Election
Andrea Vance (Stuff): When these are the options, this is why I don’t vote
Claire Trevett (Herald): Behind the leaders – the National and Labour campaign players and tricks (paywalled)
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Labour lines up ducks to win big
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Herald): Labour’s policies sink other parties (paywalled)
Josh Van Veen (Democracy Project): Can we trust the polls?
Ben Thomas (Herald): Move to the political centre masked by fiddling with the fringe (paywalled)
Francesca Rudkin (Newstalk ZB): Labour and National seem afraid to rock the boat
Peter Wilson (RNZ): Week in Politics: Ardern’s Matariki masterstroke
Brent Edwards (NBR): Fact or Fiction: Holidays, tax and spending and those televised debates (paywalled)
1News: Campaign battle underway for politicians vying for Maori electorate seats
1News: Jacinda Ardern twice as likely to evoke feelings of hope than Judith Collins among adults – survey
Caitlin Ellis (Newshub): Survey: Jacinda Ardern makes voters feel more ‘hopeful’ than Judith Collins
Paul McBeth (BusinessDesk): ‘Don’t stuff the country’ – minor leaders make their pitch (paywalled)
1News: Ping pong and tractors: Hitting the campaign trail with NZ’s politicians
Steven Cowan: Andrea Vance: Rejecting lesser evil politics
Herald Editorial: Lowering the voting age – the case for and against (paywalled)
Bernard Orsman (Herald): The employment lawyer and pragmatist hoping to win Auckland Central for Labour
Joel MacManus (Dominion Post): MP Paul Eagle rules out Wellington mayoral run as Rongotai candidates clash over commitment
Paul Mitchell (Manawatu Standard): Theft of campaign hoardings costly distraction for Rangit?kei candidates
Vita Molyneux and Emma Stanford (Newshub): Police investigating after New Conservative member ‘slashed’ with knife in west Auckland
Indian Newslink: Researchers tell us how politicians use social media
Paul Brislen (Herald): Show us your tech policies
Felix Desmarais (RNZ): Stakes are high in rainbow policy debate
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Governor-General signs writ, triggering next step on road to election

Election ads
Scott Palmer (Newshub): Judith Collins releases National’s first TV ad to combat Labour’s
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Judith Collins fronts National’s first TV ad
1News: National Party releases first TV advertisement ahead of next month’s election
—————
Jason Walls (Herald): Labour Party’s new TV ad features a lot of Jacinda Ardern and not much else
Thomas Couglan (Stuff): Spotlight on Jacinda Ardern in Labour’s first big election ad
1News: Labour releases first TV ad ahead of election
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern, COVID-19 fight at centre of Labour’s first television ad

Labour
John Armstrong (1News): Labour’s tax policy is just tinkering around the edges
Jack Tame (Herald): We need bravery from our PM
1News: Q+A: Labour’s tax promise ‘politically timid’ – Fran O’Sullivan
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): ‘Soft, soft’ approach to increasing taxes – Economist Shamubeel Eaqub on Labour’s tax policy
Dan Satherley (Newshub Nation): Labour rules out free dental care for adults, citing ‘current economic environment’
Dan Satherley (Newshub): ‘Vote for someone else’ if you don’t like our tax policy – Labour MP David Parker
Mike Houlahan (ODT): ‘I am anything but complacent’: Ardern
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Labour’s 2030 ‘100 per cent renewables’ goal is realistic if Lake Onslow scheme stacks up
Newstalk ZB: Greenpeace unimpressed by Labour’s renewable energy policy
Newstalk  ZB: New Zealand Initiative criticises Labour’s renewable energy policy
CPAG: Labour’s welfare policies welcome but silence on children disappointing
Amelia Wade (Herald): Labour unveils $1b plan for the welfare system
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Beneficiaries to keep more income under $1b Labour welfare overhaul
1News: Labour policy would see beneficiaries keeping more income from part-time work
Ben Leahy (Herald): Solo mums welcome $1b govt support for uni studies and work
RNZ: Labour welfare plan would reinstate training incentive allowance
Crystal Wu and Dan Satherley (Newshub): Labour promises to bring back Training Incentive Allowance
Amelia Wade (Herald): Labour promises living wage for government’s cleaners, caterers and security guards
1News: Labour promises Living Wages to more low-paid public service workers
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Labour promises living wage for all public service contractors
Thomas Coughlan and Caroline Williams (Stuff): Labour promises living wage to all government contractors
RNZ: Labour Party’s economic plan promises Living Wage to government contractors
AAP: Analysis: Ardern shuts down talk of Jacindamania 2.0, but devoted fans follow
Brittney Deguara (Stuff): Jacinda Ardern starts on the election trail with mum and dad making breakfast, babysitting
BusinessDesk: My Net Worth – Grant Robertson, MP

