (RNZ): ICU capacity: ‘This is where the rubber hits the road’
Katie Harris (Herald): Wellington doctor claims hospital already pushed to limit
Kate Nicol-Williams (1 News): Emergency departments urge Kiwis to stay safe over summer
RNZ: Rural hospitals ‘largely left out’ of $100m pandemic funding
Ian Powell (Second Opinion): The madness of health system restructuring in a pandemic
Libby Wilson (Stuff): Radiology staffer’s ‘considerable’ overtime prompted limits at Waikato DHB
Damien Grant (Stuff): No smoking, but the Government trusts us with cheese?
The Economist (Stuff): Plan to outlaw smoking for the next generation is misguided
Torika Tokalau (Stuff): Pacific organisations call for ‘village approach’ to help save Pasifika babies 
Sammy Carter (Herald): Fears buy now, pay later for alcohol could create ‘generation of juice junkies’ (paywalled)
Leanne Warr (Hawkes Bay Today/Herald): Son’s death inspires Dannevirke parents to fight for more information (paywalled)
Matthew Tso (Stuff): Privacy breach at Hutt Hospital as clinician leaves patient info on street
Esther Ashby-Coventry (Stuff): Health literacy plan to help public navigate medical information

Vaccine rollout
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Schools asked to help with vaccinations for under-12s
RNZ: Ngāti Hine Health trust calls for school vaccination day
RNZ: Health experts call on government to roll out children’s vaccine ASAP and prioritise tamariki Māori
Herald: Prioritise tamariki Māori in children’s Covid vaccine rollout – health experts
Amy Williams (RNZ): Doctors ready for speedy booster roll-out ahead of Cabinet decision
Ellen O’Dwyer (Stuff): Decision on booster gap ‘matter of urgency’, immunologist says
Tony Wall (Stuff): Tūhoe organisation accused of failing to counter Covid-19 vaccine lies
Northern Advocate (Herald): Non-Māori biggest obstacle to Northland reaching 90% vax target, figures show (paywalled)
Peter de Graaf (Herald): Finding the missing 3300: How to lift Northland’s vax rate to 90 per cent (paywalled)
1 News: Disease expert says Covid boosters will be way of life
RNZ: Eight million vaccine doses administered
Herald: New Zealand administers its eight millionth dose of the Covid-19 vaccine
Samantha Gee (RNZ): West Coast less than 1500 vaccinations away from 90 percent target
Kristin Hall (1 News): Health providers urged to warn of rare Covid vaccine side effects
Cecile Meier (Stuff): ‘I feel absolutely worthless’: Chronic fatigue sufferers can’t get Covid-19 vaccine exemption despite expert support
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Vaccine-linked death prompts reminder letter from Ministry of Health to doctors – report
Herald: Expert urges people to get help if needed after autopsy links Dunedin death to jab
Olivia Caldwell (Stuff): Coroner investigating after autopsy links Dunedin man’s death to ‘very rare’ side effect of Pfizer vaccine
ODT: Dunedin man’s death linked to vaccine
Benn Bathgate (Stuff): Platform Advertising revealed as comms provider behind ‘dark ages’ Covid cartoons

Vaccine mandate
Keith Lynch (Stuff): The “pro-choice” argument against vaccines, explained
Nick James (Herald): Police called to Wellington Airport after verbal confrontation over masks
Ruth Hill (RNZ): Domestic airline passengers call for consistent policing of vaccine passes, mask use
Dan Lake (Newshub): Police step in as ‘tense’ confrontation over face masks breaks out at Wellington Airport
Emma Hatton (RNZ): Concerns raised about having to share public transport with unvaccinated people
Lucy Anderson (1 News): Man with mask exemption denied entry into SkyCity
RNZ: Human Rights Commissioner met with Brian Tamaki ahead of anti-vaccine mandate protest
Craig Kapitan (Herald): Destiny’s Brian Tamaki appeals bail restrictions
Sapeer Mayron (Stuff): Destiny Church charities back under the microscope of Government watchdog
Chris Marriner (Herald): Anti-vax protesters ruin pupils’ final day at Birkdale Intermediate
RNZ: Doctor who quit over vaccine mandate continues to challenge Covid-19 guidance
Adam Burns (Local Democracy Reporting): Mid Canterbury GP challenges health officials Covid guidance
George Heagney (Stuff): Unvaccinated banned from tertiary campuses, but online study an option
Lee Kenny (Stuff): Vaccine passes likely needed for hundreds of thousands of tertiary students
Chloe Blommerde (Stuff): ‘We don’t want to be the grinch’: No to vax pass mandates at Matamata-Piako facilites
Herald: Fonterra staff may soon need to be vaccinated
Herald: Ashburton intermediate defends vaccine pass for school camp
Qiuyi Tan (Herald): Auckland no-vax gym seeing new members, say owners
Whanganui Chronicle (Herald): Ruapehu businesses not complying with Covid 19 rules will be referred to police, council says (paywalled)

