National Party leadership change – commentary, analysis
Richard Harman (Politik): Adams’ return signals what really lay behind Muller’s campaign
John Armstrong (1News): Todd Muller is capable and qualified despite uninspiring opening as National leader
Claire Trevett (Herald): Anatomy of a coup: How Todd Muller felled Simon Bridges and who helped him (paywalled)
Luke Malpass and Tracy Watkins (Stuff): How Todd Muller took Simon Bridges by surprise
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Will National’s new broom of Todd Muller and Nikki Kaye be enough?
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Todd Muller wins Nats but can he really win the country? (paywalled)
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Now comes the hard part for Team Muller (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): Fact or Fiction?: National’s new leader must turn party’s fortunes around (paywalled)
Audrey Young (Herald): National gambles on new leader Todd Muller but crucial days ahead
Audrey Young (Herald): For Simon Bridges, self-belief and rat-cunning weren’t enough (paywalled)
Fran O’Sullivan (Herald): Todd Muller makes it all about the teams (paywalled)
Jane Patterson (RNZ): Passing the baton: How different will National look under Muller?
Henry Cooke (Stuff): The first Todd Muller show felt like an attempt at the first Jacinda Ardern show
Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Analysis: Todd Muller delivers conciliatory, statesmanlike speech – but it will take more to beat Jacinda Ardern
Peter Wilson (RNZ): Spooked MPs opt for unknown Muller to avoid a rout
Claire Trevett (Herald): Todd Muller’s first days and the storm in a MAGA cap (paywalled)
Liam Hehir (Democracy Project): Rise of the blank slate political leader
Neale Jones (Stuff): Muller-mania? Yeah, nah.
Andrew Dickens (Newstalk ZB): Where Simon Bridges went wrong
Eloise Gibson (Stuff): Is Todd Muller’s National victory a win for the climate?
Steve Braunias (Herald): The secret diary of … Todd Muller (paywalled)
ODT Editorial: Fresh face, fresh hope?
Jack Tame (Newstalk ZB): Todd Muller could well be our next PM
Kerre McIvor (Newstalk ZB): Todd Muller, Nikki Kaye and the new National (paywalled)
RNZ: Checkpoint Todd Muller ‘gives National a much better chance’ – Linda Clark
RNZ: National leadership change will drive away Maori votes – Godfery
Dan Satherley( Newshub): Former National coup winner Dame Jenny Shipley backs new coup winner Todd Muller to beat Jacinda Ardern
The Hui: It’s a no from Tau – Former National MP doesn’t think Muller has what it takes to win the next election
Newstalk ZB: Katie Bradford: Todd Muller and Nikki Kaye face ‘massive task’
Newstalk ZB: Jason Walls: How Todd Muller will change the National Party
Newstalk ZB: Peter Dunne: National’s leadership move a game changer for election
Newstalk ZB: Neale Jones and Michelle Boag react to Todd Muller becoming National Party leader

National: Caucus, reshuffle
Claire Trevett (Herald): National Party leader Todd Muller’s reshuffle rebuff of Simon Bridges
Emma Cropper (Newshub): National Party source reveals who Todd Muller wants in campaign team
Craig McCullough (RNZ): Todd Muller making swift changes to National’s front bench
Hamish Rutherford (Herald): Megan Campbell said to be new National Party chief of staff (paywalled)
Dan Satherley (Newshub Nation): Friend or an enemy? New National leader Todd Muller plans to keep Judith Collins ‘close to me’
Jason Walls (Herald): Todd Muller rolls Simon Bridges to become National’s new leader – but what’s next for Judith Collins?
Emma Cropper (Newshub): Todd Muller fights to make himself household name, unite divided caucus
Jenna Lynch (Newwshub): National MPs have mixed feelings as Todd Muller takes over as leader
RNZ: Muller’s colleagues weigh in on leadership change
Melanie Carroll (Stuff): MP called ‘useless’ by Simon Bridges gets last laugh
Mike Houlahan (ODT): List MP vulnerable backing losing horse
Dan Satherley (Newshub): ‘Useless’ MP Maureen Pugh says it was an ‘easy choice’ not to vote for Simon Bridges
Paul Goldsmith (Stuff): It’s been a tough week for Simon Bridges – but this isn’t tiddlywinks
Rachel Sadler (Newshub): What National Party MPs are saying about former leader Simon Bridges on Facebook

