Daily News Roundup – 17 April 2020

Democracy and parliament
Bryce Edwards (Guardian): New Zealand’s Covid-19 strategy looks successful, but we must safeguard democracy
Liam Hehir (Democracy Project): The many deaths of Simon Bridges
Peter Dunne: Crossroads are looming for the National Party
Heather Roy (Democracy Project): Bring back our democracy
Mark Longley (Newshub): Trump v Ardern: How our Prime Minister trumped the most powerful man in the world

Economy
Matthew Hooton (Herald): Long-term impact on health must trump today’s fears (paywalled)
Brent Edwards (NBR): The balancing act of coming out of lockdown (paywalled)
Herald: Sir John Key’s economic warning for New Zealand
Ben Leahy (Herald): Eliminating virus in NZ is ‘pie in the sky’ fantasy, former finance minister
Anne Gibson (Herald): Government support aiming to avoid Great Depression-style slump – economist Tony Alexander (paywalled)
Melanie Carroll (Stuff): Kiwis’ economic pain a big challenge for NZ banks, says RBNZ
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Orr: ‘The banking system will play a critical part, but even that has a limit to it’
Rebecca Howard (BusinessDesk): Sluggish global recovery NZ’s biggest economic challenge – Orr (paywalled)

Public health strategy, measures
Jamie Morton (Herald): Six arguments against lockdown – and where they fail (paywalled)
Herald: University of Auckland health researchers back Govt’s lockdown plan
Pauline Norris and Tim Stokes (Newsroom): ‘Plan B’ is blatantly unfair
Derek Cheng (Herald): The Government’s polished rhetoric versus the raw reality (paywalled)
Peter Griffin (BusinessDesk): Covid-19 tracing complexities require a better approach (paywalled)
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Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Random testing to give insight into Covid-19 spread
1News: Ministry of Health widens community testing to include some supermarkets
Annabelle Tukia (Newshub): Queenstown supermarket shoppers participate in random virus testing
RNZ: Random testing centre set up in Queenstown for community
Brittany Keogh (Stuff): Suicide, PTSD to rise significantly after Covid-19, report predicts

Health system, health workers, rest homes
1News: Canterbury DHB tells at-risk Burwood Hospital cleaner to ‘come in’ or ‘take leave’
RNZ: Three Burwood Hospital staff test positive for Covid-19
Rowan Quinn (RNZ): Burwood Hospital workers only now given N95 masks, visors
Michael Morrah (Newshub): Middlemore Hospital asks staff to decontaminate, reuse PPE
LIu Chen (RNZ): PPE recycling bins plan a concern for Counties Manukau nurses
John McKenzie (1News): Otago medical centre demands apology over flu vaccine shortage – ‘We don’t have them’
Perry Wilton and Dan Satherley (Newshub): Kiwi flu studies expand to include COVID-19
RNZ: ‘Pharmacies run off their feet’: People waiting days for prescriptions
RNZ: Spike in mental health calls to Lifeline

Level 3 details released
1News: Full document: Government outlines what life would look like under Alert Level 3
Henry Cooke (Stuff): The Government will need to trust New Zealanders for Level 3 to work as the rules are far blurrier
Claire Trevett (Herald): Covid 19 level 3 a lockdown-lite, but with surf and turf (paywalled)
Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Govt learns from lockdown lapses with new guidance
Henry Cooke and Thomas Manch (Stuff): Life under Covid-19 alert level 3 will be at home but in a slightly larger ‘bubble’
Laura Wiltshire, Henry Cooke and Thomas Manch (Stuff): Alert level 3 explained: What can you do if and when the coronavirus lockdown is lifted?
Adam Dudding and Eugene Bingham (Stuff): Coronavirus NZ podcast: Bubble trouble part II – understanding the new-look Level 3
RNZ: Checkpoint: Covid-19 alert level three questions, answered by the Police Minister
Priscilla DIckinson (Newshub): Alert level 3 guidelines ‘sensible’, ‘good news’ for business – industry leaders
BusinessDesk: Don’t rush lockdown exit – CTU (paywalled)
Melanie Carroll (Stuff): Workforce to double at alert level 3, PM says
1News: Travel still restricted to within your region under Alert Level 3
Matt Burrows (Newshub): What dropping to COVID-19 alert level 3 means for how we travel
Emma Hatton (RNZ): Details on alert level 3 provides relief for some industries
Piers Fuller (Stuff): Drop to Level 3 may not be enough to save main street retail in small towns
Sophie Ryan (Herald): ‘Lifeline’ for hospitality industry as takeaway and delivery options outlined for level 3
Damian George and Kate Green (Stuff): Level 3 restrictions ‘no better than level 4’ for struggling hospitality sector
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): Alert level 3 spells ‘carnage’ for hospitality industry, warns expert
1News: Cafes and restaurants can reopen with restricted takeaway services under Alert Level 3
Paul McBeth (BusinessDesk): Direct customer interaction out of bounds in level 3 (paywalled)
RNZ: Act Party leader David Seymour gives govt dressing down over retail sector restrictions
Jo Lines-MacKenzie (Stuff): Schooling up to Year 10 would resume for some under Covid-19 alert level 3
Matthew Tso (Stuff): Greater freedom for recreational activities under level 3
1News: Hunting, boating still not allowed if New Zealand drops to coronavirus Alert Level 3
Zane Small (Newshub): ‘Frustration, stress and narking’ if alert level 3 rules ‘not clearly understood’ – psychologist