Auckland border, testing, summer travel
Ellen O’Dwyer (Stuff): Covid-19 PCR saliva test as accurate as nasal swabs, New Zealand study confirms
Wiliam Hewett (Newshub): Police pleased with ‘extremely high’ level of compliance at Northland checkpoints
Imran Ali (Herald): Police checkpoints in North to become mobile with spot checks
Edward O’Driscoll (Newshub): Aucklanders make break for Northland ahead of Christmas, but iwi worried COVID peak yet to arrive
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Heading away for Christmas? Here are the COVID restrictions for each region
Steve Maharey (Stuff): Why we should be rolling out the welcome mat to double vaxxed Aucklanders 

Economy, business, govt subsidies
Brian Easton (Pundit): Where Is Fiscal And Monetary Policy Going?
RNZ: Business confidence on slight decline heading into 2022 – report
ODT: Southland ranked as ‘most pessimistic’ region
Kate MacNamara (Herald): Jobs for Nature creates just one tenth of promised jobs to date (paywalled)
RNZ: Commerce Commission to investigate variety of residential building issues
Michelle Cooke (RNZ): What I really want for Christmas: Kirk Hope
Michael Donaldson (Stuff): Hospitality in crisis: How can we save our bars and restaurants?
Olivia Caldwell (Stuff): Underwhelming summer visitor numbers forecast for South Island hotspots
1 News: Retailers call for people to ‘shop nice’ this Christmas
George Clark (Herald): Retail NZ calls on Kiwis to ‘Shop Nice’ in light of increasing levels of abuse
Dileepa Fonseka (Stuff): The ‘over it’ economy kicks in as the country sits at traffic lights
Richard Meade (Spinoff): As omicron lurks, hard-hit businesses need a new kind of support

Local government
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Sprawling governing bodies to allow all councils say in Three Waters corporations
Matthew Tso (Stuff):  Living wage policy not reflected in rates for council contractor’s workers
Felix Desmarais (Local Democracy Reporting): Can money be made from human poo? A council’s spent millions trying
Jimmy Ellingham (RNZ): Palmerston North council eyes bowling greens for housing
Anna Fifield (Stuff): Reimagining Wellington: What could we achieve with ambition and bold leadership?
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Most of us want a greener, more sustainable Wellington – but it has to be liveable
Cherie Sivignon (Stuff): ‘Nothing was in scope’ with Waimea dam investigation 
Felix Desmarais (Local Democracy Reporting): Can money be made from human poo? A council spent millions trying
Lois Williams (Local Democracy Reporting): West Coast district plan goes out for first look with apology for complex language
Adam Burns (Local Democracy Reporting): Revenue of $16m for Ashburton District Council – annual report forecasts
Steven Walton (Stuff): Council proposes reducing budget due to supply chain issues, cost escalation
Kiri Gillespie (Herald): Inside Tauranga City Council’s toxic sealed-off floor: Mould, mushrooms and Christmas (paywalled)
Laurel Stowell (Herald): Hard look at Anzac Pde flood remedies for Whanganui (paywalled)
Laura Mills (Local Democracy Reporting): Franz Josef floodwalls have 20 years left
John Lewis (ODT): Vandervis criticises city’s police
RNZ: Upper Hutt council to stick with decision to not require vaccine passes for its facilities
ODT: Invercargill City Council funding transferred for fostering activity

Abuse in care, Lake Alice
Daisy Hudson (ODT): The long road to facing up to country’s dark past
ODT Editorial: Abuse redress overdue
Aaron Smale (Stuff): The truth about Lake Alice: Justice delayed is justice denied

Pike River
Conan Young (RNZ): Remains of up to three more men have been located within Pike River Mine, police say
Jamie Ensor and Leighton Heikell (Newshub): Pike River Mine: Further human remains have been discovered
Cherie Howie (Herald): Evidence of further human remains found in mine where 29 men died
1 News: Pike River mum ‘unashamedly cried’ after human remains found
1 News: More human remains found in Pike River mine