National
RNZ: The Elevator Pitch: ‘We believe in people’ – Judith Collins
Victoria Young (BusinessDesk): National candidate’s questionable exit from tech firm (paywalled)
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Feebates vanish but Labour still has the more ambitious policy on car emissions
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): National wants electric cars in bus lanes as part of push to electrify fleets 
Anna Whyte (1News): National to allow EVs in bus lanes, no road user charges for two years if elected
Zane Small and Anna Bracewell-Worrall (Newshub): National would free electric vehicles of road user charges until 2023, let them use bus lanes
Daisy Hudson (ODT): Pledge to support rail link
Maori TV: National repeats claim transparency on Ihum?tao dispute a must before election

Greens 
Audrey Young (Herald): James Shaw sends wrong message about Greens to potential saviours (paywalled)
Catherine Delahunty (E-Tangata): The soul of the Green Party is at stake
Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Did the Greens just count themselves out?
Newstalk ZB: James Shaw: Greens set to play hardball after the election
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Greens want to clean up agriculture with $300m fund for farms – but there’s a catch
RNZ: Growers relish in Green Party’s agriculture policy, but National opposes
Anna Whyte (1News): Greens pledge $297m for sustainable farming, promise to tackle nitrogen pollution
RNZ: Greens promise $300M for climate friendly farming
Ireland Hendry-Tennent (Newshub): Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick gets COVID-19 test after developing ‘sniffle’
Mikaela Wilkes (Stuff): The most expensive thing Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick owns is her couch

NZ First
1News: New Zealand First again commits to fully funding St John Ambulance, if elected
Dan Satherley (Newshub): NZ First promises to fully fund ambulance charity St John
Amelia Wade (Herald): NZ First leader Winston Peters promises to increase ambulance funding
Rahul Bhattarai (Stuff): Winston ‘Regions’ Peters tells Marlborough to vote in a ‘decent’ Housing Minister
Steve Braunias (Herald): The secret diary of … Winston Peters (ft. Jack ‘James’ Tame) (paywalled)

Maori Party
Michael Neilson (Herald): Maori Party launch mokopuna policy, take care of Maori babies away
Denise Piper (Stuff): Maori Party wants new entity to stop uplift of Maori children
RNZ: Maori Party announces plan for entity to take over responsibility for Maori children in state care
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Maori Party proposes new independent child agency, says Oranga Tamariki staff ‘do not care’ about Maori babies
Maori TV: ‘Mokopuna M?ori are our greatest taonga’, Maori Party announces new polica

Advance NZ
David Fisher (Herald): Comment: A night with Billy TK – and his conspiracy theories (paywalled)
David Farrier: The red-pilling of Billy TK Jnr

Alert levels
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): New Zealand not ready for COVID-19 alert level drop – modelling expert Shaun Hendy
RNZ: Auckland alert level: ‘Run of zero days’ needed for change, expert says
RNZ: Should Auckland stay at alert level 2.5?
Hamish Cardwell (RNZ): Ready or too soon? Aucklanders divided on moving levels
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): A cautious Jacinda Ardern will make alert level decision today, as campaign resumes for another week
Derek Cheng (Herald): Why gym classes and ongoing uncertainty are stifling chances of level 1 freedom (paywalled)
Derek Cheng (Herald): Health case doesn’t mean level 3 again for Auckland — but neither is level 1 any closer for rest of NZ
Derek Cheng (Herald): Time for South Island to go to level 1, Winston Peters says

