NZ Politics Daily – 14th January 2022

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Today’s content

Covid, MIQ, border
Matthew Hooton (Herald):  Govt’s sanguine stance on Omicron should have NZ worried (paywalled)
Adam Pearse (Herald): Officials predict when Auckland Omicron outbreak will happen
Herald: Omicron likely to enter Auckland community in weeks, warns top doctor
ODT Editorial: Be as prepared as possible for Covid’s return
John Braddock (World Socialists): New Zealand scientists express alarm over Omicron threat
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Employers circumspect on preparations for ‘the big sick’ 
RNZ: Study observes severe Covid-19 infections in children
RNZ: Covid-19 update: 28 new community cases in NZ, 13 in MIQ
Vita Molyneux (Herald): Six new cases in lower North Island, people urged to check locations of interest 
Ripu Bhatia (Stuff): Māori health leaders concerned for their community as Omicron threat looms
Maxine Jacobs (Stuff): ‘We outperformed the model’: Why the Covid-19 predictions for Māori haven’t come to pass
RNZ: Covid Tracer App technical issue delays exposure notification by a day for some
Melanie Earley (Stuff): Auckland festival-goers not notified they were at location of interest
Herald: New locations of interest – Auckland’s G.A.Y night club ‘high risk’
Ella Stewart (RNZ): Omicron part of everyday life, New Zealanders overseas say
Michael Burgess (Herald): Rugby league: Warriors hit hard as ‘about two thirds’ of squad test positive for Covid-19 in Queensland in recent weeks
Craig McCulloch (RNZ):  Cook Islands reopens border with vaccinated New Zealanders
Torika Tokalau (Stuff): First tourists fly to Rarotonga as travel bubble resumes after Delta outbreak
Georgia Forrester (Stuff): Can you catch two variants of Covid-19 at the same time?

Clarke Gayford testing controversy 
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Clarke Gayford and Jacinda Ardern close ranks on test controversy
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): PM tight-lipped on Clarke Gayford’s apology over rapid antigen tests
Anna Whyte (1 News): Ardern quiet on Gayford pharmacy claims, Seymour sees silver lining

Vaccine rollout, mandate, testing
Anneke Smith (RNZ): Not all health providers ready for paediatric Covid-19 vaccine rollout from 17 January
RNZ: Covid-19 vaccination for children: What you need to know
Hannah Martin (Stuff): Everything you need to know about vaccinations for under 12s
Joel MacManus (Stuff): Wellington’s councils taking inconsistent approaches to vaccine mandates
Megan Wilson (Herald): Why have Māori vaccination rates been slower? (paywalled)
Mike Houlihan (ODT): Good response to booster rollout in South
Matai O’Connor (RNZ): Capital and Coast DHB hits 90% double vaccinated for eligible Māori today
Sophie Trigger (Herald): Māori 90 per cent fully vaccinated in Wellington, first DHB to hit milestone
Michael Daly (Stuff): Repeated booster doses of the original vaccine unlikely to be appropriate, WHO says

Anti-vaccination doctor, protests, rule breaches
Tim Watkin (Pundit): The Consequences Of Covid & Why Anti-Vaxxers Aren’t Free To Cross A One-Lane Bridge Whenever They Like
Rachel Sadler (Newshub): Coromandel shops say rumours Jacinda Ardern was ‘booed’ and told to get out are ‘baseless and incorrect’
Jessica Roden (1 News): Anti-vax protesters smear saliva through Tākaka Council building
Conor Whitten (Newshub): Police end investigation into deregistered anti-vax doctor Jonie Girouard, won’t file charges
Mark Quinlivan and Conor Whitten (Newshub): Anti-vaxx deregistered doctor Jonie Girouard slapped with $300 fine by Ministry of Health
RNZ: $300 fine for North Canterbury anti-vaccination doctor
1 News: Anti-vax doctor fined by Ministry of Health
Herald: Fake vax exemption doctor Jonie Girouard fined by Ministry of Health
Amber Allott (Stuff): Anti-vax doctors a noisy few, GP group says, after Canterbury doctor fined by ministry
Vera Alves (Herald):  Sorry, social media trolls, Lorde did not skip MIQ
Jo Lines-MacKenzie (Stuff): Bus driver’s anti-vax rant prompts complaint from Hamilton passenger

Housing
Riley Kennedy (ODT): Shopping trip affected mortgage approval
Rob Stock (Stuff): Shattered dreams as home loan approvals plunge after lending law changes
RNZ: National average house price went up nearly 30% in 2021
Steven Cowan (Against the current): New year, same old housing crisis
Interest: QV looks ahead from an “unusual 2021” to where sellers will need to temper their expectations
Ashley Church (OneRoof):  Are Kiwis hard-wired to hate property investors?
Anne Gibson (Herald): New housing consent data out: 48,522 houses approved smashes all records
Miriam Bell (Stuff): Another new home consents record but brakes set to go on boom
Mark Southcombe (Newsroom): As far from the NZ housing market you can get
Geraden Cann (Stuff): As Wellington bedsit asking $420 pw draws anger, we compare offerings around NZ
RNZ: Construction minister keen to see record housing consents continue
Brent Melville (BusinessDesk): Housing consents rocket to another record – will build times blow out? (paywalled)

