Political Roundup: 15 March 2023

Items of interest and importance today

CLIMATE CHANGE
Felix Desmarais (1News): Exclusive poll: After cyclone, do voters want urgency on climate change?
Henry Cooke (Guardian): Ruthless Chris Hipkins backpedals on climate action as New Zealand elections near
Bernard HIckey: This is the rainy day we’ve been saving for
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): Labour shafts the Greens, the Greens get mad, and both win. Simple. Right?
Dita De Boni (NBR): Chippie’s bread and butter diet missing greens (paywalled)
Michael Neilson (Herald): Māori Party calls on Greens co-leader to resign after climate policy cull as both parties call out Labour over environmental issues
Anna Whyte (Stuff): James Shaw failed dismally over policy purge and ‘should stand down’, say Te Pāti Māori
Russell Palmer and Anneke Smith (RNZ): Climate policy purge leads to clashes between Greens, Te Pāti Māori
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Red-Green friction heats up as James Shaw says Chris Hipkins ‘prepared to do just about whatever’ to win
Steven Cowan: A weak Green Party is ‘rewarded’ for its loyalty to Labour
RNZ: Scrapped climate policies would make ‘very small’ contribution to reducing emissions – Hipkins
Thomas Coughlan (Guardian): Government insists it’s still committed to climate goals, pointing out axed policies weren’t that great to begin with
Teall Crossen (Stuff): Our climate laws are toothless
Jacqueline Rowarth (Herald): Climate change – the problem with mitigation and adaptation
Jame Renwick (The Conversation): Floods, cyclones, thunderstorms: is climate change to blame for New Zealand’s summer of extreme weather?
Toby Manhire (Spinoff): ‘Rapid reaction force’ of gobal scientists reveal findings on climate change role in Cyclone Gabrielle
Greg Hurrell (BusinessDesk): Climate change prime suspect for Cyclone Gabrielle’s force, say scientists (paywalled)

OPINION POLLS, PARLIAMENT
Andy Fyers (BusinessDesk): PollTracker: Labour hit the lead (paywalled)
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Chris Luxon should use his time in isolation to think about lifting National’s game
Rachel Smalley (Today FM): Is Luxon’s beige persona enough to win the election against Hipkins?
Herald Editorial: Hipkins’ bonfire of the priorities gives Labour a boost in the polls (paywalled)
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Is Labour’s cash bonanza economically smart? No. Is it politically? Maybe
Kris Faafoi (Stuff): Election will be a political drag race to the centre
Russell Palmer (RNZ): National MPs defend Luxon over falling popularity: ‘I see the man that you don’t see’
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Political scientist surprised Labour wasn’t up by more in new poll
Tess McClure (Guardian): New Zealand’s Labour coalition sees best poll result in a year after ‘policy bonfire’
Joseph Los’e (Herald): Te Pāti Māori not looking too far ahead – but having a preferred PM in the team of two is worth a shout out
RNZ: Make It 16 campaigners ‘frustrated’ by voting age bill shelving
Caeden Tipler (Re:News): Lowering NZ’s voting age: Why this shouldn’t go to a referendum
Stewart Sowman-Lund (Spinoff): What jobs did our MPs do before they were in parliament?
Phil Smith (RNZ): Parliament may fast-track cyclone law without urgency
Moana Maniapoto (Whakaata Māori): ‘Brave, fabulous and a trailblazer’ Politicians and close friends remember Georgina Beyer

WELFARE INCREASES
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Labour corrects its indexation mistake
Tema Hemi (Whakaata Māori): Davidson disappointed by government welfare policy
Ripu Bhatia (Stuff): Benefit increases will help those struggling with cost of living, Māori advocates say
Brianna Mcilraith (Stuff): Benefit increase will mean more money for emergencies, student says
Herald: NZ superannuation rates 2023 – how much more will you get?

BANKS
Russell Palmer (RNZ): Minister stalls on bank profit study after voting down Parliamentary inquiry
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Nicola Willis calls comment from minister Dr Duncan Webb about National’s loyalties ‘reprehensible’
Rob Stock (Stuff): National’s Nicola Willis says Govt has signalled banking ‘market study’ will be called
Richard Prebble (Herald): There are things much worse than profitable banks (paywalled)

MEDIA
Katie Harris (Herald): RNZ exec knew merger was up in the air weeks before spending thousands on staffer’s US trip (paywalled)
Herald: NZME managing editor Shayne Currie moves into new role

LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Voters want councils to have a share of GST, poll shows
Todd Niall (Stuff): Alternative to Auckland Council’s grim budget doesn’t ‘gut’ services
Justin Latif (Local Democracy Reporting): Dear Auckland, thanks for funding our $2.9bn hobby. Regards, golfers
Todd Niall (Stuff): Key Auckland mayoral advisor Matthew Hooton moves on
Herald: Auckland Council splashes out on 45 MG electric cars for head office
Felix Walton (RNZ): Aucklanders say water price hike badly timed, but needed
Catrin Owen (Stuff): Men ordered to pay Auckland Council $10k after fight over cancelled far-right speakers
Laura Smith (Local Democracy Reporting): Free speech union slams council submissions policy as censorship
Brendon McMahon (Local Democracy Reporting): West Coast Regional Council chairman Allan Birchfield to be removed
Oliver Lewis (BusinessDesk): Philip Carter rails against Christchurch council (paywalled)
RNZ: Lower Hutt residents told council months ago leaky pipe could cause a landslip
Georgina Campbell (Herald): A Capital Letter: I’m sick of people saying Wellington is dying

