Daily News Roundup – 6 April 2021

Mental health crisis
Kyle MacDonald (Herald): Jacinda Ardern has failed us on mental health – and it’s only going to get worse (paywalled)
Henry Cooke (Stuff): ‘A lot of data and negative statistics’: Inside the battle behind dramatic edits and huge delays to a Government mental health report
Tess McClure (The Guardian): New Zealand mental health crisis has worsened under Labour, data shows
RNZ: Government failing to tackle mental health crisis – Foundation

Housing crisis
Bryce Edwards (Democracy Project): State builds missing from govt housing package
Jade Kake (Stuff): We’ve lost sight of houses as places to live, now they’re just assets
Kevin Berry (Stuff): Tax changes ‘harm people the Government should be helping’
Martin Farrer (The Guardian): Bubble or boom? Why ultra-low interest rates mean house prices may never bust
Sasha Borissenko (Herald): Which MPs own the most property – part 2 (paywalled)
Kelly Makiha (Herald) Homeless crisis: Top 10 emergency housing motel earners in Rotorua revealed (paywalled)
Cameron Bagrie (BusinessDesk): Housing is important, but what about rents? (paywalled)
Jack Tame (Newstalk ZB): What can home owners do for the housing crisis?
Steven Joyce (Herald): Government’s direction – Forward into the past (paywalled)
Janine Starks (Stuff): Here’s why tenants shouldn’t worry about housing changes
Andrew Bayly (Herald): The big housing card the Government should be playing (paywalled)
Rachael Kelly (Stuff): Southland rents may rise in wake of Government housing policy changes
John Berry (Stuff): If it’s goodbye residential property, what’s next?
Dan Bidois (Stuff): Don’t vilify home-buyers, just get on and build more houses
Bryan Gould: Minimum wage? Property investors? Don’t touch our profits
Troy Bowker (Herald): Labour tax changes – Broken promises and a socialist agenda (paywalled)
David Hargreaves (Interest): Disappearing under a mountain of mortgage money
John Anthony (Stuff): Builders have been stockpiling timber as they brace for supply shortage, builders’ association says
Ben Leahy (Herald): Auckland investment home buyer says auctions sending house prices sky high
RNZ: House prices up 16% – first-home buyers feel ‘squeeze’
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Housing: National’s David Bennett knocks down Labour over ‘rubbish’ investor claims

Covid
Derek Cheng (Herald): Will NZ be left high and dry in global movement for vaccinated countries? (paywalled)
Derek Cheng (Herald): Jacinda Ardern, Cabinet set to approve New Zealand-Australia transtasman travel bubble
RNZ: Covid-19: We’re ready for trans-Tasman travel bubble – Epidemiologist Michael Baker
Audrey Young (Herald): NZ poised for new sense of freedom with transtasman bubble (paywalled)
Herald: Editorial: Virus-like fever of political prickliness spreading around (paywalled)
RNZ: Tourism New Zealand forecasting billion-dollar boost to economy if trans-Tasman bubble goes ahead
Kate Nicol-Williams (1News): Concern NZ’s international education sector faces ‘total collapse’, as students look elsewhere while borders shut
RNZ: More than 400 people convicted for breaching Covid-19 restrictions
Herald: Editorial: Clearer messaging and more detail please, on where we are going with Covid (paywalled)
Newstalk ZB: Medical professor says NZ’s vaccine rollout is ‘clumsy and falling behind’
Michael Morrah (Newshub): The Wiggles were given ‘contingency’ MIQ rooms reserved for emergencies after Jacinda Ardern stepped in

Public transport
Derek Cheng (Herald): Treasury’s warnings on Auckland light rail: Diluted accountability, risk of further delay
Dave Armstrong (Stuff): Are we heading for Bustastrophe 2.0?
Todd Niall (Stuff): Auckland light rail’s timely Easter resurrection
RNZ: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will not rule out private investment for Auckland light rail
Stephen Forbes (RNZ): Mixed reactions to Auckland light rail announcement
RNZ: Long-awaited train service between Waikato and Auckland begins

