News Briefing: 7 July 2025

PARLIAMENT
Andrea Vance (Sunday Star Times): There are no rules any more. The political pendulum is now a wrecking ball (paywalled)
Catherine McGregor (Spinoff): Is NZ politics having a MAGA moment?
Peter Dunne: When symbolism trumps substance
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Labour offers National a lifeline for fiscal hole unit - and the chance to frustrate Act and NZ First (paywalled)
John MacDonald (Newstalk ZB): Snake oil political promises have just been given a life line
Kerre Woodham (Newstalk ZB): Let's put an end to the fun and start verifying political promises
Chelsea Daniels (Herald): Front Page: Crime, cost of living and supermarkets continue to dominate NZ politics
Azaria Howell (Newstalk ZB): The government departments that pushed back on cutting diversity, equity and inclusion requirements from the Public Service Act
Bruce Cotterill (Herald): NZ urged to trim government size amid rising spending concerns (paywalled)
Luke Malpass (Post): The small things make a difference, but selling them is hard (paywalled)
Luke Malpass (Post): David Seymour back as Acting PM, Govt moves to tidy FamilyBoost (paywalled)
Lyric Waiwiri-Smith (Spinoff): The many complex truths within the ‘censoring’ of youth parliament
Ryan Bridge (Herald): Election battle lines are slowly being drawn (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NR): Shoplifters beware, more surgeries, SOEs, regional deals and gas (paywalled)
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Exploring diligently throughout Question Time (paywalled)
Ryan Ward: Seymour does not care about democracy
David Farrar: Meet TPM’s “hero”
Steve Braunias (Newsroom): The secret open letter of .. Sir Ian Taylor
Phil Smith (RNZ): The House: Making law - a final avalanche of edits
Kelly Dennett (Sunday Star Times): Mark Cameron on his late-stage kidney disease: ‘I’m pretty frightened’ (paywalled)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WATER
Danyl McLauchlan (Listener): Is it time to rid ourselves of local councils? (paywalled)
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Government mulls dramatic reform of local government, slashing number of councils (paywalled)
Craig Renney: A small war with local government
ODT Editorial: A sad sign of the times (paywalled)
Jonathan Milne (Newsroom): The roundabout where central and local govt relations broke down
Todd Niall (Newsroom): Mayor Brown frugal on the video and frugal with some facts
Simon Wilson (Herald): Auckland Council reform: Council boss explains the new set-up (paywalled)
K Gurunathan (Post): So you want to champion grassroots democracy… (paywalled)
Bernard Orsman (Herald): Auckland councillor Mike Lee pushes to ban private helipads in residential areas
Victor Walters (RNZ): Auckland councillor Mike Lee plans further bid to block private helipads
Post: Election countdown: Highwaymen, Robin Hood and kayaks (paywalled)
Mary Williams (ODT): Minister weighs in on sewage stoush
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Cliff Skeggs Obituary: self-made man contributed much to Dunedin
Moana Ellis (Local Democracy Reporting): Past v future for shaky council seat
Mary Afemata (Local Democracy Reporting): ‘Young Pasifika feel invisible’: Call for more diverse voices as local election nominations open
Justin Wong (Post): Porirua councillor announces mayoralty run (paywalled)
Craig Ashworth (Local Democracy Reporting): Te Waka McLeod facing Peter Moeahu for New Plymouth Māori ward

LAW AND ORDER, JUSTICE, CORRECTIONS
Avina Vidyadharan (Waikato Times/Post): Most minor crimes won’t be investigated, police advocate says (paywalled)
Justin Hu (1News): Q+A: Justice Minister on 'possibility' of more minimum sentences for crimes
Jamie Ensor (Herald): Government could introduce mandatory sentences for crimes, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says
Herald Editorial: Anti-expert rhetoric needs to stop or we all suffer from the consequences (paywalled)
Derek Cheng (Herald): Should children be protected from citizen’s arrest? Child welfare watchdog asks for evidence behind Govt proposals (paywalled)
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Mental health workers say they’re being assaulted as police reduce help
Anna Whyte (Post): Pepper spray may come off restricted weapon list, and into public hands (paywalled)
Herald Editorial: Public support is with the business owner, not the shoplifter (paywalled)
Jared Savage (Herald): Operation Clementine: More than 200 work visas granted to defunct businesses linked to Vietnamese cannabis ‘grow houses’ in Auckland (paywalled)
Virginia Fallon and Benn Bathgate (Sunday Star Times): The ‘narco state’ next door: How Mexico’s cartels are muscling into New Zealand (paywalled)
Edward Gay (Stuff): How an accused car thief’s case reveals a justice system flaw
RNZ: ‘How do you fix a human being that's been damaged over years and years?'
Amy Ridout (Stuff): ‘Old boys club’ at Corrections enabling sexism, and worse, in the workplace, union says

REGULATORY STANDARDS BILL
Craig McCulloch (RNZ): Red tape or red flag? Seymour's regulation bill on trial this week
Karl du Fresne: Echoes of Citizens for Rowling
Melanie Nelson: A Framework for Control: The RSB’s Blueprint for Influence

