News Briefing: 10 June 2025
NBR RICH LIST, INEQUALITY
Bryce Edwards (The Integrity Institute): The 2025 NBR Rich List once again shows who runs this country
RNZ: New Zealand's Rich Listers climb above $100 billion despite 'tough' times
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): NZ's richest people got wealthier in the past year. Did you?
No Right Turn: The rich-list is a social failure
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Herald: NBR Rich List: Who are the wealthiest people in New Zealand?
Hamish McNicol (NBR): Introducing the first NBR Women’s List
Brent Edwards (NBR): What NBR Rich Listers need to do to lift growth and productivity (paywalled)
NBR: Prime Minister backs NBR Rich List’s celebration of success (paywalled)
NBR: Green Party reiterates calls for wealth tax following Rich List (paywalled)
Hamish McNicol (NBR): Elevating NZ Inc: what Rich Listers would do to make us better (paywalled)
Hamish McNicol (NBR): The 2025 Rich List newcomers (paywalled)
Mike McRoberts (NBR): ‘Commercial success is not a sin’: Peter Cooper (paywalled)
Hamish McNicol (NBR): Featured Women: Naomi Ballantyne (paywalled)
Hamish McNicol (NBR): Featured Newcomer: Jamie Beaton (paywalled)
Sanda Arambepola (Stuff): Who is Lucy Liu, NZ’s richest woman?
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Susan Edmunds (RNZ): How rich is your region? Best credit score, most affordable housing and lowest unemployment revealed
Cameron Smith (Herald): KiwiSaver hardship withdrawals hit new heights amid cost of living crisis (paywalled)
Good Ideas: Is child poverty really a focus for the government? (paywalled)
Neal Cutis (Newsroom): Let’s call ‘taxing the rich’ what it really is
Grenville Hendricks (Press): Worsening social problems demand more innovation to support and solve (paywalled)
CORRUPTION AND TRANSPARENCY
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Govt’s transparency work ‘timid and unambitious’
Barbara Dreaver (1News): Damning report reveals growing threat of corruption across Pacific
Lillian Hanly (RNZ): Government warned corruption and 'insider threats' increasing in New Zealand
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Minister warned of gangs ‘corrupting’ officials; police boss says NZ is ‘complacent’
Jared Savage (Herald): Corruption by organised crime groups is a real and growing threat in New Zealand, experts warn government must take urgent action (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): Combat corruption to fight organised crime: report (paywalled)
Marian Faa (ABC): Australian and NZ anti-corruption bosses embroiled in ‘chaos’ at ICAC PNG
PARLIAMENT, PUBLIC SECTOR
Aaron Smale (Listener): Jail for a haka? The arrogance of ignorance in Parliament (paywalled)
Chris Trotter (Interest): History’s judgement of the manner in which the Government’s majority expressed its racially-charged hostility towards Te Pāti Māori is unlikely to be kind
Natalia Albert: Te Pāti Māori: Politics to Govern or Politics of Grievance?
Michael Bassett: Māori Party thumbs its nose at democracy
Ian Taylor (Stuff): Seymour’s rise to the second seat with power far beyond his mandate
Kelly Dennett (Post): DIA mum on ‘forensic deep dive’ into Beehive security clearance gaps (paywalled)
Gavin Ellis: PM’s disgraced media advisor had an undeniable duty to tell the boss
Paula Penfold (Stuff): ‘Not good enough’: Sex worker on gym’s handling of ‘creep’s’ photos
Thomas Manch (Post): The Luxon Government loves to ‘boost’ (paywalled)
Gordon Campbell: On Free Speech And Anti-Semitism
WORKPLACE SAFETY, MENTAL HEALTH
Dave Armstrong (Post): Bye bye safety, hello savings (paywalled)
Fiona Rotherham (NBR): Will WorkSafe beat itself with its own stick? (paywalled)
Miriam Bell (Post): Building mental fitness to tackle construction’s mental health crisis (paywalled)
RMA, ENVIRONMENT, CONSERVATION
Eloise Gibson (RNZ): Luxon doubles down on calling climate advocates 'worthies', scientists hit back
Rob Campbell (Newsroom): Science the way Luxon likes it is not really science
Fox Meyer (Newsroom): The slippery question of how to define a wetland
Emma Andrews (RNZ) 'Nothing short of disastrous': Seabed mining project another 'muru raupatu' for Taranaki
Craig Ashworth (Local Democracy Reporting): Seabed mine fears ignite coast towns on Ocean Day
Ruby Shaw (ODT): South D residents despondent about flood mitigation
PRIMARY INDUSTRIES
Kate Green (RNZ): Federated Farmers campaign against pine tree planting initiative
Dileepa Fonseka (BusinessDesk): New Zealand's great white hope
Steve Urlich & Mark Bloomberg (Post): Forestry reform proposals won’t solve the country’s slash problem (paywalled)
DEFENCE, FOREIGN AFFAIRS, TRADE
ODT Editorial: Distant noises of other voices (paywalled)
Susana Leiataua (RNZ): Independent 'draft assessment' of the Manawanui wreck circulates govt agencies' for feedback
Herald: Te Pāti Māori attack Greta Thunberg’s ‘abduction’, Israel says she’s safe and on her way
RNZ: 'Government doesn't really know what's going on'- rural ISP boss after warship blocked signals
RNZ: Judith Collins looking into how Australian warship was able to knock parts of New Zealand offline - Luxon
HOUSING, BUILDING
Amy Williams (RNZ): Fears of a state house blacklist: 'You'll never get back in to that level'
Science Media Centre: Resource consent exemptions for granny flats and papakāinga – Expert Reaction
John MacDonald (Newstalk ZB): We need to get real about housing intensification
Liz McDonald (Press): New rules pave way to build homes on $6.5m site (paywalled)
