Today’s content

Parliamentary Grounds occupation: Analysis
Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Our Dark Shadow: Analysing The Platform’s profile of the protesters
Anneke Smith (RNZ): Political leaders should ‘get off their high horses’ – Jim Bolger
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Occupiers give Government a filthy PR boost as Labour and National agree on vaccine mandate strategy
Jason Walls (Newstalk ZB): The anatomy of an occupation – how did we get here?
Chris Trotter (Interest): What happens next?
Stuff: What should be the next steps for police at Parliament occupation? Experts weigh in
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Protesters even less likely to get audience with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern after throwing human waste at police
Dominic O’Sullivan (The Conversation): The Wellington protest is testing police independence and public tolerance – are there lessons from Canada’s crackdown?
Simon Wilson (Herald): No, Christopher Luxon and protesters, mandates are not the issue (paywalled)
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Where our political leaders stand on the anti-mandate occupation of Parliament’s grounds
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Police wave white flag as occupiers dig in
Paul Little (Herald): Use the force – bring in army to end Parliament protest (paywalled)
Richard Harman: The protest mutates again (paywalled)
Erin Gourley (Stuff): Could Government use emergency powers to stop Parliament occupation?
Hamish Cardwell (RNZ): Parliament protest deadlock – where to from here?
Ben Kepes (Stuff): Anti-vax protestors and the risks of moderation
Dave Armstrong (Stuff): Suffering the protest in silence
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): The onus is on the Govt to end the protest
Martyn Bradbury (Waatea News): Māori Caucus solution to Parliament Lawn protest
David Williams (Stuff): I believe in political protests but I can’t support the one outside Parliament
Ian Powell: Wellington now faces a public health emergency
Newstalk ZB: Fmr Defence Minister: Govt needs to think twice before bringing military in to deal with protest
Gordon Campbell: On the Ottawa precedent for Police action
Greg Presland (The Standard): Why negotiating with the Wellington protesters is a waste of time
RNZ: Far right elements at convoy could radicalise others to violence – researcher

Parliamentary Grounds occupation: News reporting
Sophie Cornish (Stuff): Screams as car driven at police advancing on occupation crowd
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Grant Robertson condemns ‘distressing’ scenes outside Parliament after man drives car into police officers
David Fisher (Herald): Protest groups at Parliament seen arguing over police discussions
John Weekes and Adam Pearse (Herald): Tempers flare in evening, protesters try control unruly elements
Tom Hunt, Ben Strang and Andrea Vance (Stuff): New Zealand occupation website registered in Canada, linked to ‘Freedom Convoy’
Ellen O’Dwyer (Stuff): How the occupation at Parliament has disrupted day-to-day life in Wellington
Matthew Tso (Stuff): Police say genuine protesters are no longer in control after human waste thrown at officers
RNZ: Faeces thrown at police at Parliament protest
Richard Miah (Stuff): Protest on your doorstep: a Wellington local’s firsthand account
Herald: Sir Russell Coutts says he’ll head Parliament protest today
Marty Verry (Herald): I’m a protest funder – here’s why (paywalled)
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern refuses to condemn Transport Minister, Speaker calling anti-mandate protests ‘river of filth’ and ‘ferals’
Ed Scragg (Stuff): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says protesters at Parliament have ‘made their point’ and it’s ‘time to go home’
Ellen O’Dwyer (Stuff): Wellington mayor confirms he has met with Parliament occupation ‘influencers’
Esther Taunton (Stuff): Wellington hotelier cops abuse from both sides of anti-mandate protest
Nadine Porter (Stuff): Unmasked police officer apologises for hugging protester amid criticism of lack of presence at rally
1News: Collins: Police are ‘almost bystanders’ at Parliament protest
RNZ: Police install concrete blocks around Parliament anti-mandate protest
RNZ: Ill protesters urged to stay away from hospital