National: MAGA
Damien Venuto (Herald): Todd Muller’s MAGA hat is not okay
Rachel Sadler (Newshub): Golriz Ghahraman ‘exhausted’ at debate over Todd Muller’s ‘MAGA’ hat
Ryan Bridge (Newshub): It’s out of control Todd Muller is being persecuted for owning a Trump hat
Dan Satherley (Newshub): ‘Both sides’ to blame for partisan breakdown in US politics – Todd Muller
Dan Satherley (Newshub Nation): Todd Muller defends owning ‘MAGA’ hat, says no one cares about his Hillary Clinton badge
Kristin Hall (1News): New National leader Todd Muller doubles down over MAGA cap in office display
Amelia Wade (Herald): New National leader Todd Muller doubles-down on Make America Great Again cap

National: Political positioning
Dan Satherley (Newshub Nation): Where Todd Muller stands on cannabis, same-sex marriage, abortion and euthanasia
Dan Satherley (Newshub Nation): Todd Muller to take on small business portfolio if elected Prime Minister
1News: New National leader says he would’ve fired David Clark over breaking lockdown rules
Kristin Hall (1News): National’s new leader Todd Muller to focus on helping small business owners
Jason Walls (Herald): National Leader Todd Muller takes over small businesses portfolio – sees it as a major focus
RNZ: Checkpoint: New National Party leader Todd Muller talks to Lisa Owen
Claire Trevett (Herald): National Party’s Todd Muller faces divided caucus, fires first shots over Labour’s bows
1News: ‘Labour has failed to deliver’ – Todd Muller gets into campaign mode as new National Party leader
Newstalk ZB: New National Party leader focused on NZ’s economic recovery
Zane Small (Newshub): Todd Muller praises Jacinda Ardern – but reveals why he thinks Kiwis will vote for National
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Todd Muller’s first speech as leader of The National Party summarised: What he’s promising to bring to the table
RNZ: New National Party leader Todd Muller: ‘I’m not interested in opposition for opposition’s sake’

National: Muller and Kaye
Dileepa Fonseka (Newsroom): Muller the ‘unflappable’
Karoline Tuckey (RNZ): Who is new National Party leader Todd Muller?
Dan Satherley (Newshub): New National Party leader Todd Muller’s favourite things
David Farrar: Todd Muller, the new National leader
David Farrar: Who is Todd Muller?
Newstalk ZB: David Farrar on National leader Todd Muller’s polling numbers
Collette Devlin (Stuff): National deputy leader Nikki Kaye says Todd Muller ‘most decent person she knows’
Christian Fuller (Hawkes Bay Today): Tukituki MP Lawrence Yule describes Todd Muller as ‘stunning individual’
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): New National Party leader Todd Muller responds to Chlöe Swarbrick’s ‘OK Boomer’ jab
1News: Hilary Barry, Jeremy Wells get to know National leader Todd Muller speed date style
David Farrar: Deputy Nikki
Alice Wilkins (Newshub): Bay of Plenty reacts to their MP Todd Muller replacing Simon Bridges as National leader

National: Bridges and Bennett
Thomas Coughlan and Henry Cooke (Stuff): Simon Bridges, the scrapper who couldn’t stop scrapping
Jehan Casinader (BusinessDesk): What Simon Bridges could have learnt from Michael Jordan
1News: Simon Bridges’ position within National to be worked out in time, new leader Todd Muller says
Lana Andelane (Newshub): Simon Bridges’ questioning of Dr Bloomfield ‘not politically clever’ – Mike Williams
1News: A look back at former National leader Simon Bridges’ life in politics
Zane Small and Matt Burrows (Newshub): The rise and demise of Simon Bridges: A timeline of his key moments as National leader
Alice Bracewell-Worrall (Newshub): A look back at the memorable moments of the Simon Bridges-led National Party
RNZ: Simon Bridges on losing National Party leadership: ‘It’s been a heck of a ride’
Herald: Defeated National Party leader Simon Bridges responds to being ousted
Matt Burrows (Newshub: Paula Bennett: The loyal National Party servant who just lost her job
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): What previous National Party leaders did after leaving top job