HEALTH
Brigitte Morten (NBR): Has Andrew Little left Ayesha Verrall a lemon? (paywalled)
Public Health Communication Centre: When the first barrier fails: Strengthening protection for drinking water sources
Stephen Forbes (Local Democracy Reporting): Middlemore Hospital: 36% of ED patients waited more than six hours, latest figures show
Cécile Meier (BusinessDesk): Patients before profits: Māori NGO buys GP clinic
Grady Connell (Today FM): Alcohol harm reform bill shelved despite community requests
Kristie Boland (Stuff): Christchurch Hospital slashes surgeries as anaesthetic technicians quit ‘bullying, toxic’ department in droves
Brittany Keogh (Stuff): Parent’s dilemma amid GP crisis: Call an ambulance or wait a week for a doctor?
James Perry (Whakaata Māori): Urgent changes needed to future-proof diverse Aotearoa health workforce

EDUCATION
Lee Kenny (Stuff): Former Te Pūkenga CEO who took ‘special leave’ gets new job leading recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle
Lee Kenny (Stuff): Te Pūkenga tells academics not to say words like ‘staff’, ‘students’ or ‘Treaty of Waitangi’
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Schools told to ramp up efforts to stop racist bullying
Ripu Bhatia (Stuff): One in five ethnic learners face racist bullying at school, research finds
Maryana Garcia (Herald): What pay demands and supports striking teachers are seeking from the Government
Lee Kenny (Stuff): Ministry of Education requests last ditch talks to avert primary teachers’ strike
Herald: Teacher strike confirmed for Thursday after Ministry of Education stalemate
William Hewett (Newshub): ACT leader David Seymour criticises Government’s pay negotiation strategy as 50,000 teachers prepare to strike

FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Jayden Holmes (Today FM): Geopolitical Analyst warns Australian nuclear power deal ‘terrible’ for New Zealand
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): The AUKUS submarine deal
Lloyd Burr (Today FM): What does Australia’s investment in nuclear technology mean for everyone else?
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Government analyst Yuan Jason Zhao denies spying for China, wants apology for ‘mistake’

ENVIRONMENT
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Labour puts old-school refund scheme for bottles, cans and containers on ice
RNZ: Water pressure for council and iwi over environment reforms

CYCLONE GABRIELLE, INFRASTRUCTURE
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Cylcone recovery bill to cut ‘red tape’ introduced by Government
Grant Duncan: Infrastructure
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer (Herald): Cyclone Gabrielle caught central and local government unprepared
Amy Williams (RNZ): Cyclone-hit homeowners unlikely to get payouts that fully cover rebuild cost, insurance lawyer warns
Matthew Rosenberg (Local Democracy Reporting): Gisborne council not testing for contaminants in industrial areas following cyclone
RNZ: Iwi makes securing housing a major post-cyclone goal
Jemima Huston (RNZ): Soldiers say they disobeyed orders and saved lives in Esk Valley

PRIMARY INDUSTRIES
Paul Hunt (Stuff): Slash is a human rights issue. Forestry companies and the govt must recognise that
RNZ: Plans underway for more live cattle shipments to China before ban takes effect
Andrew Hoggard (Herald): Kiwis are open to GMOs but is the Govt? (paywalled)

ECONOMY, BUSINESS, EMPLOYMENT
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): ‘Minimum wage too close for comfort’: 35% of New Zealanders haven’t had a pay rise
Rebecca Macfie (Newsroom): Govt purge: Contractor law reform dumped
RNZ: Economists say economy already shrinking, but OCR still likely to rise
Brianna Mcilraith (Stuff): Renters more concerned about paying for food than rent, Consumer NZ finds
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Here’s why you won’t really pay ‘extra’ tax on your second job
1News: Supermarket supply costs 10.4% higher compared to a year ago
Paul McBeth (BusinessDesk): IAG bolsters balance sheet in Gabrielle’s shadow (paywalled)

HOUSING
Jonathan Killick (Stuff): The Auckland suburbs where overseas investors are scooping up land
Miriam Bell (Stuff): By the numbers: Here’s the low-down on the post-cyclone housing market
BusinessDesk: National house prices now down 16.2% from Nov 2021 peak (paywalled)
Greg Ninness ((interest): Housing sales down, prices down, listings down, stock levels up as properties sit on the market unsold
Geraden Cann (Stuff): Rental purchase may not make sense even after $165k discount, investor says
Olivia Shivas (Stuff): Kāinga Ora admits accessibility policy is ‘confusing’

TRANSPORT
William Hewett (Newshu): Chris Hipkins argues Kiwis need a ‘cultural change’ in how they drive after scrapping speed limit policy
Newshub: Julie Anne Genter claims proposed fringe benefit tax changes to exempt bicycles, e-bikes as ‘a huge Green win’
Nile Bijoux (Stuff): The Clean Car Discount has saved two million tonnes of emissions
Raphael Franks (Herald): Auckland Transport rolls out screen dividers for bus drivers after stabbings
Matthew Scott (Newsroom): Taxicab regulators ‘asleep at the wheel’ over rogue cabbies

HATE SPEECH, CHRISTCHURCH CALL
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Does Jacinda Ardern’s ‘Christchurch Call’ online hate project have a future now she’s leaving politics?
Jody O’Callaghan (Stuff): Hate speech gone to ‘never-never land’ among concerns held by Muslim umbrella organisation

OTHER
Sharon Brettkelly (RNZ): The Detail: The questions over government contractors and consultants
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Government not ruling out merging spy agencies in national security overhaul
Adam Pearse (Herald): Ram raid offences nearly double due to police data collection complications
Waatea News: No need for co-governance says Nats deputy
Sam Olley (RNZ): Whakaari / White Island eruption: ID Tours fails to get health and safety charge dismissed