NZ’s coronavirus response
Ian Powell: Perspective Is Critical: Assessing And Improving NZ’s Covid-19 Performance
Geoffrey Miller (1News): Government was ‘way too slow’ in using NZDF to assist with Covid-19, ex-Defence Minister says
Herald: We were discriminated against says Mt Roskill church leader
Jenny Ruth (BusinessDesk): NZ covid policy better for small businesses after initial shock
Kate MacNamara (Herald):Can we put a cost on a human life? (paywalled)
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Labour MP David Parker expects COVID-19 vaccine by June
Dan Satherley (Newshub Nation): National backs not putting all the eggs in one COVID-19 vaccine basket
Bridie Witton (Stuff): High risk’ Covid-19 hotels should be ditched, replaced with purpose-built facilities – experts
1News: Megan Woods confident of ‘robust systems’ after quarantine nurse confirmed as Covid-19 case
Katie Todd (RNZ): Police right to not stop anti-lockdown protesters – science denial expert
RNZ: Advance Party and crowd rallies against Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns
1News: Tightly packed crowds of people descend on Auckland CBD for anti-lockdown protest
1News: Woman jailed for isolation hotel escape to join Advance NZ lead
Melanie Earley (Stuff): More than a thousand turn out for anti-lockdown rally in Auckland

Border policies, immigration
Keith Woodford (Interest): New Zealand’s current coronavirus border policies fail to reflect the Northern Hemisphere surge in cases and consequent enhanced risks to NZ
Gill Bonnett (RNZ): Immigration changes: Landscape shifts for workers, visitors and employers
Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Borders creaking open after seven-month shut-down as Labour plans to woo overseas investors
Matt Burrows (Newshub): Labour will relax COVID-19 border rules to allow more skilled workers in if re-elected
Anna Whyte (1News): Labour promise to set aside 10 per cent of managed isolation spots for critical overseas workers 
Herald: Labour would allocate 10 per cent of MIQ spots to foreigners
Thomas Manch (Stuff): Labour promises 10 per cent quota at border facilities for critical workers
RNZ: Border exception change comes into place
Zane Small (Newshub): Judith Collins thinks Labour was ‘cynical and political’ to say National wanted borders opened
RNZ: Fears for harvest as seasonal workers locked out due to Covid-19
Bonnie Flaws (Stuff): ‘This just cannot happen’: $9.5 billion at risk as horticulture sector struggles to fill $25-an-hour jobs
Gill Bonnett (RNZ): Govt to help stranded immigrants fly home
1News: Immigration NZ to help migrants in extreme hardship fly home
Tracy Neal (RNZ): German backpacker upset petition has fallen on deaf ears
Danielle Clent (Stuff): Auckland woman with disability wins years-long immigration battle
1News: Covid-19 ‘brain gain’ sees more than 50,000 Kiwis return home amid pandemic
—————
Lachlan Waugh (Herald): Sanzaar and NZR bosses respond to Jacinda Ardern’s claims of politics in Rugby Championship decision
1News: Jacinda Ardern: ‘SANZAAR politics’ to blame if Australia hosts Rugby Championship
RNZ: NZ quarantine rules ‘critical’ to losing Rugby Championship bid
RNZ: Queenstown needed business from missed Rugby Championship, mayor says
Richard Knowles (Stuff): Aussies get last laugh as NZ Rugby denied chance to host Rugby Championship
Gregor Paul (Herald): How self-destructive Government cost NZ Rugby Championship (paywalled)
Paul Lewis (Herald): New Zealand Government miss badly in Rugby Championship bungle (paywalled)
Herald: Wallabies coach Dave Rennie slams New Zealand Government’s quarantine rules for Bledisloe Cup

Economy
Luke Malpass (Stuff): PREFU doesn’t matter if all the parties agree anyway
Liam Dann (Herald): First recession in 11 years a reminder of the opportunity wasted (paywalled)
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): What would’ve happened to the bond market had the RBNZ not done QE?
Cameron Bagrie (BusinessDesk): Govt accounts will up ante on tax debate (paywalled)

Business
RNZ: Checkpoint: Mowbray slams big profitable companies taking wage subsidy
Anuja Nadkarni and John Weekes (Stuff): Ardern: Govt borrowing has ‘cushioned the blow’ for economy
Zane Small (Newshub): Accusation of ‘mind-blowing stupidness’ as political parties pitch their economic visions
Dita De Boni (NBR): Political leaders try to woo business audience (paywalled)
Rebecca Howard (BusinessDesk): It is all about seizing opportunity (paywalled)
Dominic Harris (Stuff): New Government must save economy and enable growth, businesses leaders say
RNZ: Businesses seek ‘economic resilience’ in government’s Covid-19 response
Maxine Jacobs (Manawatu Standard): Manawat? environmental volunteers concerned their region will miss out on Covid recovery scheme
Debrin Foxcroft (Stuff): The Warehouse workers rally for one final push against restructure plans
RNZ: Auckland, Southland report sharp falls in manufacturing activity
Jacob McSweeny (ODT): PMI hit by Covid restraints

