News Briefing: 30 June 2025
HEALTH
Guyon Espiner (RNZ): New 'rules of engagement' with alcohol lobby after alarm at 'way too friendly' interactions
Ivor Popovich (Newsroom): The scandal of public vs private health care
ODT Editorial: Faster treatment not always fairest (paywalled)
RNZ: Māori, Pasifika and disabled hardest hit by 'postcode lottery' healthcare - expert
Pokere Paewai (RNZ): Concerns health legislation changes could 'weaken' voices of Māori communities
Anna Sargent (RNZ): Elisabeth Nicholls not the first dementia patient rest homes have lost this year
Nadine Roberts (Stuff): Warning after another dementia patient disappears from retirement village
Ava Whitworth (Stuff): More hope, less waiting: What ADHD treatment could look like in 2026
Stewart Sowman-Lund (Post): Concerns raised over ‘common-sense’ changes to ADHD treatment (paywalled)
Andrea Vance (Sunday Star Times): Teen’s near-fatal diabetic emergency sparks complaint (paywalled)
Jimmy Ellingham (RNZ): Health NZ planned to vacate Segar House before public consultation, emails reveal
Deborah Morris (Post): New mental health centre in Lower Hutt finally under way
PARLIAMENT, PUBLIC SERVICE
Danyl McLauchlan (Listener): NZ’s economy is on the up, so why are voters still miserable? (paywalled)
Dan Brunskill (Interest): Voters are losing confidence in National's ability to manage the economy and the cost of living as election 2026 creeps closer
Vernon Small (Sunday Star Times): Labour faces a by-election conundrum after sad death of sitting MP (paywalled)
Maiki Sherman (1News): NZ First MP Tanya Unkovich suddenly quits Parliament
Adam Pearse & Jamie Ensor (Herald): NZ First MP Tanya Unkovich quits Parliament for ‘coaching and consultancy’ roles
RNZ: NZ First MP Tanya Unkovich quits Parliament
Anna Whyte (Post): NZ First MP Tanya Unkovich resigns (paywalled)
Victor Billot (Newsroom): An Ode to .. Tanya Unkovich
Anna Whyte (Post): Meet New Zealand First’s incoming MP David Wilson (paywalled)
David Farrar: NZ First MP quits
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): The Green Party’s most radical plan yet, and how Labour inspired it (paywalled)
Grant Duncan: A Labour/Green/Te Pāti Māori Coalition: what would it do?
Verity Johnson (Stuff): David Seymour’s greatest strength may also be his greatest weakness
Steve Braunias (Newsroom): The secret to-do list of David Seymour
Duncan Garner (Listener): In defence of David Seymour, the demonised and dangerous? (paywalled)
Kelly Dennett (Post): A week in the life of an acting prime minister (paywalled)
Lucy Rogers (The Blue Review): Freedom of Speech (Terms and Conditions Apply) (paywalled)
Neil Sands (Law News): ‘No fundamental problems’ with Official Information Act compliance, new Chief Ombudsman says
RNZ: Ex-speaker Trevor Mallard being sued by child over Parliament protest music
Brent Edwards (NBR): Infrastructure, Nato, local government, regulation, tax (paywalled)
Phil Smith (RNZ): The House: Parliament's week ended early but was still packed full
Jamie Ensor (Herald): Family violence prevention minister Karen Chhour ditches Māori name for agency, forming new group instead of ‘Māori-only one’
Azaria Howell (Newstalk ZB): Oranga Tamariki service provider speaks out on ‘struggling’ with funding reductions, Greens raise concern
REGULATORY STANDARDS BILL
Laura Walters (Newsroom): The ‘Seymour Effect’ worsens Regulatory Standards furore
Andrea Vance (Post): Red-tape bill risks cost blow-outs, climate backsliding, officials warn (paywalled)
Sasha Borissenko (Herald): David Seymour pushes Regulatory Standards Bill despite Waitangi Tribunal, public opposition
WHĀNAU ORA SPENDING
RNZ: Allegations public money used by Whānau Ora for 'electioneering' to be investigated
RNZ: Pasifika Medical Association rejects claims public funds used inappropriately
Benjamin Plummer (Herald): Moana Pasifika’s owners reject misuse of public funding claims amid investigation
MEDIA, PAUL HENRY TVNZ BOARD APPOINTMENT
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): Labour voices doubt broadcaster Paul Henry has ‘maturity’ for TVNZ board (paywalled)
No Right Turn: This has to stop
1News: Paul Henry appointed to TVNZ board
Alexia Russell (RNZ): The Detail: Kiwi journos tackling issue of distrust in NZ media
David Harvey: The Goon Squad
BANKS
Rob Stock (Post): ComCom investigates whether banks are taking too much security for loans
Ruairi O'Shea (Consumer NZ): Bank switching: are the banks holding back progress?
