Daily News Roundup – 20 August 2020

Border testing, quarantine facilities, alternative plans from NZ First, National, ACT
Thomas Manch (Stuff): The Covid-19 border testing saga that’s going septic amid ministers’ muddled accounts
Karl du Fresne: Incompetence is one thing, misinformation another
Jenna Lynch (Newshub): Government was advised testing all border staff wasn’t viable when Health Minister was promising it
Heather du Plessis Allan (Newstalk ZB): The Govt needs to accept blame for testing failures
Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Hotel case another sign of bureaucratic incompetence
Michael Morrah (Newshub): Concerns remain at New Zealand’s border despite Government’s sweeping new changes
1News: Air Commodore Webb confirms just 40% of Covid-19 facility staff were tested prior to new outbreak
Thomas Coughlan and Carmen Parahi (Stuff): Heather Simpson to spearhead border response, some Maori health leaders ‘gutted’
Lana Andelane (Newshub): Testing would not have stopped Rydges Hotel worker from contracting COVID-19 – Megan Woods
1News: Security association head says they’ve become ‘scapegoat’ to MIQ issues as Govt announces NZDF personnel boost
John Anthony (Stuff): Ditching private security at managed isolation will cost 300 to 600 jobs, association says
1News: Ardern hits back after Collins criticises new appointments to bolster border testing as ‘another working group’
Zane Small (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern hits back at Opposition over criticism of COVID-19 testing strategy
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Labour’s Andrew Little accuses National Party of ‘destructive’ politics over Auckland COVID-19 cluster
Zane Small (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern gives timeline of COVID-19 testing policy amid accusations of ‘systemic failure’
Amelia Wade (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern warns against expecting border perfection as troops rolled in
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Former Helen Clark adviser to head up new group to oversee Covid testing
RNZ: Managed isolation and quarantine facilities to get boost in defence force support
Lana Andelane (Newshub): Additional NZDF personnel to be deployed to managed isolation facilities, maritime border
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Ashley Bloomfield must front Parliament on border issues, National urges
Luke Malpass (Stuff): Judith Collins says Jacinda Ardern didn’t learn lessons of first Covid-19 lockdown
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): Systemic failure to blame for Auckland COVID-19 outbreak – Judith Collins
Lana Andelane (Newshub): Megan Woods questions credibility of Kiwi who says groups mingled in managed isolation
Bernard Orsman (Herald): Union leader wants source of Rydges hotel case found pronto
Zane Small (Newshub): Health Minister Chris Hipkins on the ‘frustration’ of figuring out latest COVID-19 outbreak
Jared Savage (Herald): Auckland man charged with burglary after laptop stolen from managed isolation facility at Crowne Plaza hotel in Auckland (paywalled)
RNZ: ‘We’ve certainly got capacity’: Megan Woods on space for positive cases at Covid-19 quarantine facility
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Jason Walls (Herald): NZ First leader Winston Peters calls for new Border Protection Force after frontline testing blunders
Thomas Manch (Stuff): NZ First wants a new border protection force after Covid-19 testing saga
RNZ: New Zealand First calls for border protection force, quarantine to be managed by NZDF
1News: NZ First proposes moving quarantine to military facilities, creating new Border Protection Force
Zane Small (Newshub): New Zealand First wants quarantine shifted to military facilities, long-term alternative to lockdowns
1News: NZ First denies lacking swaying power in Cabinet after apparent delays in increased NZDF deployment
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Derek Cheng (Herald): National’s border plan – Covid card for travellers, high-risk staff
RNZ: National Party to unveil plan to bolster Covid-19 border security
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Andrea Vance and Luke Malpass (Stuff): Tick. Tick podcast: ACT’s David Seymour proposes a specialised epidemic control centre

Coronavirus impact on election
Claire Trevett (Herald): Will Covid 19 lockdown II let National and NZ First back in the game? (paywalled)
Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Can National’s election campaign centre on eroding trust in Labour without harming the Covid-19 public health response?

NZ’s coronavirus response
RNZ: Government urged to launch inquiry into its pandemic response
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Is elimination still the best strategy?
James Baker (Stuff): Regional lockdowns a roll of the dice say health experts
Daniel Dunkley (Stuff): Is it time we just gave up?
Kate MacNamara (Herald): Is NZ’s elimination strategy worth the cost? (paywalled)
Rebecca Stevenson (BusinessDesk): We must test for covid before travel (paywalled)
Brittney Deguara (Stuff): How New Zealand’s ‘big surge’ compares to the US
Stuff Editorial: The surge shows you can’t keep politics out of Covid-19
James Griffiths (CNN): Trump’s comment on NZ outbreak highlights disparity in Covid responses