Tourism
Amanda Cropp (Stuff): Lifeline or lottery? Questions of fairness over $400m tourism rescue scheme
Hamish MacLean (ODT): Unions feel excluded from railways agenda
RNZ: Travellers out of pocket after Airbnb refuses full refund

Unemployment
Harry Lock (RNZ): Benefit rate ‘far too low’ as more people expected to apply for jobseeker support
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Four weeks, 6000 job losses: Those on Covid-19 payment face ‘second shock’

Cannabis and euthanasia referendums
Damien Grant (Stuff): Why you don’t have the moral right to prevent an adult from smoking cannabis
1News: Maori more supportive of cannabis ‘yes’ vote than general public, new poll shows
Stuff Editorial: The legal toke and the tax take
Dominic Harris (Stuff): Criminals ‘may target children’ if cannabis is legalised – National candidate
Brent Melville (BusinessDesk): Business case for legal cannabis not cut and dried (paywalled)
Anuja Nadkarni (Stuff): Legalisation could make NZ a cannabis tourism destination
Andrew Bevin (NBR): Fishing quota seen as model for cannabis market structure (paywalled)
—————
1News: Q+A debate: David Seymour and Alfred Ngaro on legalising assisted dying
Ben Gray (Public Health Expert): Is Euthanasia a health priority for New Zealand at present?
1News: GP sets out practicalities of End of Life Choice Act, if voted for in referendum
1News: Terminally ill New Zealanders set out their view on assisted dying
1News: Sir Michael Cullen’s cancer responding well to chemo as he backs assisted dying bill
Libby Smales (Stuff): ‘Limits’ to palliative care part of case for assisted dying option

Health
Bryce Edwards (Democracy Project): Political Roundup – The missing election policy on free dental visits
Rhys Jones (E-Tangata): Inequity is not a bug in the system — it’s a feature
Vanessa Selak, Rod Jackson and Matire Harwood (E-Tangata): Racism in the academic editorial process
Alice Wilkin (Newshub): Pharmac petition calling for better bowel disease medication reaches over 25k signatures
Christine Rovoi (RNZ): Pasifika frontliners ‘risking life and limb’ on the job
Teresa Wasilewska (ODT): Those forming the fence at the top of the cliff deserve fairness
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Kiwis losing trust in safety of vaccines, less educated more likely to not have shots – study
RNZ: Countdown to limit sales of paracetamol after coroner’s report

Education
Liz Gordon (Daily Blog): Welfare and Education
David Pomeroy, Kay-Lee Jones, Mahdis Azarmandi, Sara Tolbert (The Conversation): Could academic streaming in New Zealand schools be on the way out? The evidence suggests it should be
RNZ: Teachers want answers on $11.7M private Green School fund
Pania Te Maro and Brian Tweed (Stuff): Coronavirus and education: what the lockdown taught us
Crystal Wu (Newshub): Maori doctors urge Otago Uni to protect the Maori Entry Pathway to med school
Julia Gabel (Herald): Thousands use Twitter hashtag to show impact of indigenous scholar

Live exports, Gulf Livestock 1
RNZ: MPI launches independent review into livestock shipments after Gulf Livestock 1 tragedy
RNZ: Lifestock ship tragedy was bound to happen – mariner
RNZ: Gulf Livestock 1: New Zealand looks to join search for ship’s black box
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Gulf Livestock 1: New Zealand investigating viability of searching for missing ship’s black box
RNZ: Gulf Livestock 1: Family says expanded search should be top priority
Molly Houseman (ODT): Window for rescue still open: family

Environment
Lois Williams (RNZ): Freshwater rules not fixed and final, O’Connor says
Bruce Munro (ODT): Loads of rubbish
RNZ: DOC to introduce new fines for those who break conservation rules