Role of media in National leadership contest
Colin Peacock (RNZ): Prominent pundit pulls back over Muller link
Karl du Fresne: That media feeding frenzy: what’s the point, exactly

National: Relationship with NZ First
Vita Molyneux (Newshub Nation): New Zealand First MP Tracey Martin says Labour shouldn’t rely on support in upcoming election
Audrey Young (Herald): Winston Peters says refreshing NZ First policy under Todd Muller would be ‘intelligent’
 Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Todd Muller says it’s ‘quite possible’ that ‘maybe’ National could change its position and work with Winston Peters after the election
Henry Cooke (Stuff): Todd Muller leaves door open to working with Winston Peters after election
1News: National’s new leader Todd Muller won’t rule out working with Winston Peters as election looms

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Ardern’s leadership
Damien Cave (New York Times): Jacinda Ardern Sold a Drastic Lockdown With Straight Talk and Mom Jokes
Herald: Painting of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spotted outside Auckland dairy

Coronavirus
Derek Cheng (Herald): NZ v Australia – How did the lockdown performance compare? (paywalled)
Derek Cheng (Herald): Meet Ayesha Verrall – the intrepid specialist who pushed Govt on contact-tracing (paywalled)
Lincoln Tan (Herald): Kiwis in good mental health after lockdown, survey finds
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): New Zealand on track to shift to alert level 1, but not yet – expert
Bevan Hurley and Luke Malpass (Stuff): As politicians weigh risk of reopening the bubble, a top pandemic expert says he’d happily get on a plane to Australia tomorrow
Newstalk ZB: Michael Baker on what needs to happen for move to level 1
Brad Witton (Stuff): Covid-19 vaccine ‘long way’ off, NZ could be bottom of list
RNZ: Kiwi company ‘cautiously optimistic’ on developing Covid-19 vaccine
Denise McNabb (BusinessDesk): Kiwi company enters race for covid-19 vaccine
Katherine Ravenswood (The Conversation): Low staff levels must be part of any reviews into the coronavirus outbreaks in NZ rest homes
Pounamu Jade Aikman (E-Tangata): Partnership is critical during a crisis
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Health Ministry defends time to release Covid-19 tracing app
Andrew Gunn (Stuff): The Ministry of Health’s NZ COVID Tracer app is ‘Big Brother gone mad’ …
Herald: Air New Zealand passenger shocked after social distancing rules broken
RNZ: Man arrested after refusing to wear mask on plane
1News: Two Auckland premises shut down overnight after failing to comply with Level 2 restrictions
RNZ: Two Auckland pubs shut down for breaching level two restrictions
Charlie Gates (Stuff): Church leaders call for gathering limits to be raised to 100 people
Lucy Warhurst (Newshub): Churches say it’s time they were allowed to fully reopen
Siouxsie Wiles (Stuff): Misinformation found in a quarter of Covid-19 videos

Economy
Liam Dann (Economy): Massive popularity a risk to Govt focus on rebuild (paywalled)
Brian Easton (Pundit): What The 2020 Budget Forecasts Mean
Paul Conway (Interest): Rebuild must be about improving productivity ensuring the benefits are widely spread
1News: Provincial Growth Fund reset with $600m to help economy recover
Collette Devlin (Stuff): Some projects dumped as Provincial Growth Fund prioritises quick timing
RNZ: Provincial Growth Fund to spend $600m to help economy recover
Brent Edwards (NBR): Provincial Growth Fund cash shifted to economic recovery (paywalled)
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): QE Orr’s tool of choice should the RBNZ need to do even more to prevent deflation
Leigh-Marama McLachlan (RNZ): Concerns govt lacks vision for Maori economy post Covid
RNZ: Govt provides assistance to regions hardest hit by Covid-19
RNZ: Targeted response could be needed for rural communities – NZIER

