Today’s content

Protests, anti vaccination, mandates
Morgan Godfery (Guardian): New Zealand police are right to remove ‘freedom’ protesters who have cohered around violence
Steven Cowan (Against the current): Crushing dissent
Kristin Hall (1 News): Hostility at Parliament: 1News reporter reflects on protest
Philip Matthews (Stuff): Freedom protests reveal an ugly side 
Matthew Hooton: Beyond the fringe, anger is real (paywalled)
Bernard Hickey (Spinoff): ‘This too will pass’ says Ardern of the anti-mandate fury. But will it really?
Bernard Hickey (The Kākā): Morning chorus: Finally, the Police act
Don Franks (Redline): Former protesters cheering on the police is disgusting
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): No need to send the riot cops in today Trev, you’ve done enough damage for 1 year
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Trevor Mallard’s dangerous gamble: Thursday Stupid Thursday
Lloyd Jones (Herald):  Letter to the protesters occupying Parliament grounds (paywalled)
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): The anti-mandate protests
ODT Editorial: Convoy impact limited
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Ireland Hendry-Tennent (Newshub): ‘Tiny group’ of NZers who are ‘misguided by garbage’ on social media – Labour Minister weighs in on anti-mandate protesters
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Political irony: Speaker Trevor Mallard and COVID-19 Minister Chris Hipkins’ historic arrests make it hard to trespass protesters
Zane Small (Newshub): National MP Maureen Pugh deletes social media post thanking ‘Convoy 2022’ anti-COVID-19 vaccine mandate convoy
Henry Cooke (Stuff): National MP Maureen Pugh deletes post thanking protesters, says she didn’t know they were antivax
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Parliament protesters buoyed by support from Winston Peters
Rodney Hide (Bassett, Brash and Hide): I support the protest 100 percent
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Former Act leader Rodney Hide backs Parliament protest, saying answer is to ‘fight’
Zane Small (Newshub): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern brushes off Parliament protest stand-off with police
RNZ: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern tells anti-vaccine mandate protesters outside Parliament to ‘move on’
Herald: Time for protesters to move on, police’s job to handle – Prime Minister
1 News: Time for Parliament protesters to move on – PM
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Michael Neilson (Herald): 122 arrested in ‘unprecedented’ day of protest at Parliament
RNZ: Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Anti-mandate protest enters fourth day at Parliament
1 News: Anti-vaccine mandate protest enters fourth day at Parliament
Ben Strang (Stuff): ‘On a knife edge’ – Wellington convoy protest unlike anything the city has seen
RNZ: Protest on Parliament grounds has risk of becoming superspreader event, says Michael Baker
RNZ: Police say anti-mandate protest at Parliament ‘unprecedented’
Herald: Police say protest may go on for days; 120 people arrested, 2 officers ‘assaulted’
Sophie Cornish, Erin Gourley and André Chumko (Stuff): Police arrest 122 Parliament trespassers, warn removal ‘will take some time’
RNZ: Parliament protest: Police arrest 120 in efforts to control occupation
Anna Whyte (1 News): Parliament protests: 120 arrested, police say removal could take days
Eva Corlett and Tess McClure (Guardian): New Zealand police clash with anti-vaccine protesters at parliament, over 120 arrested
Erin Gourley (Stuff): Wellington protest day 4: Quiet start after police add cordons, floodlights overnight
Herald: Sinister message left at Parliament by ‘freedom’ protesters
Herald: Police officers filmed dragging naked protester by her hair on Parliament grounds
Tess McClure (Guardian): Wellington unleashes parking wardens in operation to remove Covid protesters
Rahul Bhattarai (Herald): ‘Most volatile protest since Springbok tour’: Wellington pub owner hits out as staff abused
Tom Hunt and André Chumko (Stuff): Capital businesses call for targeted support as protest abuse escalates
Stuff:  In pictures: Protesters get ready for a third night outside Parliament
RNZ: Police on hand as ticketing of protesters’ vehicles begins
Matthew Hampson (Stuff): Anti-mandate protesters to stay in Picton ‘as long as we can’
Oscar Francis (ODT): Support in Dunedin for Parliament protesters
Herald: World reacts to ‘copycat’ anti-mandate protest on Parliament grounds
Dan Bilefsky, Ian Austen and Natasha Frost (New York Times/Herald): From Canada to NZ – copycat Covid protests spread around the globe (paywalled)

