News Briefing: 28 January 2025
GOVERNMENT, PARLIAMENT, PUBLIC SECTOR
Chris Trotter (Interest): Seeking growth unambitiously, the easy way
Gordon Campbell (Scoop): On The Government’s Gaslighting About Growth
Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Asset sales: Government starts the mood music for privatisations (paywalled)
Giles Dexter (RNZ): Greens accuse Prime Minister of softening language on privatisation
Jamie Ensor (Herald): Chlöe Swarbrick calls for Christopher Luxon to ‘end all speculation’ about privatisation as Parliament returns
Kate MacNamara (Herald): Highest chief executive payout triggered by change in Government: $532,500 (paywalled)
Bernard Hickey (The Kākā): Soliloquy for Monday Jan 27
Natalia Albert: David Seymour is not Donald Trump
Grant Duncan: 2025: what's up in Aotearoa New Zealand?
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Regulatory Standards Bill champion defends its principles (paywalled)
Kelly Dennett (Post): Jacinda Ardern meticulously documented her governance, now it’s a documentary (paywalled)
Mike Fleming Jr (Deadline): Sundance: Jacinda Ardern On Her Docu ‘Prime Minister’
MĀORI-CROWN RELATIONS
Laura Walters (Newsroom): Experts, political figures consider Treaty principles debate beyond bill
Joel MacManus and Lyric Waiwiri-Smith (Spinoff): What you missed from day one of the Treaty principles bill select committee hearings
Jo Moir and Lillian Hanly (RNZ): Select Committee Treaty Principles Bill submissions hearings begin
Eva Corlett (Guardian): Bill to reinterpret founding treaty with Māori would make New Zealand a ‘laughing stock’, MPs told
Julia Gabel (Herald): Treaty Principles Bill: Sharp arguments for and against as Parliament wraps up first day of hearings
Julia Gabel (Herald): Treaty Principles Bill: Christopher Finlayson tells David Seymour ‘be very careful what you wish for’
Glenn MCConnell (Stuff): 9 hours done, another 71 to go for Treaty Principles hearings
Kelly Dennett (Post): David Seymour says Treaty principles movement will succeed eventually (paywalled)
Daniel Perese (Te Ao Māori News): Treaty Principles Bill: ‘Subjugate, humiliate, assimilate, oppress’ – First submissions heard
Brent Edwards (NBR): Treaty Principles Bill select committee hearings begin today (paywalled)
Stewart Sowman-Lund (Spinoff): Treaty bill hearings will cast a long shadow
Simon Wilson (Herald): Bill English’s Waitangi lessons for Christopher Luxon (paywalled)
Kevin Norquay (Post): Waitangi Day: Not perfect, but beats Australia Day hands down (paywalled)
Michael Bassett (Bassett, Brash and Hide): Reforming the Waitangi Tribunal
CTU MOOD OF THE WORKFORCE SURVEY
Rob Stock (Post): Mood of the Workforce: Workers believe Govt has undermined workers (paywalled)
Rob Stock (Post): Mood of the Workforce: Winston Peters takes top spot for workers ranking ministers (paywalled)
Rob Stock (Post): Workers want capital gains tax, CTU survey shows (paywalled)
FAST TRACK, MINING, ENVIRONMENT, CONSERVATION
Nick Rockel: Money Changes Everything - Fast-Track bill to pay dividends for coalition donors
Oliver Lewis (BusinessDesk): Seabed mining project a 'great argument' for fast-tracking (paywalled)
Chris Lynch: $4 million spent on Kauri tree research using whale song and whale-oil potions
Centrist: Taxpayers’ Union alleges government director funnelled millions into own organisation to play whale songs to trees
Eloise Gibson (RNZ): Fonterra caught up in misinformation around use of feed additive Bovaer
Philip Seddon and Yolanda van Heezik (ODT): Total effort needed to save hoiho
Jamie Morton (Herald): Science shows when things turned bad for the Hauraki Gulf’s snapper (paywalled)
DIGITAL NOMADS, IMMIGRATION
Thomas Manch (Post): Digital nomads ‘bums on seats’, but value to NZ questioned (paywalled)
Fox Meyer (Newsroom): New visa targets digital nomads with deep pockets
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Are ‘digital nomads’ an answer to the country’s economic growth dilemma?