Health and disability
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Silence on funding future frustrating for New Zealand’s deaf community
Lucy Elwood (Dominion Post): Allowing cigarette sales in lockdown a ‘wake-up’ call for NZ
Dan Satherley (Newshub): How much cigarette prices have to rise to get most smokers to quit
Hannah Martin (Stuff): 68 complaints of treatment delays, issues due to Covid-19 reported
Nicholas Jones (Herald): What your hospital did to get ready, and what comes next
Phil Pennington (RNZ): New Christchurch Hospital building ‘not fit for purpose’ – board member
No Right turn: Labour is still underfunding our health system
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Health alliance shows worth
Colin McDougall (Stuff): NZ health researchers fear loss of funding due to Covid-19
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Spike in rheumatic fever cases in Wellington
Nicholas Jones (Herald): Measles victims died after catching superbugs (paywalled)
Mike Houlahan (ODT): Screening programmes resumed
Steve Forbes (RNZ): Middlemore nurse injured in attack: WorkSafe urged to act
1News: Urgent calls for action after Middlemore Hospital staff member violently attacked
Stuff: P?keh? consultant psychiatrist backs university medical school selection procedures
1News: Lack of evidence supporting medicinal cannabis benefits for arthritis sufferers – research
Murphy (RNZ): Trans NZers unable to get gender-affirming healthcare
Mike Houlagan (ODT): Suicide prevention targeted

Local government
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland Mayor Phil Goff’s $1000 Facebook habit must end
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Auckland Council reveals half billion-dollar funding shortfall thanks to COVID-19
RNZ: Auckland Council predicts $500m loss
Georgina Campbell (Herald): New legal challenge launched against Wellington’s Shelly Bay development
Damian George (Stuff): Rebuilding Wellington’s central library could cost $67m less than earthquake-strengthening
Georgina Campbell (Herald): $200m bill to repair Wellington’s closed central library
Jonathan Mitchell (RNZ): Fix or demolish: residents to get say on keeping damaged library
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Wellington’s beloved Mittens the cat awarded city’s top honour
Ben Strang and Karoline Tuckey (RNZ): Wellington celebrity cat Mittens awarded honor by mayor
1News: Celebrity cat Mittens ‘his floofiness’ awarded key to the city by Wellington’s mayor
Via Molyneux (Newshub): Wellington’s iconic cat Mittens given keys to city in ‘COVID Friendly’ ceremony
Natalie Akoorie (Herald): MP Tim Macindoe wades into tussle over land compensation at Peacocke
RNZ: Christchurch residents give council its lowest rating
Skara Bohny (Stuff): Nelson councillors not allowed on port, airport boards
Susan Botting: Mangawhai rates battle ends with $115,000 payment
Chloe Ranford: Marlborough iwi fear council plan fails to protect ‘potentially hundreds’ of sacred sites
Felix Desmarais: Rotorua mayoral, chief exec offices undergoing $1.7 million renovation
ODT Editorial: CBD plan must rise above pandemic

Building consents
1News: DIY about to get cheaper as Government relaxes need for building consents
Lana Andelane (Newshub): Government exempts home improvements, low-risk building work from consents process
RNZ: Consents for some low-risk home improvements scrapped
Tess Marshall (Newshub): Builders divided over Government scrapping consent for low-risk projects

Foreign affairs
Robert Patman: A new geopolitics will emerge from Covid-19, and NZ can be at its forefront
John Weekes (Stuff): New Zealand raises concerns over China’s contentious new security law for Hong Kong
RNZ: NZ govt concerned over China’s security law for Hong Kong
1News: Government concerned about controversial Chinese security legislation in Hong Kong
Scott Palmer (Newshub): New Zealand Government ‘reacts with concern’ as China tightens grip on Hong Kong

Business, employment, wage subsidy
Liam Dann (Herald): Job security slumps as new survey maps financial confidence (paywalled)
RNZ: Thousands of wage subsidy complaints evaluated
Victoria Young (BusinessDesk): Legal workers’ pay cuts revealed in union survey (paywalled)
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Redundant worker asks: What am I if I don’t have my job?
Gareth Vaughan (Interest): Government’s Small Business Cashflow Loan Scheme has lent more than $824 mln to more than 47,000 SMEs so far
RNZ: More jobs at risk unless conditions for alert level 1 detailed, Business NZ says
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Smiths City rescue leaves 115 staff in the cold
RNZ: Smiths City votes to go into receivership to hasten sale
RNZ: Customers vote with their wallets as retail spending dives
1News: Small businesses want banks to permanently halt Paywave fees
RNZ: Avatar producer Jon Landau on his return to New Zealand

Welfare
Tess Brunton (RNZ): Don’t leave us with no hope, Filipino migrants plead
ODT: MSD boosts job loss and employment support

New public holiday
Joel MacManus (Stuff): Race Relations boss wants New Zealand Land Wars holiday
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Call for public holiday to mark Land Wars
Stuff Editorial: Who pays for a new holiday?