Covid mandate debates; Ardern and Luxon on easing restrictions
Jo Moir (Newsroom): PM’s unintentional timeline for lifting mandates
Audrey Young (Herald): Covid mandate Parliament protests – Luxon, Coster misread desire for unity (paywalled)
Zane Small (Newshub): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern denies new plan to ease COVID-19 vaccine mandates was in response to Parliament protest
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): National calls for a phasing out of vaccine requirements, as protests continue
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Jacinda Ardern says mandates will wind down after Omicron peak
Eva Corlett (Guardian): New Zealand will lift Covid restrictions only when ‘well beyond’ peak, Jacinda Ardern says
David Farrar (Patreon): The case for ending the vaccine mandate (paywalled)
Mike Yardley (Stuff): Show us the road through Covid and to our new normal
RNZ: Covid-19 experts support government’s plan to easing restrictions
Stuff: Editorial – We haven’t seen the worst of it, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel
Rachel Thomas (Stuff): Why New Zealand can’t afford to drop restrictions now

Covid management
Matthew Hooton (Herald): Did health officials mislead PM and public on testing capability? (paywalled)
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Ipsos poll: New Zealanders angrier, divided over Covid-19 rules
Sarb Johal (Guardian): We all have different expectations of behaviour as Omicron spreads in NZ – being considerate is key
Daisy Hudson (ODT): Inequality, mental health challenges exacerbated by pandemic
Herald: Editorial – Virus spreading by stealth (paywalled)
Tom Chodor (Unherd): New Zealand’s lockdown fairytale is over
Marc Daalder (Newsroom): Hospitalisations hit triple figures, two new Covid-19 deaths
Siouxsie Wiles (Spinoff): The key numbers to watch as omicron takes hold
Soumya Bhamidipati (RNZ): Dunedin pathology lab worker tests positive for Covid-19
Lee Kenny, Jonathan Guildford and Charlie Gates (Stuff): ‘Real challenge’ to manage staff numbers as more schools report Covid-19 cases
Moana Ellis (Local Democracy Reporting): Māori vaccination rollout stalls: ‘Final wall of resistance’
Amy Chan (Newsroom): Inside the distrust of vaccine science
Kerre McIvor (Newstalk ZB): Should the pandemic really be front of the Prime Minister’s mind?
Susan Botting (Local democracy reporting): Northland council tells staff not to spread Covid misinformation

Government’s Covid support package for business
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): New support payment for Omicron-affected businesses ‘never going to be enough’ – economist
Matthew Tso (Stuff): Capital businesses say Government’s support package not quite enough to counter Covid losses
Amelia Wade (Newshub): Businesses grateful for new COVID-19 support, but want certainty on whether tourists need to self-isolate
Herald: More support for businesses struggling in red light setting
John Anthony (Stuff): Air NZ confident Government will agree to extend airfreight subsidies

Media, social media, and information
Todd Niall (Stuff): Is secrecy a Wellington public sector thing?
Gavin Ellis: Media report keeps red flags flying
Jordan Carter (Stuff): Social media monopoly risks harming New Zealanders
Tracey Bridges (Stuff): How do we make the public service more responsive?

Economy and employment
Liam Dann (Herald): ‘Time to pay the Covid bill’: Westpac’s latest economic outlook (paywalled)
Michael Reddell (Stuff): What’s gone wrong at the Reserve Bank?
Joshua Hitchcock (Newsroom): Māori businesses have multiple aspirations
Simon Connell (Newsroom): The not-quite no-fault income insurance scheme
Ryan Boswell (1News): Are Gloriavale residents employees or volunteers?

Parliament and Government
Brent Edwards (NBR): Aussie ‘puppeteer’ puts spotlight on political donations (paywalled)
Duncan Garner (NBR): Dictatorship official: NZ set to underwhelm as Kiwis flee (paywalled)
Emile Donovan (RNZ): Can Raf Manji lead TOP into Parliament?
Yashas Srinivasa (Stuff): Government refutes claims of further Three Waters reform delays

Health
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Hundreds to miss out on procedures as two hospitals cut back on services
Stuff: Editorial – Who will step up to confront GP crisis?
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): ‘Zero privacy’ for emergency department patients waiting in corridors due to health system capacity

Other
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland mayoral race: Efeso Collins makes free public transport his big policy
Sam Hurley (Herald): Political figure fights for secrecy in corrupt wealthy businessman’s indecent assault case
Catrin Owen (Stuff): Political figure named in trial of prominent businessman continues to seek suppression
James Perry (Māori TV): Metiria Turei out of politics but still fighting for change
David Williams (Newsroom): We’re not doomed after all (if we act quickly on climate)
Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): We must not allow Labour to bewilderingly kill off Children’s Commissioner for Oranga Tamariki Bureaucratic Privilege