World Health Organisation
1News: NZ won’t cut funding to WHO but will seek answers for ‘underperforming’, Winston Peters says
RNZ: Regional health figure calls for Helen Clark’s lead against Covid-19

Wage subsidy, employment
Conan Young (RNZ): Wage subsidy complaints soar, including employer fraud – Labour Inspectorate
Reweti Kohere (NBR): Law firms defend asking for government help (paywalled)
Kylie Klein-Nixon (Stuff): Struggling real estate agents claim $6m-plus in Covid-19 wage subsidies
Glen Scanlon (RNZ): New Zealand workers overseas eligible for wage subsidy
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Fletcher staff miss out on annual leave top-up
Andrew Barnes (Stuff): How the four day week provides a blueprint for a better society post-Covid-19
RNZ: Migrant workers hit hard: ‘It’s almost too big to comprehend’

Pay cuts for elites
Bryce Edwards (Democracy Project): Political Roundup: A powerful but tiny gesture from leaders under pressure
Stuff Editorial: MPs should follow Ardern’s lead and take a voluntary pay cut
Peter Williams (Newshub): The Prime Minister’s pay cut wasn’t a display of leadership
Steven Cowan: Jacinda Ardern’s meaningless and insulting gesture
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Cutting MPs’ pay appropriate way for House of Representatives to reflect Kiwis’ struggle – David Seymour
Evan Harding (Southland Times): Shadbolt won’t donate portion of his salary during Covid-19 pandemic
Chloe Ranford (Stuff): Marlborough council boss offers ‘zero’ wage increase
Natalie Akoorie (Herald): Governor-General, HDC watchdogs to give 20 per cent of pay to charity for six months
Amelia Wade (Herald): Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy to donate 20 per cent of her pay to charity
1News: Governor-General to donate 20% of salary over six months to charities

Business
Catherine Harris (Stuff): Which businesses might be winners out of the Covid-19 carnage?
Ingrid Cronin-Knight (Stuff): Government’s rescue package a lifeline for small businesses
Kirk Hope (Herald): Small business may need more support to survive (paywalled)
Anuja Nadkarni (Stuff): Harvey Norman agrees to pay 50 per cent rent to kick off negotiations with landlords
Lydia Batham (RNZ): Fears NZ’s main shopping strips may not survive Covid-19

Trade
Brian Fallow (Herald): Recovery mission an all-Kiwi affair (paywalled)
Hamish Rutherford (Herald): Former trade negotiator warns New Zealand could end up more dependent on agriculture, China (paywalled)
Anna Whyte (1News): New Zealand needs to ease trade reliance on China post Covid-19 – trade expert
Zane Small (Newshub): Wrong move banning manufacturing during COVID-19 lockdown, trade expert tells MPs
1News: Exporters eager to start trading as China bounces back following Covid-19 crisis

Environment and conservation
Richard Harman (Politik): Behind the scenes at Parker’s freshwater battle
Troy Baisden (The Conversation): Polluted, drained, and drying out: new warnings on New Zealand’s rivers and lakes
Michael Neilson (Herald): Fresh water? Dire warning for New Zealand’s lakes, rivers and streams
Dewi Preece (1News): Grim freshwater quality report finds urgent action needed to avoid ‘irreversible damage’
Eva Corlett (RNZ): Freshwater quality decline threatens native species – report
Michael Daly (Stuff): Little known about non-natural chemicals increasingly being found in environment
Lois Williams (RNZ): West Coast freshwater goals on hold due to Covid-19
Skara Bohny (Stuff): Lockdown sees Nelson’s recycling dumped at the landfill
Michael Neilson (Herald): Auckland under ‘voluntary’ water restrictions as dam levels sink below 50 per cent