Auckland Level 3, checkpoints, fears for Northland, Bay of Plenty
Richard Harman (Politik): A day of salutary lessons
Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Jacinda Ardern rules out move to COVID-19 alert level 4, says edge of Auckland cluster is in sight
RNZ: Health Minister Chris Hipkins rules out Auckland moving to alert level 4
1News: Pasifika community leaders battle perceived stigma and shame of Covid-19
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Denise Piper (Stuff): Aucklanders swamp health services in small Northland town
Denise Piper (Stuff): Iwi-led checkpoints return to Northland amid fear of virus spread
Jessica Tyson (Maori TV): Te Wh?nau-?-Apanui closes borders to non-essential travellers
Herald: Big increase in vehicles turned around at police checkpoints
Melanie Earley (Stuff): Nearly 5000 cars turned around at Auckland police checkpoints
RNZ: Waiting times down at Covid-19 Auckland checkpoints, police say
RNZ: Doubt over North-South exemptions reinforced

Lockdown legality
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Government gets lucky as court finds a ‘pretty legal’ lockdown was imposed
Barry Soper (Herald): Hard to justify unlawful lockdown
David Farrar: Govt broke the law
Melissa Nightingale (Herald): Lockdown unlawful for first nine days, High Court finds, but says action was justified
Kate Nicol-Williams (1News): Early stages of Covid-19 Level 4 lockdown ruled unlawful by High Court
Jonathan Mitchell (RNZ): High Court rules some of Covid-19 level 4 lockdown was unlawful
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): First nine days of alert level 4 were unlawful, court finds

Contact tracing, testing, PPE, aged care
Jo Mckenzie-Mclean (Stuff): Frontline health works treated like ‘cannon fodder’, GP says
Robin Martin (RNZ): Confusion reigns over Covid-19 restrictions for aged care facilities
Newstalk ZB: Chief Ombudsman raises concerns over use of PPE in aged care homes
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Molly Houseman (ODT): Digital contact tracing not as good as manual – Otago study
Jamie Morton (Herald): Why authorities shouldn’t over-rely on tracing apps
Imogen Wells (1News): We can’t rely on Covid-19 tracer app – researcher warns
Rosie Gordon (Newshub): Worries not everyone is using COVID Tracer app
Kelly and Anna Pendergrast  (Spinoff): ‘Download the app, then use it’ leaves too many of us out of contact tracing efforts
Molly Houseman (ODT): Firms urged to make tracing accessible
Sophie Cornish (Stuff): Covid-19 guest registers: How many people are seeing my information?
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Jamie Morton (Herald): Why aren’t we testing close contacts twice?
Tom O’Connell (Nelson Mail): Port Nelson employees join national Covid testing push

Air New Zealand
Nita Blake-Persen (RNZ): Covid-19 testing, isolation needs urgent attention – Air NZ staff
Kristin Hall (1News): Air NZ investigating allegations of lockdown breach by flight attendant
RNZ: Air New Zealand outlines its Covid-19 measures to Minister Chris Hipkins
1News: Air New Zealand ‘strongly encouraging’ but not enforcing testing of staff in Auckland
Dan Lake (Newshub): Air New Zealand insists ‘strict protocols’ being taken to protect staff and passengers from Covid-19
John Anthony (Stuff): Air New Zealand safety measures have kept airline Covid-19 free since April, CEO says
Grant Bradley (Herald): Air New Zealand puts in place own safety measures
1News: Health Minister meets with Air NZ, says he’s not ‘100% convinced’ with air crew protocols
Grant Bradley (Herald): Why airlines are on the offensive (paywalled)

Covid-19 international response, vaccine
Herald: Female-led countries had half as many deaths as those with male leaders, analysis finds
1News: Women-led countries faring better in Covid-19 pandemic, study finds
Georgia Forrester (Stuff): Female world leaders best at handling Covid-19 response, study finds
Jamie Morton (Herald): How far away is a vaccine for NZ? (paywalled)
1News: Mandatory Covid-19 vaccine: NZ and Australia’s different approaches

Election, cannabis referendum
Meriana Johnsen (RNZ): Maori voters call for Electoral Commission to get it right this election
Maori TV: Massey lecturer wants Maori roll specialists at voting booths (video)
Maori TV: Shane Jones on the election postponement (video)
Sam Sherwood (Stuff): Poster of Jacinda Ardern with Adolf Hitler at Christchurch store causes outrage
Stuff Editorial: On deface of it, vandalised billboards are yesterday’s memes
Stuart Smith and Priyanca Radhakrishnan (Stuff): In the midst of pandemic and economic crisis voting is more important than ever
Georgie Ormond (Herald): Local Focus: Who is Alan Clay, Green candidate for Whanganui?
Georgie Ormond (Herald): Local Focus: Who is Steph Lewis, Labour candidate for Whanganui?
Georgie Ormond (Herald): Local Focus: Who is Harete Hipango, National candidate for Whanganui?
Matthew Littlewood (Timaru Herald): First Rangitata meet the candidates event draws small crowd
Newstalk ZB: Helen Clark on why she wants cannabis legalised