Polls, Parliament, parties, MPs
Peter Dunne (Newsroom): Luxon’s Nats stand for nothing except winning power
Michael Daly (Stuff): New Zealand rated world’s second most democratic country by Economist Intelligence Unit 
Steven Cowan (Against the current): James Shaw and Marama Davidson: A failure of leadership
Anneke Smith (RNZ): Omicron outbreak may empty Parliament’s debating chamber

Omicron outbreak, cases, public health measures
Peter Dunne: Andrew Little’s refreshing honesty
Henry Cooke and Thomas Manch (Stuff): Government reveals critical workers who can test out of isolating as contacts
John Weekes (Herald): New tests and bubble scheme outlined as 122 arrested in Parliament protest
RNZ: Rapid antigen testing for return to work scheme: ‘Critical service’ registration for businesses opens today
Amelia Wade (Newshub): Business, Opposition confused by critical worker test-to-return criteria
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Government reveals ‘critical’ workers who can use tests to avoid isolating as contacts
Thomas Manch (Stuff): ‘Phase two’ of Omicron response likely to come within weeks, Dr Ayesha Verrall says 
Roger Morris (Herald): What NZ gained through being tough on Covid (paywalled)
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Govt urged to buy and freely supply N95 masks
John Anthony (Stuff): Covid-19: Organisation responsible for face mask exemption cards questions the need for them
Michael Morrah (Newshub): Emergency accommodation wanted as families forced to isolate in cars, garages
Jo Moir (Newsroom): Māori-led Covid response hindered by roadblocks
ODT: Covid in South: Dunedin well placed to cope – Hawkins
Debbie Jamieson (Stuff): Cases in Queenstown and Dunedin, restaurants and bars named locations of interest
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Queenstown Central amongst least boosted suburbs as Omicron appears
RNZ: Covid-19 case wake-up call for community says Queenstown Lakes mayor
RNZ: Two cases discovered at Gisborne intermediate school
RNZ: Covid-19 update: Record 306 new community cases in New Zealand today
Kate Hawkesby (Newstalk ZB): People aren’t testing because we have Covid fatigue
Cherie Sivignon (Stuff): Tasman council to ask WorkSafe to investigate Free Marketeers 
Christopher Reive (Herald): Two teams isolating as Covid-19 hits Super Rugby Pacific

Economy, Business
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Minimum wage to rise to $21.20
Liam Dann (Herald): Who’s being hit hardest by inflation? New data reveals the cost of living
Brian Fallow (Herald): Wages show symptoms of Covid-19 (paywalled)
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Household living costs rose 5.2% in 2021, with mortgage interest included
RNZ: Household cost of living in Aotearoa rises 5.2% – Stats NZ
Michael Reddell (Croaking Cassandra): Inflation
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): National would make inflation the RBNZ’s sole target: Luxon
Hamish Rutherford (Herald): Review of Kiwibank’s ownership, in step towards direct Government ownership (paywalled)
Herald Editorial: Bumper bank profits are a double-edged sword (paywalled)
RNZ: ASB half-year cash profit increases 22 percent, reaching $742m
RNZ: Countdown cans restrictions on goods for now
The Standard: Chloe Swarbrick Needs A Reset
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): ‘Pretty gruesome’: Restaurants call for more support in red setting
Debbie Jamieson (Stuff): ‘Desperate situation’: Event cancellations leave a $100m hole in Queenstown Lakes economy
Cats Marrett (ODT): Resort fears its thunder will be stolen
Stuart Smith (Herald): Covid restrictions put wine industry at risk (paywalled)
Janine Rankin (Stuff): Central Districts Field Days fall victim to Covid-19 restrictions
Maja Burry (RNZ): Country of origin food labelling comes into effect in supermarkets
Nona Pelletier (RNZ): Top bosses face liability insurance hikes
RNZ: Cruise ship industry hoping for 2022 return
Victoria Young (BusinessDesk): Has the market regulator finally grown a pair? (paywalled)
Darren Bevan (Stuff): Peter Jackson is the highest paid entertainer in the world, according to Forbes’ Rich List