Economy, inequality and work
Chris Trotter (Interest): Social class may have a bigger impact than race on how your life turns out
RNZ: Productivity, money and wealth – not all the same
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): More than 100,000 businesses lap up interest free loan scheme (paywalled)
Aimee Shaw (Herald): Covid 19 coronavirus profits: Was pandemic a blessing for NZX-listed retail companies? (paywalled)
Liam Dann (Herald): Vangelis Vitalis: Why NZ’s big Apec challenge is so important (paywalled)
Steve Kilgallon (Stuff): Top boss at Immigration NZ issues stern warning to dodgy construction operators — stop now, or be caught
Aaron Dahmen (Newstalk ZB): Analysis shows young Kiwis hardest hit by Covid job losses
RNZ: Poor uptake for commercial rent dispute scheme
Ellen O’Dwyer (Stuff): Ticket to prosperity: Sleepyhead development holds promise for iwi, leaders say
Gareth Vaughan (Interest): Why is Westpac NZ on the block and who might want to buy it?
Don Brash: The Paradox of our lousy productivity performance
Wade Pearson (ODT): Employee or contractor? It’s vital to get this right

Government finances
Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Government heads into Budget with books in better shape
1News: New figures show Govt books look $4 billion better than expected ahead of Budget announcement
Zane Small (Newshub): Government debt now exceeds $100 billion, more than 70 percent on pre-Covid-19
RNZ: Government deficit of $4.5b for eight months to February, $3.7b less than forecast

Minimum wage increase
Yvette McCullough (RNZ) ‘It’s quite a burden’: Criticism as minimum wage, benefit increases kick in
Newstalk ZB: High-income tax rate for people earning over $180,000 a year kicks in
Melanie Carroll (Stuff): Living wage rises to $22.75 an hour in September
Louisa Steyl (Stuff): Customers to bear the cost of latest wage increase

Media
Colin Peacock (RNZ): Public media plan moves forward behind closed doors
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Why the Government might want to merge TVNZ and RNZ
Chris Lynch (Stuff): Is the state buying off media independence?
Colin Peacock (RNZ): Simon Collins – a lifetime in journalism
Damien Venuto (Herald): Fresh details emerge about Sean Plunket’s media ambitions (paywalled)
Damien Venuto (Herald): MediaWorks boss Cam Wallace on sexual assault allegations, Magic Talk racism and plans for the business (paywalled)
Gavin Ellis: Reality check: Life has a deadline
Shannon Bond (NPR): This News publisher quit Facebook. Readership went up

Health
RNZ: Waikato DHB says it needs to accelerate its efforts to achieve health equity
Martin Van Beynen (Stuff): Working over-65s don’t get full benefit of ACC levies, says campaigner
Amy Wiggins (Herald): St John ambulance service under fire: 91yo waited two hours for ambulance – eight days later she was dead (paywalled)
Hannah Martin (Stuff): Proposed law change for cancer drugs to be administered in public system a ‘game-changer’
Giles Dexter (Newshub): Latest DHB pay offer felt like April Fools’ joke – nurses

Parliament and Government
Nick Smith (Stuff): Repeal of waka jumping law would help restore free speech in Parliament
Audrey Young (Herald): Rating the maiden MPs (paywalled)

Local Government
Georgina Campbell (Herald): Wellington City Council considers iwi voting rights and $100k remuneration
Aaron Leaman (Stuff): Hamilton City Council steps back from introducing Maori wards
Amber Allott (Stuff): Blue-greens rising: Canterbury councillors bridge political divide for climate
RNZ: Waimea Dam review should only go ahead once project’s finished, mayor says
Jason Walls (Herald): Farmers, marae, councils among those concerned by major overhaul of drinking water (paywalled)
Marcus Anselm (Stuff): Big jump in South Wairarapa rates planned, as much as 19 per cent jump
Damian Light (BusinessDesk): Auckland Council’s masterclass in mismanaging asset sales (paywalled)

Justice and crime
Jo Lines-MacKenzie (Stuff): A multi-million dollar new build at Waikeria prison on track for August 2022 finish
Hamish Cardwell (RNZ): Rape convictions at 10-year low: ‘The system is broken’ – sex education group

Ron Brierley
Matthew Tso (Stuff): PM moves to strip Sir Ron Brierley of his knighthood, Wellington College removes signage

Environment and climate change
Olivia Wannan (Stuff): The Climate Change Commission’s model is under fire
Matthew Tso (Stuff): Climate strikers to pick up where they left off after Covid stopped 2020 gatherings

Other
Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Australian TV host Andrew Bolt launches extraordinary tirade against ‘backstabbing’ New Zealand for ‘sucking up’ to China
Tina Morrison (Stuff): Bullying, gender discrimination at Government venture capital fund
Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Green MP Ricardo Menéndez March ‘disappointed’ Government hasn’t ‘acted with urgency’ to raise benefits