Housing
Stephanie Arthur-Worsop (Rotorua Daily Post): Revealed: How much Government paid Tauranga motels for emergency housing during lockdown (paywalled)
Tom Hunt (Dominion Post): Government rental rules leaves cash-strapped Wellington City Council with $18m bill
Harry Lock (RNZ): Heritage or habitabilty: Wellington’s proposed building regulation changes spur debate
Diana Clement (Interest): Landlord v tenant: how our new laws will play out
Andrew Gunn (Stuff): How much do you really want that heat pump?
Emma Hatton (RNZ): Housing market since lockdown ‘astonishing’: Eight regions have record prices
Dan Satherley and Lisette Reymer (Newshub): ‘Like it never happened’: House prices ignore economic crisis, post biggest gains in years
Liz McDonald (Stuff): Building on the rise in Christchurch as almost $1 billion of new homes approved

Child welfare
RNZ: Sunday Morning: Hungry kids at the top of Kiwis’ list of concerns, survey shows
Irra Lee (1News): ‘Six promises for 6000’ – Youth-led petition calls on MPs to increase quality of state care

Foreign affairs and trade
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): New Zealand must be ‘proactive, not provocative’ in face of ‘delicate, dangerous’ situation with China – Simon Bridges
Simon Draper (Stuff): Warnings of China using trade as a weapon ring hollow

Local government
Mandy Te and Tom Hunt (Dominion Post): Calls for pause ahead of crucial vote on Shelly Bay development, with councillor claiming information had been withheld
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Wellington City Council paying millions in rent after buildings close
RNZ: Local government income drops amid Covid-19
Ellen O’Dwyer (Stuff): Sleepyhead development might run ‘out of options’ if rezoning not granted

Te Wiki o te Reo Maori 
1News: Te Wiki o te Reo Maori kicks off today, with nationwide event at midday
Meriana Johnsen (RNZ): Morena Aotearoa: Ko te Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori
Joel Maxwell (Stuff): Boom or bust? No hard numbers, but lots of new-old students for te reo Maori
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Shane Jones calls for sackings after controversial video receives public funding

National Library
Eva Corlett (RNZ): National Library in middle of first major cull of international books

Media
RNZ: Mediawatch: A closer look at a ‘good news’ survey
Hayden Donnell (RNZ): A call for less news

Primary and extractive industries
RNZ: OceanaGold’s Macraes Mine extended for seven years
Robin Martin (RNZ): Plant opponents kick up stink over hearing charge
RNZ: NZ Dairy Industry awards review complete

Public holidays
Chris Trotter: Matariki: A Time To Begin Again
Lana Hart (Stuff): Let’s rearrange the holidays we’ve got to modernise our calendar
Alister Browne (Stuff): If we’re to have a new public holiday, why not mark our history?

Other
Sam Stubbs (Stuff): We’d all be better off if ‘open banking’ wasn’t stymied by the banks
John Anthony (Stuff): Air NZ’s cash crunch: Shane Jones accuses airline board of delaying raising funds
Sasha Borissenko (Herald): Should Peter Ellis appeal be heard from beyond his grave? (paywalled)
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): House demolished, borrower homeless but lender chasing loan
Rob Stock (Stuff): Depressed man wins $173,000 battle with insurer AIA
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): Consumer NZ lays complaint with Commerce Commission over supermarket discounts
RNZ: Auckland water rethink, despite low levels in storage
Virginia Fallon (Stuff): ‘We’ve been kind to racists for far too long’: Khylee Quince
Josephine Franks (Stuff): Ban on sex workers advertising on Trade Me, Seek ‘perpetuates shame’
Joel MacManus (Stuff): ‘So, so thrilled’: Bus drivers celebrate milestone pay deal
RNZ: ‘Insidious’ threat: ‘Organised criminal groups gaining greater access’
1News: Number of firearms seized by police has risen steadily over last decade
Lana Andelane (Newshub): New Zealand gangs: Seizing assets crucial to removing gang appeal – Police Minister Stuart Nash
RNZ: Former Cook Islands PM hailed as a hero at state memorial
Maori TV: Marine transport facility halfway between Tauranga and Gisborne receives government backing
1News: Funding of $45 million allocated for new shipping facility near East Cape
RNZ: Rio Tinto CEO, execs quit over blasting of Aboriginal sites
Te Aniwa Hurihanganui (RNZ): ‘Massive legacy’: Maori Battalion veteran Epineha Ratapu dies aged 98

Any content that has been made publicly available is attributed to general as an author. This content does not necessarily reflect the views of the site or its editor. This content is offered for discussion...