Housing, Lending rules
Rob Stock (Stuff): Commerce Minister David Clark rejects National’s plan to restore homebuyers’ borrowing power
RNZ: House prices continue to increase, slowdown expected – QV report
Miriam Bell (Stuff): There are strong signs the housing market is easing – QV
Rachel Sadler (Newshub): House prices up 6.1 pct with New Zealand’s national average now over $1.06 million
Brad Olsen (OneRoof): NZ’s rental crisis: Country’s poorest are getting squeezed the hardest
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): We’re officially in a buyer’s market
RNZ: ASB blames new credit act for refusing some loan applications
Felix Desmarais (Local Democracy Reporting): Rotorua housing crisis: First-home buyers, elderly bear brunt of ‘dire shortage’
Imran Ali (Herald): Emergency housing in Northland: More than $2m a year spent on temporary housing (paywalled)
Nita Blake-Persen (RNZ): Families in motels brace for border opening
White Man Behind a Desk (Stuff): Once you’ve got housing density, everything gets better

Vaccine rollout
Lucy Warhurst (Newshub): 386,000 Kiwis now more than six weeks overdue for their COVID-19 booster vaccination
Matai O’Connor (RNZ): Paediatric vaccines rollout: Call for more suitable times for tamariki to receive shots
Tumamao Harawira (Māori TV): Hauora leaders want say in tamariki vaccinations
Adam Pearse and Chris McDowall (Herald): What regions are falling behind in child vaccinations? (paywalled)
Steven Walton (Stuff): ‘I was quite shocked’: Asian community falls behind in race for Covid boosters
Yashas Srinivasa (Stuff): Doctor’s vaccine exemption form holds ‘no weight’, MOH says
Sam Olley (RNZ): Anti-vaccine Murupara GP suspended pending further investigation

Health, ACC
Nicky Pellegrino (Listener/Herald): Weight-loss guru tells governments: Control Big Food like Big Tobacco (paywalled)
Cate Broughton (Stuff): 6300 health board staff have five days to get boosted to keep their jobs
Oscar Francis (ODT): Offer of payment with a catch angers widower
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): NZ aged care confident in face of omicron, but sees ‘enormous pressure’ on staffing
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Residency eligibility leaving nurses in limbo, despite critical shortage
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Nursing shortage forces transfers
1 News: New regulations strip thousands of vape products off shelves
Andy Brew (Stuff): Chronic lack of GPs in Marlborough ‘really tough’ for everyone ahead of Omicron arrival
Emma Clark-Dow (Stuff): Auckland Uni study links paracetamol use while pregnant and childhood depression
RNZ: Marathon shearing effort nets $130,000 for charity hospital

Border, MIQ
1 News: Hipkins responds to MP’s MIQ question with Spiderman meme
Herald: Chris Hipkins replies to National MP question with Spider-Man meme
Stuff:  Chris Hipkins responds to Parliamentary question with a Spider-Man meme
Siobhan Downes (Stuff): The travellers who have all but given up on their New Zealand dream
Josh Martin (Stuff): ‘Part bouquet, part baseball bat to the face’: New Zealand’s border plan proves underwhelming
Brook Sabin (Stuff): Air New Zealand relaunches 24 international routes
Education
Max Rashbrooke (Stuff): The fallacy of education as a fix for income disparities
Samantha Worthington (RNZ): Work on Māori education review continues without key groups
James Perry (Māori TV): Government’s “new dawn for Māori education” rejected by educators
Adam Jacobson (Stuff): Government spending $21m to upgrade 10 Auckland schools
Mare Haimona-Riki’ (Māori TV): Very hard’ – Schools battling with mask mandates
1 News: Seymour: Education in NZ ‘falling behind the rest of the world’
Ellen O’Dwyer (Stuff): Unvaccinated students or staff would be trespassed from Victoria University under mandate rules
Laura Smith (Herald): Period products in schools: Free tampons, sanitary pads distributed in Bay of Plenty (paywalled)

Treaty of Waitangi
Te Kuru o te Marama Dewes (Spinoff): Hoki whenua mai: The Greens’ land back push explained
James Perry (Māori TV): What would a ‘divorce’ from the Crown mean for the Treaty of Waitangi?
John Bishop (Stuff): Let’s have a Kiwi as our head of state