Transport
Eva Corlett (RNZ): Road toll jumps back up after lockdown
1News: Air New Zealand adds to 3500 job losses with cuts to executive team
RNZ: Experienced trio exit Air New Zealand
Rebecca Howard (BusinessDesk): Air NZ – two years to lift back up to 70% (paywalled)
RNZ: Auckland Airport shelves most of $1.2 billion of works
Jordyn Rudd (1News): Work begins to shorten Auckland Airport runway after damage in touchdown area caused flight diversions
Ruth Hill (RNZ): Money problems add to Civil Aviation Authority’s woes

Environment and conservation
Amber-Leigh Woolf (Stuff): Planning for climate change amid the pandemic recovery
John Boynton (The Hui): Not so fast: Iwi wary of plans to speed up resource consents
Samuel Kilmister (Manawatu Standard): Waste seeps into Rangit?kei River for 18 months, as officials mull possible fixes

Auckland water
Zac Fleming (Newshub): Auckland’s water supply in doubt following dispute over Waikato River water usage
Zac Fleming (Newshub): Clash between Auckland and Waikato over water rights as drought worsens
Zac Fleming (Newshub): Explained: What caused Auckland’s once-in-a-generation drought
1News: Watercare wants Aucklanders to change water habits as concerns mount over drought
Brian Gaynor (BusinessDesk): Auckland’s water shortages and the process obsession (paywalled)

Education
Kate Nicol-Williams (1News): Playcentre Aotearoa says 100 centres are at risk of closure unless funding increases
Ben Leahy (Herald): Preschool teacher fee hike could leave centres short of staff: lobby
1News: Planned registration fee increase could see teachers forced out of Early Childhood Centres – survey
Samantha Olley (Herald): Ministry of Education device delivery a ‘logistical nightmare’ principals say (paywalled)
John Gibb (ODT): University of Otago lectures mostly online

Media
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Could this be the mystery Stuff bidder? (paywalled)
Paul Thompson (RNZ): Tonight we celebrate, but the party mood won’t last long
Voyager Media Awards: 2020 Winners

Sport
Mat Kermeen (Stuff): Anger at Winston Peters’ ‘make racing great again’ leads to petition against Government funding for racing industry
Herald: Sailing: Government admits Covid-19 could hit America’s Cup
RNZ: Rally New Zealand to be cancelled

Other
Paul Spoonley and Richard Shaw (Herald): Time for a new, less adversarial, approach to politics? (paywalled)
Bruce Munro: Bill Birch on Robert Muldoon, pushing the Clyde Dam project through, inequality and national crises — then and now
David Hargreaves (Interest): How the banks react over the next few months is likely to be long-remembered by the public
Hannah McQueen (Stuff): Kiwisaver: Why save for retirement when you can’t survive right now?
Andrew Barnes (Stuff): Working for good: 4 day week employees should volunteer for charities with extra time off
Maddy Lloyd (1News): Navy veteran wishes Pacific nuclear protest in 1973 didn’t happen after suffering rare cancer
David Grant (ODT): NZ’s war dissenters finally being honoured
Mihingarangi Forbes (The Hui): Fletcher called on to return Ihumatao block after collecting $68 million in taxpayer-funded wage subsidies
Helen Castles (1News): Shane Jones calls iwi’s reason for barring access to Cape Reinga ‘cultural mumbo jumbo’
Sahiban Hyde (Hawkes Bay Today): Hawke’s Bay baby uplift: One year on and mother has full access to her child
Joel Maxwell (Stuff): The future for Wellington means never going back to how we were
Kelly Dennett (Stuff): The price of literature: writers take on Government over fair pay
Joanne Carroll (Stuff): Tourism Minister backs freedom camping
Brittany Keogh (Stuff): Surge in Americans looking to move to New Zealand during pandemic
Cushla Norman (1News): Influx of potatoes from Europe could ‘decimate’ NZ industry
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Aspiring jockey Sophia Malthus paralysed at work says ex-boss’ appeal ‘extremely distasteful’ after reparations cut by over $100,000
Stuff: Audible ad featuring Clarke Gayford taken off Australian TV due to ‘dangerous’ message

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