Jenée Tibshraeny (Herald): Reserve Bank’s Deposit Compensation Scheme finally launching - Kiwis’ savings to be protected (paywalled)
Consumer NZ: New Zealanders’ savings finally get a safety net
PRIMARY AND EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES
Mark Bloomberg and Steve Urlich (The Conversation): Bad rainstorm away from disaster: Why proposed forestry rule changes won't solve 'slash' problem
Lois Williams (Local Democracy Reporting): Minister not impressed with council
Joanne Naish (Press): 250 Westport coal miners face ‘catastrophic’ redundancy if mine doesn’t expand (paywalled)
Eva Gallot (Stuff): Greenpeace paints 'ocean killer' on side of fishing trawler after baby shark catches
Mike Houlahan (ODT): The Bill and the trees (paywalled)
Susan Harris (Interest): Contrary to farmer lobby claims, the conversion of pastoral land to carbon forestry is minor and decreasing
Cameron Bagrie (BusinessDesk): Ministry for Primary Industries led the Fieldays charge (paywalled)
Jenny Ling (Northern Advocate): Northland farmers push for KiwiSaver access to buy first farms, herds
ECONOMY, FISCAL POLICY, TAX
Susan Edmunds (RNZ): Taxes will have to increase to cope with ageing population, government spending
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): Inland Revenue models GST hike, with credit for low-income households
Tony Fitchettis (ODT): The dollars and sense of introducing capital gains taxation
Liam Dann (Herald): Never mind the swear words, politicians need to raise debate quality
Brian Easton (Pundit): Constraining Fiscal Management
Steven Cowan: Nicola Willis can’t blame the supermarkets for the failure of her economic policies
Jarod Kerr (Post): Where it hurts: my back pocket (paywalled)
Eric Crampton (Post): From smuggling to science funding: dispatches from the economics conference (paywalled)
RNZ: Consumer confidence up despite inflation worries
FOREIGN AFFAIRS - MIDDLE EAST
Peter Dunne (Newsroom): NZ mustn’t get dragged into backing US bombing
Shane Te Pou (Herald): We don’t need to be pulled into a 19th-century arms race (paywalled)
Gordon Campbell: On Exonerating Israel, And Demonising Iran
Tom Peters (World Socialists): New Zealand government refuses to condemn illegal US bombing of Iran
Anna Whyte (Post): Some Kiwis have left Israel and Iran via land border crossings, govt says (paywalled)
Jonathan Killick (Sunday Star Times): ‘Blindfolded and interrogated’: How a Kiwi couple escaped Iran (paywalled)
FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE
Asia Pacific Report: Clark warns in new Pacific book renewed nuclear tensions pose ‘existential threat to humanity’
Thomas Manch (Post): Luxon hits his foreign policy stride, with only a few awkward moments (paywalled)
Fran O’Sullivan (Herald): Luxon shines on global stage but has work to do at home (paywalled)
Thomas Manch (Post): ‘Born optimist’ Luxon sees opportunity in world of turmoil
Thomas Manch (Post): EU president backs Luxon's EU-CPTPP push (paywalled)
Liu Chen (RNZ): NZSIS head reminds ethnic communities to be vigilant about foreign interference
Paula Penfold (Stuff): Proud Boys no longer deemed terrorists in NZ
Herald Editorial: Our NZ Defence Force rebuild goes beyond replacing ageing equipment (paywalled)
Andrea Vance (Sunday Star Times): Is it time for a joint Anzac defence force? (paywalled)
Philip Matthews (Press/Post): Old hate in new forms (paywalled)
JUSTICE
Laura Walters (Newsroom): Chief victims adviser’s departing warning: Victims’ rights ‘illusory’
Natalie Akoorie (RNZ): Sentencing reforms introduced cap potential discounts and bring new aggravating factors
RNZ: Justice Minister proposes higher penalties for assaults against first responders
Julia Gabel & Joseph Los’e (Herald): Government introducing longer prison sentences for assaulting first responders, prison officers
1News: Longer jail terms proposed for assaults on first responders, prison officers
Mike White (Sunday Star Times): The long road to justice: Is NZ’s wrongful conviction body doing a good job? (paywalled)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Tim Murphy (Newsroom): Govt set to announce special development deal with one city
1News: Q+A: Talk of cuts to council rates a 'fantasy' - outgoing Hamilton mayor
Andrea Vance (Post): Councils declare climate emergency then spend $1.3m on international flights (paywalled)
Catherine Knight: It’s 2025 and ‘wellbeing’ is a dirty word
Matthew Rosenberg (Local Democracy Reporting): Nobby blames ‘risk averse’ council for $7m consultants bill
Peter Newport (Crux): Lakeview investigation Part 3. Broken Promises
Peter Newport (Crux): QLDC interim CEO refuses to acknowledge loss of Lakeview investor
Local Aotearoa: 2025's local government elections feel flat...
Tom Hunt (Post): Another Wellington Water report comes to light highlighting contractor charging issues (paywalled)
Tom Hunt (Post): Wellington City Council loses another senior manager (paywalled)
Post: Wellington election diary: Switching teams and switching biscuits (paywalled)
Tracy Watkins (Sunday Star Times): Main Rd, Main Rd, Main Rd: How Kāpiti’s council became a symbol of quiet intolerance (paywalled)
Virginia Fallon (Post): After $40k and nine years, say kia ora to Kāpiti’s new names (paywalled)
David Fisher (Herald): Golden Buddhist statue set to ‘tower above’ horrified Waiwera Valley because council says it’s art (paywalled)
Zita Campbell (Local Democracy Reporting): Gisborne council to investigate return of ancestral land to Ngāti Oneone
Alisha Evans (Local Democracy Reporting): Tauranga’s rates hike approved amid protest
Diane McCarthy (Local Democracy Reporting): Former MP Brendan Horan runs for council to support 'most qualified mayor'
Cartoons
Nice impressionistic take on the Parliamentary precinct in today's header image thanks