Education
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Principals concerned over level 3 reopening: ‘It’s going to be a shambles’
1News: Principals express serious concerns about returning some students to school at Alert Level 3
Dubby Henry (Herald): Auckland Uni to stay online until mid-year
Sela Jane Hopgood (RNZ): New online lecture series about the Pacific, for the Pacific

Media
Gavin Ellis (Democracy Project): NZ democracy needs the media to survive Covid-19
Hayden Donnell (NRZ): News bosses grapple with the collapse of their funding model
Colin Peacock (RNZ): Media make the case for emergency help
Dan Satherley (Newshub): Can the NZ media survive the pandemic?
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Stuff staff asked to accept 15% pay cut for 12 weeks after huge drop in advertising
RNZ: Stuff employees asked to take a 15 percent pay cut
Victoria Young (BusinessDesk): Stuff staff asked to take pay cut as ad revenue halves

Repatriation
Jordan Bond (RNZ): Repatriation flights still on course, despite prohibitory cost
RNZ: Govt arranging flight home from Philippines
Mitch McCann (Newshub): Kiwis stuck in Saudi Arabia plead with the Government to come home

Transport
Dan Lake (Newshub): Air New Zealand plans to axe all Boeing 777 cabin crew as part of company downsizing
Andre Chumko (Stuff): Wellington Airport proposes to cut 30pc of workforce, runway extension pushed out

Primary industries
Georgia May Gilbertson (Stuff): Horticulture and wine sector face challenges once Level 4 lowers
Samesh Mohanlall (Timaru Herald): Fourteen meat workers tested after positive Covid-19 result
1News: Farmers face uncertainty over whether biggest day on sharemilking calendar will go ahead

Local government
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland Airport capital raising ‘a bit rough’ on Auckland Council
RNZ: Council approves rent relief for Queenstown businesses, residents
Harry Lock (RNZ): Wellington council to borrow up to $16m to fix broken pipes

Pacific
Dominic Godfrey (RNZ): Samoa govt pushes major change under cloak of Covid-19 – law society
Christine Rovoi (RNZ): Fiji govt at odds with magistrate over Covid-19 curfew ruling
Christine Rovoi (RNZ): Suva lockdown to continue until Covid-19 screening targets are met
RNZ: Niue elections scheduled for next month

Housing
Nita Blake-Persen (RNZ): Landlords not helping in crisis, renters say
Brittany Keogh (Stuff): Concern Covid-19 will thrive in New Zealand’s cold, damp homes

Homeless
Alice Wilkins (Newshub): Charity says COVID-19 a ‘blessing in disguise’ for Rotorua’s homeless
Mandy Te (Stuff):Lockdown causes Wellington Night Shelter to relook at how it operates

Sport
Andrew Voerman and Paul Cully (Stuff): All Blacks, Black Ferns, and Super Rugby players opt for a 50 per cent freeze on payments
RNZ: NZR freezing 50 percent of player payments for 2020
Felicity Reid (RNZ): Sports organisations urged to revise ticket prices when competitions resume

Other
Guyon Espiner (RNZ): Recommendations to push back release of virus-risk prisoners condemned
1News: Winston Peters: Border restrictions could be relaxed for ‘trans-Tasman bubble’ during pandemic
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): New Zealand thanked in phone call between US Secretary of State and Winston Peters
RNZ: New Maori Party co-leaders a ‘missed opportunity’ – Sandra Lee
RNZ: Scrap rules on benefits for people in relationships, CTU says
Matt Burrows (Newshub): Kaikohe couple ‘harassed’, ‘illegally detained’ at COVID-19 community roadblock on trip to supermarket
RNZ: ‘It’s a pretty lonely time’: Overseas troop rotation postponed
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Why the $50m for a visa idea is a good one
Chris Keall (Herald): Has it taken a hit? Oh boy yes. Lotto reveals lockdown sales, revenue hit (paywalled)
Katie Scotcher (RNZ): Royal Commission staff unable to access mosque shootings material from home
RNZ: Nation’s first e-store to process 7500 online orders per week