Anneke Smith (RNZ): 'Digital nomad' visa change getting overseas interest - business expert
Dan Brunskill (Interest): Digital nomads welcome in new ‘yes’ economy
Stuff: Visitor visa requirements to be relaxed, ministers say
Tom Pullar-Strecker and Thomas Manch (Post): NZ to offer ‘digital nomad’ visas as next step to grow economy (paywalled)
Jonathan Mitchell (NBR): Govt tweaks visitor visa to attract ‘digital nomads’ (paywalled)
Rachel Moore (Stuff): Recruitment agencies say more Americans wanting to move to New Zealand
Brianna McIlraith (Stuff): NZ’s worst financial years - and how 2024 compares
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Gwynn Compton: Luxon misleads over cycleways being responsible for rates increases
Harriet Laughton (Post): The Wellington City councillors and their long to-do lists (paywalled)
Mike Yardley (Press): Local body elections carry whiff of ‘indie wave of 2013’ (paywalled)
RNZ: Hearings will decide fate of contentious wastewater plant on Banks Peninsula
Hamish McNeilly (Stuff): All aboard? Council owned rail company to get lifeline
Grant Miller (ODT): Train service on track to return (paywalled)
Mark John (ODT): Disappointment as DCC hits brakes on trail
Matthew Littlewood (ODT): $92m tag for new landfill (paywalled)
Matthew Littlewood (ODT): Treatment plant confirmed as avian botulism source (paywalled)
Hamish MacLean (ODT): ORC outlines steps sought for QLDC plant (paywalled)
HOUSING
Mary Williams (ODT): Homeless still housed in motels (paywalled)
Joel MacManus (Spinoff): Windbag: Luxon’s culture of saying no to housing
Brittany Keogh (Post): Housing project brings 134 new homes to Lower Hutt (paywalled)
FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE
Lydia Lewis (RNZ): NZ's 'diplomatic tiff' with Kiribati could push it closer to China, warns expert
RNZ: New Zealand's aid for Kiribati under review after meeting cancelled with Winston Peters
1News: Trump names NZ ambassador, Peters makes first call to new administration
EDUCATION
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Seven charter schools set to open in coming weeks
RNZ: Checkpoint: Variety chief executive says school costs impossible for some parents
Maddy Croad (Press): The price of poverty: Thousands of children to start school year without basics (paywalled)
ODT: Time to rethink school uniforms, expert says
Herald Editorial: Back-to-school costs crippling for many Kiwi families (paywalled)
HEALTH
Cécile Meier (BusinessDesk): Health NZ's consulting bill up 20% (paywalled)
Emily Writes: Will Simeon Brown try to shut down Family Planning?
Mariné Lourens (Press/Post): Call for more Govt funding as new survey highlights radiologist shortage (paywalled)
Mariné Lourens (Press/Post): Radiologists struggling with burnout, workforce shortages - survey (paywalled)
Jordan Williams (Kiwiblog): Was the tobacco tax change done with industry knowledge?
Post: ‘There’s really no actual help available’ (paywalled)
RETIREMENT
Kirk Hope (Post): How NZ’s retirement system compares with Australia’s (paywalled)
Gyles Beckford (RNZ): Sums needed for retirement ease slightly on back of lower inflation and spending
Brianna McIlraith (Stuff): Less than $500k savings enough for most retirees, report finds
Jaime Lyth (Herald): New Zealand retirement savings report reveals the metro/provincial divide
Kevin Norquay (Post): A ‘no frills’ retirement could be more affordable than you think (paywalled)
MEDIA
Tracy Watkins (Sunday Star Times): Whose eyes can we trust? (paywalled)
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Jonathan Underhill – a personal obituary (paywalled)
Nicholas Pointon (NBR): NZME job cuts will save $4m, source says (paywalled)
Jenée Tibshraeny (Herald): Inland Revenue applies to liquidate radio host and businessman Nick Mills’ hospitality companies
Andrea Vance (Post): Nick Mills ‘devastated’ after talks over $1m tax bill break down (paywalled)
Moera Tuilaepa-Taylor (RNZ): RNZ Pacific - 35 years of broadcasting to the region
JUSTICE
Andrea Vance (Post): Complaints could warrant under-fire judge’s removal from office, watchdog says
RNZ: Inquiry into judge's conduct recommended after abuse of Winston Peters
David Harvey: The Debate Continues
TRANSPORT
Brent Melville (NBR): Floodgates could open after KiwiRail agrees ferry compensation (paywalled)
Tom Hunt (Post): Depression-era Wellington train safety tech finally retired (paywalled)
Nevil Gibson (NBR): Cabinet approves huge hike in aviation levies (paywalled)
Simon Shepherd (NBR): Podcast: Investigate the airlines says Auckland Airport CEO (paywalled)
Nick James (RNZ): Bus lane camera clocks up $220k in fines in just over a month
Phoebe Utteridge (Stuff): The ‘nerve wracking’ cycleway that cars accidentally drive down
TOURISM
Andrew Bevin (Newsroom): PM’s tourism drive comes at a cost – to the tourists
Francesca Rudkin (Newstalk ZB): Can the Government get tourism numbers back up?
AUCKLAND ANNIVERSARY FLOODING
Felix Walton (RNZ): Auckland Anniversary floods: Scars still linger two years on from storm
Erin Johnson (Stuff): Neighbours stressed and in limbo after house removals
OTHER
Chelsea Daniels (Herald): The Front Page: Privacy spotlight: How surveillance tech tracks retail crime
Annemarie Quill (Stuff): ‘Bugger off’: ‘Thousands’ oppose family’s eviction from inherited land, delivered by police in six vehicles during a tangi
Adam Burns (RNZ): Sacred urupa in Canterbury to be handed back to local iwi
Avina Vidyadharan (Waikato Times): Ten-year Whakapapa ski field lease proposal goes to public consultation (paywalled)
Emily Simpson (1News): Will Trump's rollback of transgender rights have an impact in NZ?
Lynn Charlton (Post): Rodeo deaths highlight need for sorting animal welfare rules (paywalled)
Ruairi O'Shea (Consumer NZ): New Zealand left behind by rest of the world on payment technology
Dan Richardson (Post): The next major cyber attack is coming - are we prepared? (paywalled)
Jonathan Mitchell (NBR): Insurers dumping multi-policy discounts following FMA actions (paywalled)
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