ENVIRONMENT, CONSERVATION
Eloise Gibson (RNZ): Government told after election it would have to quit fossil fuel group if new exploration started
Eloise Gibson (RNZ): Why do the government's carbon auctions keep failing, and does it matter?
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Post): Why you’ll be hearing less from the new climate change commissioner (paywalled)
Damien Grant (Stuff): Why climate change reporting is achieving nothing
Adrian Macey and Dave Frame (BusinessDesk): Setting the reasonable terms of the methane debate (paywalled)
Andrea Vance (Post): Environmental lawsuits turning into a ‘blood sport’ ‒ Shane Jones (paywalled)
Andrew Bevin (Newsroom): Plea for Govt intervention as three more hoiho killed by fishing boats
Matthew Littlewood (ODT): Change vital after hoiho die in set nets, trust says

DEFENCE, FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Jonathan Killick (Sunday Star Times): Who is courting the New Zealand Defence Force? (paywalled)
RNZ: Prime Minister's office only given hour's notice before Winston Peters' speech dismissing 'trade war'
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Inside the Peters-Luxon clash over Trump tariffs
RNZ: Royal New Zealand Air Force establishes first dedicated space unit
Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Judith Collins launches space force as the NZDF looks to the stars
Corazon Miller (1News): Chinese consulate asks NZ film festival to can Philippine doco
John Braddock (World Socialists): New Zealand PM affirms support for NATO military escalation
Louisa Wall (Post): Recolonisation of the Pacific in all but name (paywalled)
Mike White (Sunday Star Times): South Pole murder mystery continues after 25 years (paywalled)

HEALTH
Benedict Collins (1News): 'Outrageous': Critics fume at vape store inside shop selling kids toys
Ian Powell (Newsroom): Will Govt impose a new Levy on suffering Health NZ empire?
Brian Easton (Pundit): Investing In The Public Health System
Anna Whyte (Post): Lower North Island women must travel for complex gynaecological cancer care (paywalled)
Deborah Powell (Post): Scrapping Health Charter shows Government disrespect for workforce (paywalled)
Ruth Hill (RNZ): Wellington Hospital cuts maternity and gynaecology beds for ED
Paddy Gower (Stuff): Mum’s plea for funding for gene therapy treatment Luxturna - ‘I’d beg Pharmac if I had to’
Jeremy Wilkinson (Open Justice Reporting): Security regulator warns against hospital security guards doubling as cleaners
Natalie Akoorie (RNZ): New CT scanners bring mixed blessings for Palmerston North Hospital
Natalie Akoorie (RNZ): Over half of student nurses will look overseas if jobs unavailable in New Zealand - survey
Hamish McNeilly (Stuff): New private hospital tipped for Dunedin
Marty Sharpe (Stuff): $100m hospital opening in Hastings: 6000 more surgeries a year
Davina Zimnmer (RNZ): The Detail: Rules and red tape holding back cannabis industry

WORKPLACE SAFETY, EMPLOYMENT
Press Editorial (Post): Warnings from a toxic workplace (paywalled)
RNZ: How effective has the road cone hotline been?
Jermey Sparrow (Bay of Plenty Times/Herald): Employment Relations Amendment Bill proposes contractor test, grievance limit (paywalled)
Paula Penfold (Stuff): Looming legal battle over Gloriavale slavery claims

HOUSING
1News: Q+A: Warnings of dramatic increase in 'hidden homeless' - advocate
Rachel Moore (Stuff): Mayor says police minister ‘well informed’ in saying 'sleeping rough is a lifestyle choice here'
Nicholas Jones (Stuff): Paralysed and sleep deprived on a lengthy housing wait list
Eloise Gibson (RNZ): Green housing advocates celebrate no roll back of insulation standards
Harriet Laughton (Post): Gordon Wilson Flats: Demo funding secured, wrecking ball within year (paywalled)
Deborah Morris (Post): Beach battle sparks intense townhouse debate (paywalled)

EDUCATION
Jaime Cunningham (Newstalk ZB): Thousands of school-age students unenrolled for more than a year
Stuff: More early childhood centres adopt full pay parity but wage gap remains, Office for Early Childhood Education says
John MacDonald (Newstalk ZB): The hardline stance on student loans is backfiring
Hanna McCallum & Cate Macintosh (Post): ‘Tell us how we can survive’: Polytechs on the brink (paywalled)
Hanna McCallum (Post): Whitireia and Weltec staff lose hope over proposed cuts (paywalled)
Grant Duncan: Is Newzullin' getting dumber?
Steve Braunias (Newsroom): University bookshop closes
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Alternative education rule change would change lives - providers

COVID-19
Ella Stewart (RNZ): Long Covid voices 'excluded' from inquiry hearings
RNZ: First public hearings into New Zealand's Covid-19 response to begin
RNZ: Many children suffering ongoing Covid symptoms