Nick James (RNZ): Fourth person charged with manslaughter over fatal Loafers Lodge fire
Kelly Makiha (Rotorua Daily Post): Tiny Deane’s China cabin idea meets opposition from Rotorua homeless
David Long (Stuff): Morning patrol: Inside the compassionate but risky job of waking rough sleepers
Maria Slade (BusinessDesk): Jennian Homes, GJ Gardner take part in Auckland Council consents trial (paywalled)
Victor Walters (RNZ): How Auckland ratepayers can learn their new property valuations
Bernard Orsman (Herald): Auckland outer suburbs resist 9% CV drop, city centre sees 14% fall
Karanama Ruru (Stuff): Auckland CV’s to be released this week, as residential property values drop 9%
Dave Candy (Newsroom): Why we should let our buildings die a natural death
LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WATER
Tim Murphy (Newsroom): The Fix is in – Brown’s next political play
Krystal Gibbens (RNZ):
Tory Whanau 'glad' to see new mayoral candidate Alex Baker enter race
RNZ: Alex Baker throws hat into ring for Wellington mayoralty
Tina Law (Press): Alliance Party resurrects to contest Christchurch’s central ward (paywalled)
Mike Yardley (Press): Levy on visitor charges museum board’s best shot at covering shortfall (paywalled)
Virginia Winder (Taranaki Daily News): The decent bloke with a vision that inspired his community
Rachael Kelly (Press/Southland Times): Controversial Gore plan faces further delay (paywalled)
Linda Hall (Local Democracy Reporting): Napier councillor Nigel Simpson launches second bid to be mayor
HEALTH
Jimmy Ellingham (RNZ): Consultation on future of mental health facility Rauaroha Segar House extended
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Minister steps in as mental health service providers left in the lurch
Marc Wilson (Listener): How the 2025 Budget disappointed those working in mental health (paywalled)
Ke-Xin Li (RNZ): How much do urgent care fees vary within 21km in Auckland?
RNZ: Health Minister announces details of fixes for Auckland City Hospital
Liam Rātana (Spinoff): Tribunal hears what was lost when Te Aka Whai Ora was taken
Megan Wilson (Bay of Plenty Times): Breast cancer: Pāpāmoa retiree with ‘incurable’ diagnosis calls for Enhertu drug funding
JUSTICE
Kathy Spencer (Post): The catch-22 facing wrongfully convicted prisoners (paywalled)
Steve Braunias (Listener): Justice with heart: Steve Braunias at NZ’s court for the mentally ill (paywalled)
Catrin Owen (Post): More than 700 assaults in courthouses in last decade
Liam Rātana (Spinoff): Inside the Waitangi Tribunal’s Mana Wāhine hearings
BANKS, RESERVE BANK
NBR: Banking class action lawyer complains to Ombudsman over OIA delay (paywalled)
David Chaston (Interest): We no longer have general banks, we have mortgage banks
Jenée Tibshraeny (Herald): Reserve Bank delays releasing information on Adrian Orr’s shock resignation, as restructure sees executives leave (paywalled)
Jenny Ruth: Are we looking at capital constraints at work in the banking sector? (paywalled)
EDUCATION
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Highest number of 15-year-olds drop out of school since 2007
Bill Hickman (RNZ): WelTec and Whitireia students and staff in limbo over proposed closure
Matthew Littlewood (ODT): Staff considering legal action over Polytech restructure (paywalled)
Missy Morton (Newsroom): What’s good for kids who need learning support is good for all kids
Mike Thorpe (Herald): South Island schools unite to tackle challenges facing boys in education, society (paywalled)
Cate Mcintosh (Press): Ban, restrict or go for it - the university AI dilemma (paywalled)
TAX
Matt Nippert (Herald): Why charities tax got kicked into touch and what it means for NZ (paywalled)
Catherine McGregor (Spinoff): What happened to Nicola Willis’s plan for charities tax reform?
Gerrard Eckhoff (ODT): The clamour for a capital gains tax is pure political theatre (paywalled)
TRANSPORT
Tim Murphy (Newsroom): Untangling the hidden costs of driving faster past schools
Robin Martin (RNZ): Supreme Court to hear Mt Messenger Public Works Act appeal
Justin Wong (Post): Motu Move delayed again as Snapper contract expiry date looms (paywalled)
Sinead Gill )(Press): National bus card delayed for third time (paywalled)
ENERGY
Anan Zaki (RNZ): Gas company urges political consensus on drilling for more fossil fuels
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): What 'running out' supply means for households still using gas
Martin Gummer (Herald): Political consensus on natural gas needed urgently
Dan Brunskill (Interest): Electricity shortages unlikely this winter, but risk returns in 2026
Alexia Russell (RNZ): The Detail: The electricity evangelist spreading the solar message
TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INFRASTRUCTURE
RNZ: 3G shutdown: What devices are affected, and how to upgrade
Taylor Rice (1News): What you need to know ahead of the 3G network shutdown
Chris Keall (Herald): Spark delays 3G shutdown, Commerce Commission fields multiple complaints about retailers still selling 3G devices (paywalled)
Bella Craig (RNZ): Possible phase-out of copper networks could be dangerous, remote residents say
BUSINESS
Dan Brunskill (Interest): Paul Conway says businesses don't appear motivated to make the investments needed to improve productivity in an isolated economy
NBR: SkyCity’s $330m Fletcher claim a long shot, say analysts (paywalled)
Brooke Black (Press/Timaru Herald): IRD continues to chase unpaid taxes in construction sector (paywalled)
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