Parliament, and end of year reviews
Chris Trotter (Interest): How the state was reclaimed for the people
Richard Shaw (The Conversation): 2020 hindsight: can New Zealand apply the political lessons of COVID-19 in the year ahead?
‘Stuff political reporters’ (Stuff): How good were our political predictions for 2020? Well … we missed Covid-19
Vita Molyneux (Newshub): David Seymour calls Jacinda Ardern a ‘superb leader’ in rare public praise
RNZ: ‘Doomscrolling’ is word of the year for 2020 – Public Address
1News: Dancing with Neve to ‘bad children’s music’ is Jacinda Ardern’s new fitness regime
Point of Order: Mr Speaker wrongly cried “rape”, and then apologised – now let’s see if he becomes Sir Trevor
Economy and work
RNZ: The Warehouse Group to repay $68m wage subsidy
1News: The Warehouse Group to repay $68 million wage subsidy
Sam Stubbs (Stuff): Why a $20 minimum wage is good for business
Charles Waldegrave (Herald): Raising minimum wage way for New Zealand to bring about inclusive growth, productivity (paywalled)
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): Tough 2021: Early signs of debt stress creeping up (paywalled)
Victoria Young & Andy Fyers (BusinessDesk): Hanging on: Liquidation figures decline (paywalled)
Donal Curtin (Economics New Zealand): Where is fiscal policy going?
Brent Edwards (NBR): Government buoyed by GDP growth but challenges lie ahead (paywalled)
RNZ: Tiwai Point smelter: Uncertainty for workers, local economy and environment
Michael Reddell: Productivity, Productivity Commission, and all that
Covid, vaccine, and border
Cas Carter (Stuff): NZ tops the brand charts for 2020 – but how do we take advantage in a world of Covid?
Otago Daily Times: Editorial – The lucky Covid country
Stuff: New Covid-19 variant hasn’t yet been identified in New Zealand, but expert says likely to get here
RNZ: Epidemiologist Michael Baker: ‘We will be bringing this virus into New Zealand’
John Anthony (Stuff): Covid-19: Trans-Tasman bubble unlikely to open as planned due to Sydney outbreak, economist says
Aaron Dahmen (Newstalk ZB): There’s an isolating curse to our Covid freedom
Amelia Wade (Herald): Top epidemiologist warns what Sydney’s Covid-19 outbreak means for New Zealand
Rebecca Howard (Business Desk): New waves of covid-19 could pop bubble (paywalled)
Pattrick Smellie (Business Desk): NZ’s Pacific diplomacy – vaccines, aid and China (paywalled)
Housing
Miriam Bell (Stuff): Addressing the housing crisis: What NZ can learn from other countries
Jordan Bond (RNZ): Residents express hopelessness as houses in poverty-hit Otara sell for $1m
Jenny Ruth (BusinessDesk): Mortgage advisers say banks are more willing to lend
Health
Susan Strongman (RNZ): Lack of South Auckland abortion services ‘unacceptable’
Bridie Witton (Stuff): Pharmac to fund two new type-2 diabetes medicines, targeting Maori and Pacific patients
Ruth Hill (RNZ): Kiwis going into debt to pay for drugs other countries fund
Danielle Clent (Stuff): Covid-19: ‘Significant’ disruption to primary healthcare caused by coronavirus
Louisa Steyl (Stuff): Clinical council advises SDHB to cancel surgeries in Invercargill and Dunedin
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Issues remain with informed consent around hospital procedures
Local government
Dave Armstrong (Stuff): Thanks to my state-of-the-art app, there’s an apology in the pipeline
Tom Hunt (Stuff): Ratepayers pay $92,000 for membership of libertarian think-tank
Hamish McNeilly (Stuff): Dunedin councillor loses legal case over $12 parking ticket fallout
Rob Kidd (ODT): Vandervis fails in legal battle
Climate change and environment
Catherine Groenestein (Stuff): Biogas could help reduce New Zealand’s emissions – study
Olivia Wannan (Stuff): NZ wastes a Tiwai smelter-sized chunk of power each year
Media
Gavin Ellis: Before I was rudely interrupted…
Carol Hirschfeld (Stuff): How Stuff tackled the 2020 election, in the shadow of Covid-19
Stuff: Corrections wins bid to stop Stuff journalist interviewing Phillip John Smith
Other
Phil Pennington (RNZ): Spy partners’ focus dictated lack of Far Right intelligence, GCSB boss says
Keith Locke (The Spinoff): What’s missing from the report into the Christchurch terrorist attack
Isaac Davison (Herald): Auckland City Mission says demand for food parcels and gifts soaring ahead of Christmas
Stuff: Editorial – Not all good outcomes are attained by hot pursuit
Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): Water reforms come with $46b bill (paywalled)
Katy Jones (Stuff): Iwi teams up with students to ensure ownership within grasp for wh?nau
Te Aniwa Hurihanganui and Hamish Cardwell (RNZ): Questions raised after police officers stop youths to take their photos
Daily News Roundup – 22 December 2020
Latest
Biden Giving Aid and Comfort to Enemies
The president, his vice president and other government officials are creating an atmosphere where an assassination becomes more and more likely.
They Were Told Not to Go
Lebanese ‘Australians’ expect the taxpayer to save them from the consequences of their actions
[The Good Oil] Stuff Up of the Day
Check out the latest media stuff ups both locally and around the world.
Laughter Is the Best Medicine
This regular daily post is the place to joke and banish negative thoughts.