Local government
Bernard Orsman (Herald): Auckland councillor Richard Hills announces he won’t be running for mayoralty
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland mayoralty: Richard Hills drops plans to run for top job
Stephen Forbes (Local Democracy Reporting): Efeso Collins calls for more investment in south Auckland after Covid-19 cutbacks
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Three waters reform: what if the Super Fund half-owned Watercare? (Paywalled)
Craig Ashworth (Local Democracy Reporting): Locals challenge loss of council seat due to new Māori ward
John Lewis (ODT): Councils’ online posts mostly ‘passive’: study
Stephen Ward (Stuff): Wages ‘war’ ramps up as councils fight for skilled staff
RNZ: Credit outlook for some local councils turns negative – S&P report
Marty Sharpe (Stuff): Council tells volunteers they may have to un-restore the war graves they’ve restored
Felix Desmarais (Stuff): Code of conduct breaches: Rotorua councillor Reynold Macpherson removed from committees
Maia Hart (Local Democracy Reporting): Marlborough District Council assessing Covid-19 ‘risk’ among staff
Maia Hart (Local Democracy Reporting): Erosion control needed for Havelock sewage treatment plant after floods
Sandra Conchie and Kiri Gillespie (Bay of Plenty Times/Herald): Covid-19, ‘delays’, blamed for Tauranga City Council $4.8m in budget ‘blowouts’ (paywalled)

Environment, Climate Change
Jill Herron (Newsroom): A secret battle over Central Otago’s new gold: water
Olivia Wannan and Eloise Gibson (Stuff): Covid and lower coal use push down emissions
Giles Dodson (The Conversation): New Zealand is reviewing its outdated conservation laws. Here’s why we must find better ways of getting people on board
RNZ: Agriculture emissions pricing deadline extended by a month
Skara Bohny (Stuff): Heaphy Track closure to last ‘several months’
RNZ: The Detail: We need to talk about feral cats

Transport, Fuel prices
Richard Worrall (Stuff): Doesn’t my city deserve world-class public transport too?
Oliver Lewis (BusinessDesk): Officials warned against hiring ‘highly destabilising’ KiwiRail chair (paywalled)
1 News: Transmission Gully opening date still a mystery
Newstalk ZB: Michael Wood: Transmission Gully will open when it’s safe
Susan Botting (Local Democracy Reporting):Northland roading challenges lead to NZ’s first regionwide speed limit reduction proposal
Riley Kennedy (ODT): Rise in fuel prices forecast to continue
Bill Hickman (Stuff): The Island Bay cycle way is up for discussion. Again.

Foreign affairs
Branko Marcetic (Democracy Project): Ukraine crisis – what Kiwis should know
Gordon Campbell (Werewolf): On the crisis – what crisis? – over Ukraine
Bruce Munro (ODT): Global Insight: NZ has role on world stage
Selwyn Manning (Evening Report): Podcast: Buchanan + Manning on Foreign Affairs – What does 2022 hold in store?

Abuse in Care inquiry
Andrew McRae (RNZ): Marylands School: Abusers used God to intimidate, victim says
Andrew McRae (RNZ): Marylands School: Abuse survivor says calls for help were rubbished
Andrew McRae (RNZ): Marylands School: Many who chose to cover up abuse complicit in ‘evil’, advocate says
Andrew McRae (RNZ): Man recalls priest taking photos while he was forced to sexually abuse another child

Primary and Extractive industries
RNZ: Some farmers with Covid-19 may be allowed to keep working – Minister
RNZ: Funding of $400,000 to support agencies helping farmers, growers prepare for Omicron
RNZ: Fruitful funding for Wairoa horticulture hub
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Tiwai smelter’s ‘will they, won’t they dance’ grates on Government
ODT Editorial: Tiwai’s unsettling uncertainties
RNZ: Southland leaders say Tiwai Point decision hopeful – for now

Other
Naomi Arnold (RNZ): Court process still putting victims’ privacy at risk
John Weekes (Herald): Retail crime surging but arrests plummeting, National blasts Police Minister
Piripi Taylor (Māori TV): Firearms Prohibition Order Bill passes first reading
Amberleigh Jack (Stuff): Bronwyn Hayward named Supreme Winner at Women of Influence awards
RNZ: Commerce Commission proposes letting gas maintenance costs be brought forward
Sandy Eggleston (ODT): Dumping of pets rising: volunteer