Greens
Michael Neilson (Herald): Toxic politics: Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick and the ‘inhuman’ nature of Parliament
Amelia Wade (Herald): Greens promise to double sick leave from 5 to 10 days and ‘explore’ rebate scheme for employers

Hamish Walker
Jason Walls (Herald): ‘I got bad advice’ – disgraced soon-to-be former National Party MP Hamish Walker breaks silence
Philip Chandler (Mountain Scene, Newstalk ZB): Walker says he will be leaving politics ‘a much stronger person’

Economic hardship, business
Matthew Theunissen (RNZ): Thousands of Aucklanders turning to food banks
Liam Dann (Herald): Which regions fared worst? Infometrics forecasts the damage
Hamish MacLean (ODT): Otago hardest hit by lockdown
Susan Edmunds (Stuff): Lockdown 2.0 having heavier impact on businesses, researchers say
Matthew Theunissen (RNZ): Auckland lockdown affecting businesses throughout NZ
Jordan Bond (RNZ): Auckland under alert level 3: Council predicts 250 jobs lost per day
John Bishop (Stuff): We Boomers are grateful, Grant – too bad if others have to foot the bill

Education
John Gerritsen (RNZ): Classroom ability ‘streaming’ racist, new research claims
Jessica Tyson (Maori TV): Streaming Maori students into low-expectation classes limits future pathways – report
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1News: Children’s Commissioner says too many Kiwi kids leaving school to help wh?nau face Covid-19 financial burdens
Emily Van Velthooven (1News): Senior high school students set to return to class under Level 3
Laura Wiltshire (Stuff): New Zealand ‘risks being left behind’ if international students can’t return
Laura Wiltshire (Stuff): Students join staff kicking back against Victoria University’s restructure plan

Migrant exploitation
Steve Kilgallon (Stuff): Vicious cycle: Why are some Indian migrants so badly exploited in NZ?
Liu Chen (RNZ): Construction workers take boss to ERA over unpaid wages

Local government
Stephen Forbes (Stuff): Questions raised over Panuku’s future funding amid uncertainty in property market
Don McKinnon (Herald): Merging CCOs will be good for Auckland (paywalled)

Taranaki Wh?nui voting, Shelly Bay
Tom Hunt (Stuff): A year of waiting to vote for the lucky ones in Taranaki Wh?nui
Meriana Johnsen (RNZ): Thousands of iwi members had no say on sale of land at Shelly Bay, report finds

Justice
Veronica Schmidt (RNZ): I was filmed in a Kmart changing cubicle
Indira Stewart (RNZ): First Up: Calls for stalking law as lockdown raises concerns for victims: “We have no protection.”

Primary industries
Rachael Kelly (Stuff): Fed Farmers boss calls on farmers to boycott freshwater plan rules
Tom Kitchin (RNZ): Regional Council chairman outraged by committee decision on outdoor burning in Hawke’s Bay

Fire and Emergency NZ
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Firefighters’ union in Employment Court over key jobs in restructure
Sophie Cornish (Stuff): Professional firefighters battle in court against Fire and Emergency NZ restructure

Meridian spill
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): NZ Steel says alleged market manipulation by Meridian cost it almost $1m
Gavin Evans (BusinessDesk): Regulator wrong on December hydro spill impacts – Meridian (paywalled)

Health
Cate Broughton (Stuff): Decision day for Canterbury health board cost cuts amid ‘leadership crisis’
Ian Powell (Second Opinion): Catalyst for the Canterbury District Health Leadership Meltdown
ODT Editorial: Changes in mental health urgent

Christchurch mosque shootings
Alexander Gillespie (The Conversation): Jailing the Christchurch terrorist will cost New Zealand millions. A prisoner swap with Australia would solve more than one problem
Mosque shooter sentencing: Authorities not saying if gunman’s family will attend

Other
Luke Kirkness (Herald): Fake news and misinformation: Kiwis class info they disagree with as fake news
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Global facial recognition company working closely with NZ govt
Todd Niall (Stuff): Private sale of fireworks won’t be banned after proposal rejected by MPs
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Finance Minister assures delayed loan scheme for quake prone apartments just months away
Priscilla Dickson (Newshub): Can employers make staff get tested for COVID-19?
Jono Galuszka (Stuff): ?hakea water scheme to avoid PFAS contamination should be ready by Christmas 2021
Amanda Cropp (Stuff): Pricey face masks spark 240 complaints to Government watch dog
RNZ: More than 8900 critical buildings in tsunami evacuation zones – report
Michael Daly (Stuff): More than 430,000 Kiwis live in tsunami evacuation zones
Bronson Perich (Maori TV): Keep dole for over-25s and raise school leaving age – Maori analyst
Lana Andelane (Newshub): New Zealander of the Year: Ashley Bloomfield, Jacinda Ardern, Patrick Gower and Mittens in the running