Employment
Daniel Smith (Stuff):  Wages rises are setting new records as employers compete for workers
Rebecca Howard (BusinessDesk): Double bonuses and a free lunch – how the hort sector is keeping workers (paywalled)
Mitch McCann (Newshub): Kawerau paper mill closure made 160 people redundant – now, most have jobs
Joanne Naish (Stuff): ‘Massive’ labour shortage on the West Coast amid housing market boom
Glenn McLean (Stuff): Barbers blunted by vaccine mandate and staff shortage
Gerhard Uys (Stuff): More dairy industry workers needed ‘for farmers’ mental health’
Herald Editorial: Pay data transparency needs careful consideration

Economy & Business
Max Rashbrooke (Stuff): We need knowledge to tackle unfairness in our tax system
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): 10% house price drop, weaker spending will see OCR cuts in 2023, forecaster tips
Jamie Gray (Herald): NZ housing downturn will mean rate cuts in 2023 – economist (paywalled)
Fergus McDonald (Herald):  Red flags for the economy in 2022 (paywalled)
John Nixon (1 News): Explore Auckland vouchers in big demand as 140K apply
Anne Gibson (Herald): 140,000 registrations for 100,000 Explore Auckland vouchers
Nathan Morton (Stuff): Auckland hoteliers adopt ‘survival mentality’ as 76pc of rooms lie empty
Katy Jones (Stuff): Tourist exodus leaves operators hoping for second wave
Denise Piper (Stuff): Busy summer for Northland at red light, but businesses hope for orange
RNZ: Summer Concert Tour cancelled after performers didn’t want to go into MIQ
1 News: Tour cancelled for first time in 12 years
Andrew Marshall (ODT): Stewart gig: It’s all over (for) now
RNZ: Rod Stewart promises ‘party to end all parties’ on next NZ tour
Philip Chandler (Mountain Scene): Covid puts kibosh on big-bash Gibbston concert
Herald: Rod Stewart cancels New Zealand concert dates for April
Stuff: MIQ struggle sees popular Summer Concert Tour cancelled

Environment, conservation
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): The Ships From The North: Why Autarky cannot be New Zealand’s answer to Climate Change
No Right Turn: Climate Change: Here we go again
RNZ: South Island kōkako: Recording raises hopes of spotting elusive bird
Mildred Armah-Ndlovu (Stuff): New Zealand bees may soon become endangered due to pest threat, expert warns
Karanama Ruru (Stuff): Something fishy going on in Auckland as factory odour plagues Ellerslie locals
Andy Brew (Stuff): Harlequin ladybird well-established in Marlborough thanks to Cyclone Gita
Moana Ellis (Stuff): Iwi set to put safety monitors on upper reaches of Whanganui River

TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com

Health
Ian Powell (Second Opinion): Chief executives and health system improvement: A Canterbury tale
RNZ: ‘Terrible time’ to be restructuring health sector says National’s Shane Reti
Jimmy Ellingham (RNZ): Lawyer calls for ACC review of work-related cancer claims policy
John Lewis (ODT): Call for nitrate levels on labels
Lucy Xia (Stuff): Dementia services for Asian Kiwi lacking, huge increase in cases expected
Ellen O’Dwyer (Stuff): Flawed theories behind eating disorders persist, researcher finds
Sophie Harris (Stuff): Stress and depression could heighten the risk of virus, study shows

Local government
Greg Sayers (Herald): Troubling trends emerging at debt-laden Auckland Council (paywalled)
Hamish MacLean (ODT): Judge to head council inquiry
Hamish MacLean (ODT): Straight to hearing for dump plan
Glenn McLean (Stuff): New Plymouth District Council loses infrastructure boss down the line

Transport
Susan Botting (RNZ): Roading leaders challenge potential new 80km/h state highway speed limit
Grant Miller (ODT): Slower speed limits vexing

Other
Jack Heinemann (The Conversation): What does ‘academic freedom’ mean in practice? Why the Siouxsie Wiles and Shaun Hendy employment case matters
Kurt Bayer (Herald): Big Brother is watching: The rise and rise of CCTV in New Zealand (paywalled)
Stephen Davis (Listener/Herald): NZ vulnerable to global information warfare (paywalled)
Pete McKenzie (Guardian): Anger at NZ government as Afghan ex-vice-president resettled while hundreds of others trapped
RNZ: ‘The purpose of the rāhui is for everybody’ – National Iwi Chairs Forum
Stephen Parker (Newsroom): The media industry – what to look for in 2022
Wyatt Ryder (ODT): Otago Corrections Facility work to start next month
RNZ: Original Ngā Tamatoa members to reunite 50 years after movement’s founding
Oliver Lewis (BusinessDesk): Union to govt: keep NZ oil tankers (paywalled)
Lindsay Mitchell (Bassett, Brash and Hide): Gangs: We get what we pay for
Jamie Gray (Herald): RBNZ’s Bascand left a week early due to protocol breach
John Anthony (Stuff): Former RBNZ deputy governor Geoff Bascand leaves early after breach of protocol
John Bishop (Stuff): NZ should say no to King Charles
Esther Ashby-Coventry (Stuff): Back to school initiative helps families with school expenses

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