Transport
Emma Hatton (RNZ): Transport Accident Investigation Commission spending more on inquiries but completing fewer
Grady Connell (Newshub): Urgent calls for long-distance passenger services to stay as KiwiRail cuts operations
Sam Brooks (Spinoff): Alert: There is no airport bus service in Auckland or Wellington
Hawkes Bay Today/Herald: Napier and Hastings MPs: Lowering the speed limit won’t solve SH5 problem (paywalled)
Kate Nicol-Williams (1 News): Interislander preparing for new ship’s first voyage
Luke Kirkeby (Stuff): Plane crash reveals emergency response shortfalls

Environment, conservation, Climate Change
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Climate Commission investigating subsidies for farmers
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Officials warn New Zealand will fail clean car pledge if bold new policies not agreed to (paywalled)
Eloise Gibson (Stuff): Public sector’s carbon footprint remains a mystery, despite 2025 target
Samantha Gee (RNZ): Appeal for information after kea shooting
Joel MacManus (Stuff): Reimagining Wellington: Bringing the capital’s streams back to life and light 
David Turner (Stuff): We need sustainable cities our grandchildren will want to inherit

Education, Science
Thomas Mead (1 News): Education Minister suggests ‘external review’ at Teaching Council
Dubby Henry (Herald): School air purifier order ‘progressing’, CO2 monitors on way
Laura Hooper (Stuff): Engineering academy extension to address Southern industry shortages
Amanda Cropp (Stuff): Fears the vaccine mandate for school bus drivers and low pay will worsen the driver shortage, leaving some students without transport next year 
Why evolution is true: The “teach Maori other ways of knowing in science class” fracas continues; Richard Dawkins weighs in
Siouxsie Wiles (Stuff): Academics: Use your mana to aid colleagues, not fight them
Morgan Godfery (Stuff): It took science for Polynesians to settle the corners of the vast Pacific

Housing
Steven Cowan (Against the current): Crisis? What crisis?
Brian Gaynor (BusinessDesk): Heavy is the head 2022’s house prices rely upon (paywalled)
Joanna Davis (Stuff): These are New Zealand’s most expensive streets – and the cheapest
Andrew King (Stuff): Instead of demonising property investors, we should be making it easier for them
Mary Holm (Herald):  Facing the challenges of a landlord’s life (paywalled)
Geraden Cann (Stuff): Mega landlord who bought 20 homes in a year says those days are over
Mikaela Wilkes (Stuff): What the cheapest house in NZ sold for
Lane Nichols (Herald): Ex skinhead ‘white supremacist’ in state house terrorising Christchurch neighbours

Immigration
Barbara Dreaver (1 News): Research shows devastating effects overstayers face
Gill Bonnett (RNZ): Family’s change in fortunes after sharing story of job loss and visa woes

Police, Justice, corrections
Matt Burrows (Newshub): Police, IPCA agree to start regarding people who complain of mistreatment by officers as victims
Anna Leask (Herald): Christchurch terror attack: Taxpayers foot $392K legal bill for man behind mosque massacre
Christine McCarthy (Newsroom): The long road to humanising youth justice

Media
Russell Brown (Listener/Herald): Media monster: The plan to radically transform public TV and radio in New Zealand (paywalled)
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Stuff rejoins Nielsen rankings in top media position

Other
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Oranga Tamariki underspends by $4m on support for child victims of sexual violence
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Oranga Tamariki slashes size of leadership team
Tom Hunt (Stuff): Non-disclosure exit payouts rife in public service, researcher finds
1 News: Construction workers at high risk of suicide, research shows
Katie Stevenson (1 News): Long-awaited Te Pae Convention Centre opens in Christchurch
RNZ: Te Pae convention centre worth $475 million to open in Christchurch
Jenny Ruth (BusinessDesk): ‘The world according to Orr’: growing concern RBNZ losing institutional memory (paywalled)
RNZ: Reserve Bank rejects multiple claims over fake bank notes
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Norwegian terrorist’s manifesto, which inspired Christchurch killer, banned in New Zealand
Matt Nippert (Herald): Oslo terrorist manifesto, cited as ‘inspiration’ for Christchurch terrorist, banned
Sally Murphy (RNZ): Mānuka honey trademark bid: UK ruling ‘insulting to Māori and our culture’, says trust
Sally Rae (ODT): Water battle won, but ‘sour taste’ remains
John Roughan (Herald):  Why I am angry about Aotearoa (paywalled)
Tess McClure (Guardian): ‘A wave of joy’: babies born from world’s first HIV positive sperm bank